DIYP: Initial Ornaments

This is what I made for my nephews, niece and favorite kids for Christmas but they're so fun and easy, I think I'll be making a lot more of them, especially to attach to a gift for a new baby! They can certainly be Christmas ornaments but I could also attach a small hook to the back and just attach a ribbon for hanging.



Here's the super-simple tutorial (materials used are in bold):

1. Purchase letters at a craft store. I had the best luck at Michael's, with these white, script letters. There are also cursive styles and wood letters out there. I'd recommend sanding and priming the wood ones first.

2. Using acrylic paint in the color of your choice, give two coats to each side, allowing them to dry in-between. I used a foam brush but for the more intricate letters, you'll need a small paint brush to reach all the nooks and crannies.

3. Using a pencil eraser, choose a contrasting color paint and apply polka dots. A second dab may be necessary. Of course you can also paint stripes, curly-cues or whatever your heart desires!

4. Use a spray sealer, giving two coats to each side. I had better results with the spray than with a brush-on sealant, plus it's so easy to just spray it until you get the finish you want.

Here's the backs when I sealed it with Mod Podge. It was hard to get it smooth and it was still tacky, even days later. Yuck.



Here's the backs with the spray sealant. Much smoother and it dried super-fast.



5. Using a hot glue gun, attach a hanger or hook to the back (as shown above).

6. Tie on sheer ribbon (less bulky than satin) in a bow and adhere with a dab of hot glue so it doesn't twist around.

Here are my final results.

These are the ones I used spray sealant on--smooth and shiny!!



And while these were cute, the finish was messy and uneven with the Mod Podge.



Ta-da! Adorable AND personalized!!