Crafty things ~ Create a Decorated Wood Letter

Hi Everyone, So happy to be here guest posting today for Melanie while she is in Germany. Let me get the introduction out of the way so I can share a little craft tutorial with you today. I am the writer & voice behind DearCreatives my creative, crafty and inspired living site. I go by Fawn on the site (my real name is Theresa).

See what is sparking my creativity & inspired living. A cup of creativity, a dash of craftiness, add in a pinch of ways to be healthier & green. Stir in a recipe or two. I am a mom who loves creativity, photography, nature & coffee too. Your always welcome to join me & see what else is up my sleeve such as an occasional giveaway, review & lets not forget Thrifty Tuesdays where I share the latest offers & finds just for my readers & who knows maybe you!

Today I thought I would share how easy it is to create a decorated wood letter that you can pick up at any craft store such as Hobby Lobby or Michaels Craft Store. The first one I created & shared with Melanie was done for my nephew. He loves comic books & so does my daughter. She picked a comic book she was willing to part with out of her collection! No easy feat! lol

This step by step tutorial I made for you all to see & the final project was for my daughter. You can see how versatile this can be by just changing out papers or by what you collage. On with the tutorial!

Things you’ll need:

• Wood letter size & alphabet letter of your choice
• Sandpaper
• gauze & damp cloth
• Mod Podge
• Rubber sponge brush
• Comic Book (or) Optional Scrapbook papers
• Rubber brayer (or use your fingers, but have a wash cloth handy!)
• Good cutting scissors (small ones, but larger will work too)
• Elmer’s Paint Pens (color depends on your project)
• Spray Varnish (Krylon or other)
• 3M Command Picture Hanging Strips
• Old newspaper or tarp

Here is the final project

{ Quick 10 slide show opens in a new window view} { Slide Show Tutorial }

You can copy above link code & use tutorial anytime I included the supply list & Steps!

• { remember you can collage with any kind of papers! }
• First take any stickers off the wood and sand the wood slightly. Then use the gauze or damp cloth to remove any fine dust / wood particles.
• Next you can cut & prearrange without gluing down your comics in a collage fashion. This is important since it allows you to get creative & fill all the gaps.
• Once you are ready & have it laid out as you are going to glue it you can begin by taking your rubber sponge brush & using the Mod Podge on the wood. Use the Mod Podge only slightly on the back of the comic strip (my pages weren’t paper thin, they were a bit thicker,book like / be careful if using thinner comic book pages you don’t want to tear it)
• Once you have the Mod Podge on the comic collage piece place it where you want it & use the brayer to get all the air bubbles out of it. Move on to the next piece, repeating process until entirely covered. Then using the brayer roll down any edges giving you trouble, adding Mod Podge if necessary. Allow to dry.
• Once dry take your Elmer’s Paint Pen & Paint the edges & back of project if you like. I painted the edges & wrote my nephew a note & signed mine.
• Later I sealed it with a spray varnish, follow directions on can. Always use in a well ventilated area, garage or outdoors! Mask recommended. I usually put down old newspapers where I am working. }
• Optional sign, paint or cover with scrapbook paper on the back side.

Here is the final project for my nephew!  

This can be adapted for anyone, using favorite colors, prints, patterns from scrapbook paper, books, comic books & even paint. It’s just that simple. I sure hope you give it a try. They make great gifts & can be made special with added touches, signing the back or gluing on some flowers or trinkets if making one for a girl. I hope you drop by for a visit soon! If you drop by be sure to let me know you found me via this post, follow along if you like & my door is always open @DearCreatives

Thanks Melanie for having me here today & letting me share a fun tutorial anyone can do! Enjoy your vacation & summer! Theresa

What summer projects are you working on?