How to...Decoupage Letters

Brighten up a bookshelf, children’s room or create wedding lettering

My Decoupaged Letters

I have used decoupage lettering several times around the house and as a Mr and Mrs display at my wedding. Decoupaging is relaxing and takes you back to school days being covered in PVA glue and peeling it off your fingers. There are many different patterns of paper available, the hardest bit is deciding which ones to use! 

You will need:

• Glue 
• I used Decopatch Paperpatch Glue Varnish from Hobbycraft
• Paintbrush 
• I got mine from Hobbycraft next to the glue
• Decoupage Paper 
• Mine was from Hobbycraft and I have seen Asda have started to sell similar paper from a brand called Papier Patch

  

  Decoupage Paper

  
  
  
  
• Paper Mache Letters 
• I got mine from Hobbycraft and have used both the 10cm and 20cm size
• Craft board/surface you don’t mind getting glue on
• I used an old glass worktop saver

Method:

1. Take the paper (it is very thin, almost see through).
2. Rip the sheet up into pieces. Depending on the size of your letter will depend on the size of your pieces. For a 20cm size letter you can use larger pieces(approximate size of my pieces 4x2cm). For smaller letters it is easier to work with smaller pieces of paper.
3. Use the brush to paint glue onto a small section of the letter. 
4. Start to add some of the paper pieces, covering each piece in more glue to hold it down. 
5. Continue to add the pieces at any angle, once the glue is on you won’t be able to see the individual pieces.
6. Leave the letter to dry - See tips. 

Tips: 

• Don’t glue the whole letter first then add the paper as it will become a sticky mess. 
• Leave a section that is free of glue for you to hold onto.
• I decoupaged 3 quarters of the letter then let it stand on the non decoupaged end to dry. Once dry, I turned it upside down and finished decoupaging. This prevented the letter sticking to my worktop saver and from me getting super sticky hands.

Design Ideas: For some of my letters I decoupaged the whole letter, while for others I painted the letter first, then just decoupaged the front of the letter. 

Mr and Mrs on a fireplace at our wedding

Happy Crafting x