VINTAGE GRAPHIC LETTER WALL DECOR
This is a great project for adapting and making covered card stock (card) letters of your own. Once you have mastered the basic method you can make any letter you like and decorate it as you wish. I have covered mine in some gorgeous vintage-style paper, but you could easily use wallpaper to complement the color scheme of a room in your house. Or personalize a letter for a gift, using photographs and written notes.
Excerpted with permission from Letter Crafts: 35 creative projects for stylish home decorations.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
Letter Template Plain or Grph paper Ruler Pencil Tracing Paper Masking Tape Thin Card stock (card) Craft Knife Cutting Mat Patterned Paper Craft Glue
Step 1
Print out your chosen letter from a computer or take a letter from the templates and enlarge it to the desired size. You can either use a photocopier or scale the letter up using graph paper. Trace out the letter and transfer it onto the thin card stock (card). Pace on a cutting mat and use a craft knife to cut out the shape.
Step 2
Cut strips of card stock (card) for making the sides of your letter: I use the width of my ruler, which is approximately ½ in. (4 cm). This way you do not have to keep measuring and drawing out the lines.
Step 3
Align a strip of card stock (card) with the edge of your card stock (card) letter, using it to make a right angle. Secure in place using small pieces of masking tape. When you reach a corner, crease the card stock card) and carry on around the shape.
Step 4
Join another strip of card stock (card) to the first, and then another, until your letter has sides all the way around. You may find it easier to use small strips of card stock (card) at first, joining on each new piece to the last using masking tape.
Step 5
Place the patterned paper on your work surface, with the right side facing up. Center the letter shape on the paper, also right side up. Draw around the letter shape, approximately ½ in. (1 cm) away from the edge. Don’t worry if it is not exactly ½ in. (1 cm) all the way around—this is simply to give you a glue flap to turn over the edge of the letter. Cut the shape out
Step 6
Turn the patterned paper shape over, so that it is face down. Spread glue all over the right side of the letter shape and center it, face down, on the back of the patterned paper. Make sure you have an even border of paper all the way around. Press firmly, to make sure it sticks well.
Step 7
Using a craft knife, cut slits in the patterned paper border, up to the edge of the letter shape. On straight sections you can make the slits about ¾ in. (2 cm) apart, but on curved sections make the slits ¼–½ in. (5–10 mm) apart. On corners make sure you align the cut with the corner point.
Step 8
Spread glue on the slit paper sections and press them over the edge of the letter shape. You will find it easier to do this a few at a time.
Step 9
To cover the sides of the letter shape, cut strips measuring the same width from the patterned paper and glue in place.
Step 10
Hang the letter on a wall or door -- wherever it looks great!
Step 11
Excerpted with permission from Letter Crafts: 35 creative projects for stylish home decorations.
