Family Letters

I finally finished a project that's been in the works for months and am really happy with out it finally worked out! The pictures are poor, as usual, but hopefully it gives you an idea of the final product. Here's a little "how-to":

Materials & Instructions:

• Chip board or light-weight wooden letters. I picked mine from a variety of styles at Hobby Lobby. (the F,I,Y are from one set, A,L,t,h,b,n from another in 2 sizes, M from another and the e's and o's after from yet another)
• Paint and paintbrush. I used leftover purple latex paint from painting my kitchen because I wanted it to help pull the two rooms together. I gave it two coats on the top and sides with a small paintbrush. Hint: Don't let them dry on newspapers--they'll stick and you'll have to use a nail file to get all the newspaper off!
• Sandpaper. After drying, I sanded the letters to give them a more weathered look, especially on the edges.
• Scrapbook paper, scissors, Mod Podge, paintbrush. I bought a pack of scrapbook paper as a set and since my scrapbook paper wall didn't stay up, I used the paper I'd taken down and just cut out pieces I liked and glued them to the letters by brushing the back with Mod Podge and wrapping them around the letters. My favorite part of this paper was that parts have a metallic finish, so they catch the light and add some shine to the otherwise-flat-looking letters.
• Poster Strips and Mounting Tape. Trust me, sticky-tack doesn't work. For the large letters, I used Command Poster Strips, either one or two per letter so if I ever take it down, it won't damage the wall. It was tricky to find something thin enough for the small letters, so I ended up using Scotch Foam Mounting Tape and just cut it in tiny pieces. It's labeled "permanent" but I'm hoping it will be minimal damage in the small amounts I used.

Here's a wide shot of the room so you can see how it fits in with the colorful look of our living room. I know it's not for everyone, but we like it just a little bit vibrant!