Canvas Letter/Name Project

So, I wanted to hang cute letters above Madison's crib that spelled out her name. I had fallen in love with some online and had decided to just buy them instead of make them. Unfortunately, the shipping time was going to be months (I'm far too impatient for that,) and they were going to be VERY expensive. My nightmare was that I go through the wait time and the money just to get them in and not like them (yes- I can be picky.) How do you put something up that you don't like, but how do you NOT put something up that you paid an arm and a leg for. Thus initiates project "Make the letters yourself!"

Materials needed: (all materials were found at Hobby Lobby)
- Canvas boards (one per letter)
- Scrapbook paper to your liking (one for outside border and one for inside space)
- T-shirt paint that matches the scrapbook paper
- Paint for the border/edge
- Scrapbook cardstock to cut letters out of
- Cricut (optional)
- Mod Padge (matte finish so it's not so glossy)
- 3D glue dots
- Ribbon
- Hot glue gun to attach ribbon to board

Steps: (I did each step for all the boards before moving onto the next step.)

1. Paint the edge of the board about 1- 1 1/2" in for the border.

2. Cut scrapbook paper to fit inside the border. Cut to your liking depending how much border you want to show.

3. Use the Mod Padge to glue the paper onto the canvas board. Rub out the wrinkles and allow to dry fully. Once dry, paint a layer of Mod Padge over the top of the paper as a "top coat." Glue will dry clear. Allow to dry fully.

4. Cut scrapbook paper for the inside section to your liking. Repeat step 3 with smaller section of paper.

5. Use the T-shirt paint to trace over the designs on the scrapbook paper. This gives the canvas the "handpainted" look that makes the letters so expensive to buy!

6. Cut the letters of the name out of the cardstock using your Cricut or other cutting device.

7. Make bows with the ribbon and attach to the back of the canvas boards with your hot glue gun.

8. Attach the letters to the boards using the 3D glue dots to give them a little "pop." If you do not want them to be 3D, just use regular glue dots, and they will be flush with the rest of the board.

9. Hang them up and enoy!! I used a nail to hold the ribbon, and then attached the canvas boards to the wall with more 3D glue dots in the corner. This helped them stay level and exactly where I wanted them!

The project took me a couple days, mostly to make sure the Mod Padge was dry in between steps. Rushing through this causes A LOT more bubbles and wrinkles. Being patient (believe me...I know it's hard) helps keep everything much smoother!