LOVE Tutorial

I am SO excited to finally have our blog up and going. I LOVE this LOVE Word. I think it turned out so fun. What you'll soon realize is, just how easy it is to make one of your own. After a long cold winter, what a perfect way to brighten up your home with some LOVE! This is also something you could decorate to keep all year round and not just for Valentines Day.


Here is our LOVE Word:

What you will want to do is take a piece of sand paper and sand the edges to make sure they are all smooth. Then pick out what paper you would like to put on it. You could also use glitter as well.

Then once you've selected the paper you want to use, put the side you are using FACE DOWN. Then put your letter also FACE DOWN on the paper so the front of the letter is FACE DOWN. Trace your letter with a pencil. It's best if you put your letter to one side so you don't waste all your paper. Once you've traced your letter onto the paper, you just need to cut it out.

Then take your letters and paint the sides and back. I also paint the edges of the front of the letter just in case the paper doesn't go all the way to the edge. You don't have to paint the whole front if you are using paper. If you are going to glitter a letter, you will want to make sure the WHOLE Letter is covered with paint.

Once you've got everything painted, let it dry for 15-20 minutes. Take some Mod Podge or WHITE Wood Glue (we sell it in the store) and put it onto the wood and spread it with a sponge brush. You just need a light coat. Make sure that it's spread out evenly so there are no globs. Make sure to get the edges and corners well. 

Place your paper on the wood and smooth it out. Try using a credit card or a Pampered Chef brown scraper to get all the bubbles out. I run my finger over the top to make sure it's totally smooth. There are 3 reasons that the paper bubbles: 1. You have too much Mod Podge/glue on the wood 2. There was a missed spot on the wood that didn't get any Mod Podge/glue 3. The underneath layer of Mod Podge wasn't dry when the top coat was put on. If any of the paper is hanging over the edge, take some sand paper or a nail file and sand it off. Before you put a coat of Mod Podge over the top of the E, lets do the velvet/glitter first. You can put a coat of Mod Podge on the other letters if you'd like so they can dry. I like to put a coat of Mod Podge over the top of the paper so it seals it, but you don't have to. (If you are using the WHITE Wood Glue, DO NOT Put a coat over top of the paper.)

I used Red Velvet to put on the heart on the E and also the heart for the center of the O. (You put this on just like you would the glitter.) Place the letter you are putting the Velvet/glitter on, onto a piece of paper so it doesn't get all over and you can just fold it and dump it back into the bottle.

Put a layer of Mod Podge over top with a sponge brush. Make sure there are no globs. If it is a large item you can do it in pieces. You can also put another layer of paint on as well, just so it's still wet. Spread your Velvet out onto your wood. It doesn't matter how much you put, Just make sure the whole surface is covered. Dump the excess Velvet onto the paper and put it back into the bottle. Once you've got your Velvet onto the heart on the E, put Mod Podge over the e as well (NOT OVER THE VELVET PART! JUST THE PAPER!).

Let it dry for about 10-15 minutes and spray with a glossy/matte acrylic spray. If you feel like the Velvet/glitter is still flaking off after one coat of spray, a second coat can be applied. Once you are done you can add ribbon of your choice and spruce it up as much as you'd like.

We have EVERYTHING you'll need at the store to finish this fun project! :)

Here's what my final project looked like. Come check it out in person at the store and see ALL of our other fun Valentines, Winter and Home Items we have on display!