Save Money on Wall Decor – DIY Hanging Wood Letters
As we prepare for the arrival of our newest addition, Isabella Faith (Izzie), I have been working on transforming the office into a nursery (Before/After coming soon!). A friend of mine bought letters from Babies R Us to spell out the name of her baby on the wall. I loved the look, but each letter cost $7.99 x 5 letters = $39.95. There were other letters available, but ranged from $7.99 – 29.99 each! This is more than I am ready to spend on wall decor considering how much we will need to be spending on other, more vital items such as diapers. So I decided to shop around for unfinished wood letters and paint them myself. I found a very pretty set at Joann Fabrics for $2.49 per letter, saving me $27.50! WOW!
The same set of letters is available from Amazon, now on sale for $1.49 per letter!
Finishing 5-1/2 inch Wood Letters
Tools/Supplies needed:
- sandpaper
- paint brush
- primer
- paint
- staple gun
- ribbon
- level and tape measure
- nails and hammer
How to do it:
1. Lightly sand each letter to smooth out rough edges and get rid of small splinters.
2. Prime each letter using your favorite primer. See my previous post on which primers work best.
3. Once the primer has dried, paint each letter. I used Duron, One-coat white because I had some left over from a previous project. Sadly, I needed two coats to provide a more even finish. Make sure the first coat of paint has dried before painting your second coat. For more information on what paint is worth the price, see my paint comparison post.
4. For extra detail and color, paint dots or stripes on the letters. Tip: Use painter’s tape on the letters for more straight stripes, and remove tape while paint is wet or soft (not dry).
5. After the paint is completely dried, cut ribbon to desired length and use a staple gun to affix ribbon to back of letters. Try to keep the ribbon the same length. You can use one of the letters as a template for the others.
6. Use a level and tape measure to plan the hanging of your letters. As the letters are light, I used nails instead of screws or wall anchors. Place nails, hang the letters, then tie a pretty bow to hide the nail.
7. ENJOY!
Overall, it was a very easy process that saved me lots of money, especially since I was able to use supplies we already had such as primer, paint, and staples.
What do you think? Have you painted unfinished wood letters? Any tips or suggestions?
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3 Responses to Save Money on Wall Decor – DIY Hanging Wood Letters
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January 26th, 2009 12:02 pm
Very nice. You could also hang them with small picture hangers or 3M quick release adhesive (can’t remember the name for it)
July 20th, 2009 6:20 pm
You did a great job painting the letters. If you or your readers need unfinished wooden letters check us out customwoodenletters.com.
September 1st, 2009 7:00 pm
It would also be cute to have an empty wooden picture frame surrounding each letter. Instead of attaching the ribbon to the letter, it could be attached to each of the frames. Then the letters could be free standing within the frame.
Another idea is to have a picture frame hanging above or below each letter. The frame and letter would be connected by a wide piece of ribbon, with the bow at the top. Then you would not only be able to have your child’s name spelled out on the wall, but candid pictures of them attached to each letter.