Another Christmas project

Yesterday I was wandering around the shopping centre getting a few bits and pieces for Christmas.  You know things like crackers to make my own Christmas bon bons and a few gifts that I can't make myself.  As I was under no time constraints, I had a lovely browse.  In many of the shops with gifts and decorations, I saw Christmas words like, Joy, Peace, Noel, etc. made from wooden letters and decorated with glitter.  They were really pretty but I wasn't prepared the price the shops were asking so I went about making one myself.

Materials
strong card
pencil
eraser

 scissors
craft knife
glue stick
craft glue
small timber off cut
saw
folk art paint
glitter
2 small (cheap kids) paint brushes
3 paper plates or other suitable containers for holding glue and glitter
self healing mat or other protective surface
newspaper

First draw  the word of your choice onto a piece of card. 

Carefully cut out the word using a small pair of scissors and a craft knife to get into the small corners. 

I've used card I saved from some packaging which is white on one side and beige on the other.  I've drawn the word on the white side so that the beige colour won't show through the glitter.

Turn the second piece of card with the beige side up and trace around the letters.

Cut out the word.  You now have two words that are a mirror image.

Glue the two beige sides together (I used a glue stick so glue wouldn't ooze out), then trim any overhang.

 

 Put the glitter on a wide plate.

Using a small  paint brush, paint glue on one side of the word, including the edges.

Hold the word over a clean plate and tip the glitter over the side with the glue on.  This may take several attempts as you seem to have glitter sliding off everywhere.  Next time I would probably use a shallow tray for the glitter and then you could press the glitter into the card and stop so much coming off. 

Allow the first side to dry, then glue the other side of the word and cover with glitter.

Allow to dry completely.

While the word is drying, get your small wood off cut and measure the length a little longer than the word and cut.  Saw a small groove in the top of the wood so you can stand your glittery word up.  Make sure the groove is not wider than the two pieces of card glued together otherwise your word won't stand up.  Sand the wood and then paint.

 

When the wood is dry, insert your words into the groove and there you have it, Christmas words to display.

My glittery word is being kept company by two little Christmas birds who flew home with me Saturday afternoon.

Before starting a project like this, prepare for glitter to get everywhere no matter how careful you are.  Everything I used for this project I had at home.  The card was packaging saved from a fabric pack.  Glitter, craft glue, cheap paintbrushes saved from when the girls were little.  The other craft tools like scissors, craft knife, self healing mat are already part of my craft supplies.  The glue stick is always on hand for Miss G's school assignments.  I sketch so I already have a supply of pencils.  The folk art paint was leftover from a previous project from a few years ago and we always have newspaper or old magazines on hand to use to protect the table.  The timber off cut came from hubby's supply in the garage.  He never throws things away so he is a very good source for bits and pieces.  He very kindly cut the timber, sawed the groove and sanded it for me.  I am quite capable of doing those things but I think he either gets a kick out of being involved or doesn't want me using his tools.  :-)

This had been another long post, thanks for your patience.

Have a good week.

Anne