Large Wall Letters
These large letters are a great way to add some easy color to your wall decor or bring sentiment to any room. I love these because they can be customized in any font and/or size to fit perfectly in the space you have. I made these particular letters large in size to fit the bedroom with high ceilings and large empty wall.
(Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means that when you buy any product /services using my link then I’ll earn a small commission at no EXTRA cost to you. Thank You!)
Supplies
- A Print of the Letter in the Size wanted
- A Piece of the Plywood/Wood that the Letter will fit on, and the right thickness (I used 3/4 inch thick )
- Latex Paint (Antique White and Teal)
- Minwax Stain (Special Walnut and Classic Grey mixed together)
- Jig Saw
I started this project by exploring on Microsoft Word the font style that I liked. I didn't want a fancy font with lots of "curly q's" and "loopy loos". I was looking for something very simple and traditional, and I used the font Arial Black. With the hunt of the of style and size of the letters finished, I then searched online for a picture of a heart that I thought would compliment the letters perfectly. I made each letter and the heart as big as a page of printing paper and printed them off. I settled on the size of the final letters to be about 18 inches tall and the heart to be about 12 inches tall. To get the exact size I wanted on paper, I took the printed letters from home to Staples and had them blown up to the size I wanted. I ended up making the heart a little bigger than the originally thought of 12 inches because it looked to small next to the letters. It was then time to transfer the letters to the wood.
I just needed an outline of the letters on the wood so I turned the paper upside down and colored over the back of the letters with chalk. Once the letters where colored with chalk, I turned them back over and taped the paper in place. I then outlined the letter with a pencil, press hard to indent the wood. The chalk transferred from the paper to the wood. Once the letters and heart shapes where transferred to the wood it was time to pull out the jig saw and start cutting.
I used a jig saw with a scroll cut blade to cut out the letters. It is easier to make more precise cuts if you stabilize the wood, like if you have someone to help hold the wood in place as you make your cuts. Once each piece is cut out, I sanded the edges down to smooth them out to get rid of any saw marks. It was then time to start dressing them up:)
I started with Mimwax's Classic Grey Stain on each piece, I then gave each piece a white wash by using a damped rag dipped in a watered down white paint. The letters were almost done but the heart was just getting started. On the heart, I randomly rubbed traces of Vaseline on the edges and then painted it blue. Once the blue paint dried I used a piece of steel wool to rubbed off the blue paint where the Vaseline was. I used the same technique with the Vaseline on the surface of the heart where I felt would give the best accents. I then put a cream color paint over the blue surface. I then used a piece of steel wool to rub off the cream where I wanted accents. I finished each piece by putting a coat of clear wax over each piece. They were ready to spice up that wall!
Hope this has inspired you to build that special piece but if you don't have the time to make your own, contact me for a custom piece and let me bring you that A Rustic Rose you've been looking for.
Thank you for spending time with me and until next time....
Addie
Revised 6/18