DIY Paper Mache Letters

Putting your baby's name in the nursery is a popular trend these days. Most parents buy pre-decorated wooden letters that are hung with pretty bows. I wanted to do something a little different. A little more homemade.

The idea came from an OhdeeOh article. It cost exactly $0.00. I used the cardboard from 2 discarded frozen pizza boxes, a free newspaper I found outside of Subway, and the paste was made from flour, salt, and water.

First, you print a template of what you want to make from your home computer. I selected the size and font I liked, and I made the C much bigger than the rest of the letters. Then you cut out your image and trace it onto the cardboard. Then you use the same image, flipped horizontally, to trace the reverse of the image. Do this for every letter and then cut out your pieces.

Then, you must decide how thick you would like your letters. Cut out even strips of cardboard to become the sides of the letters. Next, you tape your letters together. The forward facing image is the top, the reverse facing image is the bottom, and the even strips around the sides. Trim any excess and be sure the cardboard side is facing out, not the laminated side of the pizza box.

Once you've assembled all your letters, you can begin applying the newspaper. Rip the paper into even strips, dunk them in the flour/salt/water mixture, and wrap them around your cardboard letters. Leave to dry overnight.

The next morning, you can start sanding the rough spots down and begin painting your design! I chose baby blue and then went in with a sharpie to add the plane and loop tracks.

It was alot of fun to make! Super easy- and FREE! Now on to the next project!