Monday, January 23, 2012

KAYLEI's letters



For Christmas we bought our daughter a new bedding set, which I've now realized also means re-decorating her bedroom. My first DIY project is the letters of her name "K-A-Y-L-E-I".

My Supplies:

Joann Fabric and Craft Stores
~8'' Paper Mache Letters - $2.99 each, I got them on sale for $1.99 each.
~Martha Stewart Metallic Acrylic Craft Paint (Color: Sterling) - $1.99
~ 3 pieces of 12x12 scrapbook paper in 3 prints (9 pieces total) - .59

Michael's
~Purple and Gray Ribbon - $2.99, buy one get one half off
~Decorative Purple Ribbon Strand - $1.99

Walmart
~Elmer's Tape Runner - $5.00 (or somewhere around there)

My Scrapbook Room
~Decorative Metal Slides (sorry, can't remember the actual name, another thing that's been antiquing in my drawers)
~Butterfly Stickers
~Vellum paper
~Paper Flowers
~Pearl Stickers

I apologize for not taking step by step pictures...I'm new to this whole blogging thing. I promise more pics next time.

Before I began my project I asked my husband to write down a word that described her for each letter in her name. I did the same thing and then chose 3 of his words and 3 of mine. The words I will use in step 4.

Step 1:
Flip each letter over so that it's backwards and place the printed scrapbook paper print side down. Trace each letter and then cut them out. I chose to do some letters twice on different papers so that I could use more than one paper on each letter.

Step 2:
Paint letters with Metallic Acrylic Craft Paint. I made sure to paint the top edges of the letter slightly just in case the paper didn't completely cover the whole letter. I painted each letter twice, the second coat just seemed to make the silver color "pop".

Step 3:
Once the letters are dried use your tape runner on the letters you cut out and adhere them to each of the paper mache letters.

Step 4:
Take the words that you came up with and print them on your vellum paper. For our daughter we came up with K-Kind, A-Amusing Y-Youthful L-Loving E-Enthusiastic I-Intelligent. Cut each word out and adhere them inside the metal slides.

Step 5:
Decorate your letters with ribbon, metal slides, paper flowers, pearl stickers and butterfly stickers.

My plan...

Somewhere around the beginning of this year when everyone was making their New Year's resolutions I got this great idea. I was going to put all of my scrapbooking supplies that I've "collected" and my husband wants to sell to good use. My plan: 52 Do It Yourself ("DIY") projects in 2012. Each DIY project is to take one afternoon, they are going to be simple and under $30 bucks. Sundays are going to be my DIY days but, I'm giving myself a little give and take here and there. I'm looking forward to all the fun crafty projects that await me and my kitchen table.