Sobremesa Stories

Letting stories unfold around the table

Neutral Fall Sign With Decoupage Letters Tutorial

By

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a directions follower.  Give me a recipe, a set of steps for a project, or detailed instructions and I am a happy camper.  Following other people’s directions is much easier than forging my own path because if I fail, there’s someone else to blame besides myself.  Because I was just following directions, right? There’s no way it could be user error (please note the sarcasm here).

Since I got married and moved away from all of my artistic and creative friends from college (whom I love dearly), I’ve had to learn to trust my own creativity.  I’ve started making dinner without checking a recipe or jumping into a craft with nothing but some random supplies from Hobby Lobby and an idea that popped into my head.

And you know what I’m learning, guys? My ideas aren’t half bad.  Sometimes I come up with really yummy recipes like this mocha brownies recipe or fun crafts like this fall burlap wreath I made a few weeks ago.  Turns out I’ve got some good ideas in this head of mine.  Who woulda thunk?

This neutral fall sign is a unique project to add some cozy charm to your fall decor! And so easy too!

Anyway, this sign here is the perfect example of one of those random ideas.  I grabbed these letters from Hobby Lobby, thinking I would use some Modge-Podge to decoupage them with some sort of pretty paper like I have with other letters in the past.  When I got home, I remembered I had a big wooden frame I’d picked up a thrift store for $2 and had the idea of combining the letters with that to make some sort of fall sign.  I played around with some twine and a glue a gun and ended up with a unique fall sign that I love!

Sometimes we just have to push our insecurities to the side and jump into a project without worrying about how it will turn out or what people will think.  Because underneath all the insecurities, it turns out that we’ve got something pretty good to offer!

Anyway, enough sappiness.  If you want to make a similar sign, here’s the roundabout process I followed to create this neutral fall sign with decoupage letters!

This neutral fall sign is a unique project to add some cozy charm to your fall decor! And so easy too!

Neutral Fall Sign With Decoupage Letters Tutorial

1) Use Modge-Podge to decoupage the letters with the paper of your choice.

I chose to cover the letters using an old hymnal I’d gotten at a thrift store a few years back. I’ve used this to make paper Christmas ornaments in the past and I love the prettiness of the faded pages and the music notes! I started by cutting out several pages of the hymnal.  This is where it becomes more of a “play around” kind of project because the shapes you cut the pages depend on the letters.

This neutral fall sign is a unique project to add some cozy charm to your fall decor! And so easy too!

Cut the pages into squares small enough to cover various parts of the letters.  I used a cheap foam brush to spread some Modge-Podge on the letter itself and then folded the paper squares around the letter and put a little more Modge-Podge on the back for good measure.

This neutral fall sign is a unique project to add some cozy charm to your fall decor! And so easy too!

If there was much excess paper on the edges, I folded it down like you would wrap the edges of a present and glued the corners down too.

This neutral fall sign is a unique project to add some cozy charm to your fall decor! And so easy too!

Some of the letters are a little tricky (I’ll give you a hint: it wasn’t the L’s), so just play around and glue squares of various sizes until you cover the letters completely!

This neutral fall sign is a unique project to add some cozy charm to your fall decor! And so easy too!

2) Use hot glue to attach pieces of twine to the frame of your sign.

Cut pieces of twine to stretch evenly across the frame and the letters.  I tried to just use 3-4 strings across the frame at first, but quickly realized that I needed a piece of twine ever 3-4 inches to actually be able to hold up the letters, so I ended up adding more later.  This is also about the point where I realized I have no outlets close enough for my hot glue gun to reach a table, so excuse the quick transition to the floor for this part!

This neutral fall sign is a unique project to add some cozy charm to your fall decor! And so easy too!

3) Hot-glue the backs of the letters to the twine strands wherever the twine touches the letter.

Again, not a science.  I made little strips of hot-glue and pressed the twine to it using the back of the Modge-Podge covered paintbrush (in other words, my hands were completely covered in dried glue by the time this project was over).  Like I said, the lighting on my floor by the outlet was pretty terrible (as you might expect) and my pregnant self wasn’t able to squat and get a good picture of this one.  You get the idea though!

Neutral Fall Sign With Decoupage Letters Tutorial (Hot Glue Step)

4) Flip it over and display it in your house with some other fall pretties!

I love how this turned out! It’s subtle and pretty and a little bit off-centered and imperfect, which I love. Like the Nester would say, it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.  I’d say this is a pretty good example of that!

This neutral fall sign is a unique project to add some cozy charm to your fall decor! And so easy too!

Have you ever jumped into a new project with nothing but an idea and supplies? How did it turn out?

This neutral fall sign is a unique project to add some cozy charm to your fall decor! And so easy too!

 I’m linking up toJust a Girl And Her Blog, Life on Virginia Street, Miss Mustard Seed,  Remodelaholics Anonymous, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, Cupcakes and Crinoline, Home Stories A to Z, Sand and Sisal, Kleinworth & Co, Coastal Charm, Between Naps On The Porch, A Fresh Start On A Budget, Mad In Crafts, New Nostalgia, Funky Polka Dot Giraffe, Mabey She Made It, Memories By The Mile, Ladybug Blessings, Hope Studios, Posed Perfection, Common Ground, Anderson and Grant, The Charm of Home, Dwellings Amaze Me Monday, Sugar Bee Crafts, and Elizabeth and Co Vintage, The Charm of Home, Sweet Little Ones, Friday Letters, Meet-up Monday, Common Ground,Share Your Style, This Is How We Roll, AKA Design,Creativity Unleashed Thursdays, The Painted Drawer, Dream, Create, and Inspire, The Alder Collective, and  Live Randomly Simple.  Check out those blogs for more great recipes, projects, and ideas!
Sign up to get our weekly newsletter with post updates and other goodies.

No spam guarantee.


Comments

  14. I love the shabby chic, rustic vibe to this beautiful project! I used this technique to make an EAT sign in my kitchen and GINNY sign for her nursery, but I never considered using music!! What a beautiful, special touch. I might consider doing this with music or book pages from thrifted books. Thanks for the great idea.
    Lindsay recently posted…Guest Post: Rodan & Fields DermatologistsMy Profile

  16. Love it! I love jumping into projects when an idea strikes – though they don’t always come out just as I imagined. LOVE this one though and that paper!
    Ashley recently posted…Seeking WisdomMy Profile

  22. Love this look on a budget, especially with the music pages! Something simple and pretty, yet seasonal. We will have to get crafty together soon when I’m done with softball 🙂 Thanks so much for linking up with The Alder Collective Link Party- your content is rocking as usual!
    Kelsie recently posted…The Alder Collective Link Party #2My Profile