Holiday decorating

Relax, I'm not putting up Christmas decorations yet. I did make some, though. I went to a craft night at church a few weeks ago, and ended up with these. I altered them from the original design, and I really like them.




You start with a 2x4. Mine are probably about six or seven inches tall. Sand it down really nice, and then paint it however many coats you need or want. After it's really really dry, sand the edges again (only do this if you want the distressed look).

Choose your scrapbook paper -- I liked having two different but coordinating patterns. You could go with just one pattern, three different ones, or just do one block by itself. Trace your block onto the paper, and then carefully tear about a quarter-inch or so in from all sides, leaving the edges slightly ragged.

Grab a foam brush and your Mod Podge. Brush a layer onto the face of the wood block, and brush a layer onto the back of the paper. Position the paper, and press down. Allow to dry for 10 minutes or so. Then brush a layer of Mod Podge all over the wood (you may have to do this in two phases, so you can hold dry sides).

Next, have your wood letters painted (letters can be found at Michaels, Jo-Ann, or other craft stores) whatever color you want. Once the paint is dry, do a layer of Mod Podge over them (just to ensure a matching finish). If you have a hot glue gun, use that to attach them to the wood blocks. I don't have one, so I used Krazy Glue, which I did have.

Voila!

The original project didn't involve paper or wood letters. It was as simple as paint the wood, apply vinyl lettering, be done. I like mine better though. I like the dimension and personality.