Wedding Letters

So, since we've been married, most of The Mr's friends have gotten married and people from our single's ward have gotten married, and family members have gotten married.

I'm always in search of a cute easy gift to give. I've found a few that work pretty good, but recently found one that I LOVE!! I love making it and I love sharing it with newly-weds!!

I call them Wedding Letters.

When I first got married I was completely obsessed with my new last name! {Ok, truth is, I'm STILL obesessed with my new last!!} I was putting C's on everything, I was Mod Podging C's like a crazy woman, and putting our last name EVERYWHERE!! {I made some seasonal word blocks with a tutorial from Brown Paper Packages, and I added 2 extra letters so I could spell my last name....}

What you need:
-Cardboard letter
-Paint & brush
-Scrapbook paper
-Mod Podge
-Cheapie cheap nail files
-Ribbon

I go buy a cardboard letter from Joann's, the first letter of their last name. I try to stick with the medium ones I guess, that way it can fit on a shelf and not be too big but still big enough to see.

I have recently fallen in love with a paint color called Antique White. It's not a white-white, but it's also not a tan. I love it! It matches my "wedding pack" of paper PERFECTLY!! I paint the entire letter with a coat of Antique White. Insides and outsides, front and back!

Once dry, I flip the letter over, and trace the outline on the back side of the scrapbook paper. When you cut it out, cut on the INSIDE of the line, when you trace it, it always ends up bigger than the letter actual is.

Now, take that wonderful goo called Mod Podge and put a nice coat on the front of the letter. Place the letter cutout and smooth it onto the front of the cardboard letter.

This is where your cheapie cheap nail files come into play. I buy the big huge pack of 100 assorted nail files from the dollar store.

Once my paper is secured and dried to my cardboard letter, I always notice I didn't do a very good job tracing or cutting or lining up the traced letter to the cardboard one. I always have edges hanging over. I take the nail file, and file down the paper at an angle. I get paper dust all over, but the end result is pretty nice looking. ***Be sure to file down the paper BEFORE you put a top coat of Mod Podge on!***

This step will take quite a few of the cheap nail files, I use each end, both sides and each middle. I went thru 3 per letter.

Now, once the paper the filed down, I apply a coat of Mod Podge to the top of the scrapbook paper. I'm always careful to get the corners of the paper.

I've also recently fallen in love with antiquing things using brown or black ink pads. I take either the ink pad itself or a piece of paper towel/kleenex and press it into the ink pad then swipe it acorss the letters. I used the ink pad itself on the H, but the C and B were hard to get the ink pad into the turns. :) Tie on some cute wedding-ish ribbon, or if you know their wedding colors, tie those on. Brides love that stuff, I know I did!

And viola! You have some adorable, non-expensive gifts to give to some newly-weds!! The neutral color scheme goes with most decor, that's why I usually go with black, white, silver, cream. :)

Enjoy!