DIY Nursery Wall Letters

To add more color to the nursery and incorporate some of the fabric from the rocking chair, I decided to create an art mural to go above Baby Z's crib. I didn't want to spend tons of money in the process (the plethora of things we'll need once she's here has proven debilitating enough), but I still wanted it to be creative and original. So I came up with some art projects to form a fun mural for baby Z to stare at while she wonders why I'm taking so long with that bottle.

The first project is creating wall letters with her initials. Some people choose to paint wooden letters but this option was much easier and faster for me. It also lets you use cute scrapbook paper.

*Excuse the crappy photo, as I haven't put the letters up yet. I want to finish the other art pieces before I hang anything so I can give the mural arrangement some serious thought.

You'll need:

- Wooden letters

- Scrapbook paper

- Scissors

- Mod Podge

- Paint Brushes

- Paint (I used Americana Acrylic Paint)

I suggest bringing along fabric or paint samples when you pick the scrapbook paper. You don't want everything to be "matchy-matchy" but you don't want a cluster of unmatched eyesores on the wall either.

Start off by painting the sides of the wooden letters, since those won't be covered with the scrapbook paper.

 Yes, I went overboard and painted the whole dang letter. Just be careful that the paint doesn't drip, it'll cause your letters to get stuck to the newspaper and create a big fat mess.

Next, flip the wooden letters over and trace them on the back of the scrapbook paper. Remember that story I told you about the newspaper getting stuck? Well this here would be a prime example.

After you cut out the traced letter, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge on the front of the wooden letter.

Carefully place the scrapbook paper on top of the letter, making sure all parts are covered. Let this sit for about 15 minutes.

If you notice any air bubbles and cannot get them smoothed out, don't fret. I noticed several air bubbles in mine when I used the thinner scrapbook paper (not the card stock textured kind). Somehow they disappeared after drying. This could be a total fluke, but give it at least some time to dry before you decide to start over.  

Apply 2-3 layers of Mod Podge over the scrapbook paper. Allow 15 minutes of drying time in between each layer application. You can apply Mod Podge on the sides of the letters too, just be sure that the Mod Podge does not clump up in any corners.

You can't see it incredibly well from this photo, but this is what it looks like while it dries:

Simple and cheap. I now have an obsession with Mod Podge - and this blog certainly doesn't help.