Altered Letters

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Reported by Colleen Schaan

Welcome to another altered items article. As a crafter, there are thousands of items available to alter and thousands of ways to alter them...the only limit is the imagination. My favorite item to alter is letters. Wooden ones, metal ones, chipboard ones, big ones, little ones...you name it and I love to alter it.


On any shopping trip to a craft store you will find a variety of alterable letters available. The most common ones (and therefore the most popular ones) are wooden. A cruise down the woodworking aisle will fill your shopping cart with a multitude of sizes ranging from tiny (1” tall and 1/8” thick) to large (12” tall and 1” thick). Once you have chosen a size, you will be faced with choosing a style. Some are fancy and scripted while others are sturdy and blocky. My suggestion is to think about how the final product will be used. If you are creating a wall hanging, then a thinner, lighter letter will work well. If you are hoping to create a stand-alone decorative piece, then you want to look for something with a solid, sturdy base.

One product that I have found delightful is the Embellished Word Kit by Colorbok. The kit includes a number of die cut letters (solid pressboardor fiberboard), coordinating patterned paper, rub-ons, embellishments, ribbons, sandpaper, and an instruction booklet. The instructions show how to create one look...go with that or be creative and change it up for a look all your own.

I like these kits because the letters are pre-sanded and ready to use. I like the fact that they are solid and blocky, quite heavy actually, so they can stand on their own as a decorative piece. I don’t always like the decorative papers included, but it is very easy to change them up and use paper from my own stash. The embellishments given are fine, but I like to kick it up a notch with the addition of stamped images and even more hardware. Altering letters is simple...just follow a few simple tips:

• If the letters are not smooth,lightly sand and wipe off any resulting dust.
• Paint the front, sides, and/or back of the letters using an acrylic paint. I like to use Delta Creamcoat.
• Trace the letter onto the patterned paper. I like to trace the letter onto the BACK of the patterned paper...but it is then necessary to flip the letter BACKWARDS to have it come out correctly. (Trim as close to the letter as possible.)
• Adhere the paper to the front of the wooden letter. Any type of liquid adhesive is good for this. I like to use a thin layer of Modge Podge applied to the letter.
• Lightly sand the edges of the paper. This will eliminate any excess paper and also give a nice distressed look.
• Embellish as you wish using ribbon, buttons, flowers, stamped images, and/or anything else you can get your hands on.
  

You can use altered letters in a number of ways...spell out words to celebrate a holiday, use the letters in your last name to create a family wall hanging, decorate a child's room with their altered first name, or even make a visual definition of an abstract noun for inspiration. The possibilities are endless...

Here are pictures of two Colorbok kits I have completed for the holidays.



Cindy over at Imagine. Dream. Create created this beautiful altered letter name.


Now let's see what you can do. Add some definition to your life...alter some letters and make them meaningful.