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The Decor Mama

A DIY loving, decorating obsessed, mama of three

DIY Scrapbook Paper Picture Frame

January 29, 2019 | DIY, DIY Holiday Decor

I just recently finished my master bedroom accent wall so I had some scrap 1×2 pieces of wood laying around that I wanted to use. Since Valentine’s Day is coming up I decided to make a cute Valentine’s Day frame, and while I was at it I went ahead and made a spring one too!

It was easy and inexpensive so this is the perfect project for anybody!

Here’s what you’ll need:

This post does contain affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through any of the links that I’ve provided, I make a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you. So thank you so much if you do help support myself and this blog!

  • Scrapbook paper. I bought the 12″x 12″ paper from Hobby Lobby.
  • 1 x 2 wood of your choice. Mine was my leftover scrap wood.
  • *A wooden or cardboard word to give the frame some added detail. This is optional, but I got my words at Hobby Lobby as well. The ‘love’ is from the scrapbook section and the ‘Hi’ is from the decor section (I think!:)
  • Thin board of your choice. I used leftover scrap backer board. You could even use a flat piece of cardboard if you have it.
  • Wood Glue
  • Nail Gun
  • Staple Gun
  • Chop Saw
  • Table Saw
  • Stain. I used Briarsmoke and Weathered Oak.
  • *Paint if you want to paint the words on your frame. I used black chalk paint for my ‘love’ word.

Okay, now that you have all of that, let’s get to making these cute signs already!

  • You’re going to want to measure and mark your wood. If you’re using a 12″ x 12″ scrapbook paper like I did then your two short frame pieces will be 11-3/4″ and the two long pieces will be 14-1/4″. Using your chop saw, or whatever saw you prefer, cut those pieces down to size.
  • Then cut down your backboard material to size. This is one area I made a mistake. I made mine the exact size of the paper, but I wish I would have made it 13″ x 13″ to give me more room to staple it to the frame. Yes, you can see a few of my staples through the paper if you look closely! Dang it, but at least you get to learn through my mistakes!
See how close the staples are to the paper. Next time I will make the backer board 1 inch bigger so I have more room to staple to the frame section.
  • Now that you have all your cuts made, you can start making your frame. I used my nail gun to put the pieces together, but if you’re more patient than me you can totally use wood glue!
If nail gun’s intimidate you, then you can use wood glue and clamp them until the glue dries.
  • Now you can lightly sand down your frame if you think it needs it and then stain or paint it to your liking. My light frame is stained in Weathered Oak by Minwax and my dark frame is stained in Briarsmoke.
  • While that’s drying paint your word if it needs it. I ended up leaving the ‘Hi” just how I bought it.
  • Glue your scrapbook paper onto your backer board, or whatever cheap board you found. This is another area I made a mistake. I used wood glue, which is fine, but I wish I would have painted it on because you can see faint glue lines through the paper. Next time!
  • Once your frame is all dry, turn it over, place your board and paper face down on top of that, and staple away. Try not to staple onto the paper like I did!
  • Now that that part is all done, you can glue your wood on using your wood glue. Lay it on there beforehand to see where you like it and to see where you’ll actually need glue. Give that time to dry before you stand it up.
Here’s my Valentine’s Day frame up!

That’s it! You’re done! I’d love to see your finished products! Please tag me on Instagram so I can see what you’ve created! Come find me and follow along on my DIY journey @thedecormama.

Thank you so much for coming, and I hope you’ll come back real soon for my next DIY, which is actually in the making as we speak! In fact, I should have been working on that instead of this project, but I couldn’t pass up making some Valentine’s Day decor since it’s almost February!

XOXO,

Lauren

The Decor Mama

DIY Christmas Tree Box (That I made from my scrap wood!)

December 4, 2018 | DIY, DIY Holiday Decor

Hi everyone and welcome!

Today’s project is something I made out of the scrap wood leftover from a DIY coffee table that I made that will be coming to my blog soon!

This is such an easy and cheap project that can make a huge difference for your Christmas tree!  Before I made this box for our Christmas tree, it looked really bare and definitely needed something.  Now we have one finished, happy looking tree in our boys’ toy room!  All because of a super simple project that I made out of my scrap wood!  Yes!  I’m all about simple and easy, especially during Christmas time!

 

Okay, so let’s get started already as I know everyone is super busy around this time of year.

This post does contain affiliate links, which means if you click on any of the provided links I will receive a percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.  So thank you so much for supporting my blog if you do!

Here is what you’ll need:

  • 1×6 boards, or any scrap pieces that you have lying around.  It has to be enough wood to cover the base of your tree.  I had 1 x 6’s leftover so that is what I used.
  • Chop Saw or Table Saw
  • Wood Glue
  • Nail Gun (or hammer and nails) and finishing nails
  • *(Optional) Wood Stain.  I used Minwax’s dark walnut.  Your wood doesn’t need to be stained if you prefer it’s original color.
  • *(Optional) Sander  Your box doesn’t need to be sanded either.  I only did it to get off some of my son’s scribbles,(yes, he scribbled all over some of my scraps. ha!) and to smooth down the edges a little.  

Let’s get to this already and give your tree a perfect holder to complete it!

  1. Measure the base of your tree to see what size boards you need.  I made two sides of my box shorter so that they would fit perfectly into a box shape.  
  2. Using your chop or table saw cut 4 boards longer.  My longer boards were 20 inches. Then cut your 4 shorter boards.  My shorter boards were 18.5 inches long.  (If your using any 1 x whatever size board, the 1 inch is actually 3/4 of an inch which is why I made my boards 1 1/2 inches shorter.)
  3.  Now that you have all your wood cut, take one of your longer pieces and one of your shorter pieces, put them together at the edge making a perfect L shape or a perfect 90 degree angle.  Once it looks perfect apply your glue on the end of your shorter piece and stick it to the end of your longer piece.  Once that glue sets a little and your angle looks perfect, nail those pieces together using your nail gun.
  4. Repeat that last step to make the bottom level of your box, which is glue the ends and nail gun it into place making sure it is straight and lined up perfectly first.
  5. Now you are going to do the same thing, but you’re going to glue along the top on your bottom layer of wood when attaching the top layer of wood.  Tip:  Glue towards the inside of your box so that when you set your top layer of wood on, if any glue drips down, it drips down the inside of your box where nobody can see.  This is helpful if you’re applying stain because stain doesn’t go over dried glue.  If it does drip down the outside wipe it off, and try not to worry.  That’s what you have four sides for!:)  I definitely have some glue spots on the first side I did because I didn’t think about glueing towards the inside until after that incident.  Glad I can help you guys through my mistakes!
  6. Optional Step:  Sand down your finished box and stain your wood to your liking.  I chose Minwax’s Dark Walnut stain.  Also optional, coat that in a polyurethane sealant to keep it protected.  That is all up to you!

*Note: This box does not have a bottom section to it.  That’s because it is just to cover the bottom of your tree up, but it you want to make this into a real box, then you would just add some more wood to the bottom of your box.  I just set my tree into my box and I made this out of my scrap wood so I didn’t make it with a bottom piece.  Again, this is up to you as well!  That’s the fun of doing DIY’s; you can make them any way you want!

You’re done!!!  Yessss!!

You only have one job left to do!  If you do make this project, be sure to leave a picture in the comment section below so we can see how amazingly yours turned out, and/or, tag me on Instagram @thedecormama so I can see and share your creation!  That’s it, now you’re officially done!

Also, if you love Christmas as much as I do and want to add more rustic Christmas charm to your house, then check out my DIY Embroidery Hoop Christmas Wreath. It would match perfectly with your new box, and it’s a super simple and cheap way to add more Christmas decor to your house.  Winning!

Thanks so much for coming and I can’t wait to see your Christmas tree boxes!

I hope you have a very Merry Christmas, and I’ll see you really soon for my next project!

XOXO,

Lauren

The Decor Mama 

Embroidery Hoop Christmas Wreath

November 17, 2018 | DIY Holiday Decor, DIY Wreaths

Hi everyone and thanks so much for visiting!!

You guys!!!!  Christmas is coming!!! Yessss!!!  I’m so excited as I love getting to celebrate it with my three boys!  It’s so much fun to get to see how excited they get about everything, but enough about my excitement, let’s get to today’s DIY project!

As usual, I’m always trying to add more holiday decor on a budget, and I did it!

I made an embroidery hoop Christmas wreath for $14 dollars!  It was so easy, too!  I didn’t even use any glue!  Talk about no gluey mess!!!!🙌

This project would be such a cute, simple project to do that won’t break into that Christmas budget!  Ummm, yes, please!

So let’s get this Christmas wreath party started already, shall we!?

Here’s what you’ll need:

 

  • Embroidery Hoop.  I used the 18” size and I pulled it apart into 2 to make 2 wreaths out of it.
  • Paddle Wire
  • Christmas Floral.  I got mine at Hobby Lobby for 50% off so they were $6 dollars each.  I bought 2 per wreath.
  • *Optional* Wood Stain.  I used  this dark walnut stain, but it isn’t necessary. I do think it makes it look a bit more rustic and Christmasy though. 
  • *Old towel or sock if you do choose to stain your embroidery hoop like I did.
  • Scissors

That’s it!  Now comes the super easy, fun part!  Making it!!!  

 

Separate your embroidery hoop out into two so that way you can use that extra hoop it comes with for another wreath! Either this same one or anything else you come up with.  Check out My DIY Succulent Wreath for another idea on how to use your embroidery hoop. I love that wreath, too!

If you’re staining your hoop, grab your old towel and your stain of choice, and stain that hoop on up! FYI, I did it outside on an old tablecloth.  Let that dry and then you can get down to business! Wreath making business that is!😉  And actually, I didn’t even wait for mine to dry because I wanted to finish it before I went and picked up my son from school. So, if you’re like me and feel like living on the wild side, don’t even let it dry!😜😆

Once your hoop is dry (or not!😉), set your Christmas Floral on the hoop where you like it.  Take your paddle wire, cut a piece long enough to tie down your floral, and start wrapping your wire around your floral and the hoop so that they’re bound together. Do this in multiple areas so the floral is nice and secure to your hoop.  Once the top part of the floral is all tied down, take the stem and push it towards the opposite side of the hoop and secure that with your paddle wire as well.  It may need multiple places of tying down, because the stem is pretty stiff.

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How to add Christmas Decor for Super Cheap!

November 6, 2018 | DIY, DIY Holiday Decor

You guys!  I’m so excited!  I just added 5 Christmas decor pieces to my house for a whopping $3.77 with tax!!!  

This will be the easiest, cheapest, DIY project you’ve ever done!!  You can thank me later!😉

  1. Step One:  Look at the back of all the decor around your house.  Can any of the backs be used to turn into cute Christmas decor, because guess what!?…that’s exactly what I used for my new DIY Christmas decor! The backs of my already existing decor!!  Here’s exactly what I used…
  2. Step 2: Run to your nearest crafting store and buy cute scrapbooking paper.  I went to Hobby Lobby and Got my paper on sale for 4 for $1!!  I also bout a cute ornament to put in the middle of one of my “Christmas signs”, which was $2.50.  
  3. Step 3: Measure the backs of your signs, cut out your paper, and glue those bad boys onto the backs!  Then, if you bought any ornaments or something like that, glue those onto your paper!  That’s it!!!
  4. Step 4: Admire your work, and be sure to mention to your hubby how much money you saved on Christmas decor this year so he can get you an extra special present under the Christmas tree this year!😆👌.  
    That’s seriously it!!  You’re done with probably what will be your easiest, cheapest, DIY project ever!!!!   Yesssss!!  

Thanks so much for coming and if you end up doing this project, which I highly recommend since it was so easy, then show me pics!!  Either post them below or tag me on Instagram so I can see what you came up with.  Find me on Instagram @thedecormama!  Yay!  I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

XOXO,

Lauren

The Decor Mama 

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DIY Wooden Mummy Halloween Decoration

October 20, 2018 | DIY, DIY Holiday Decor

Hi guys and welcome to my page!  Hopefully it’s not your first time, but if it is, I’m so glad you’re here!

Today I’m going to show you how to make a wooden mummy just in time for Halloween!

My mom has been wanting this for awhile now, and my dad and I finally made it yesterday!  We even made 5 so each one of my sisters could have one, too.

Okay, let’s get started right away as there’s not much time until Halloween!

First off, let’s get all your materials ready.  Here’s what you’ll need:

This post does contain affiliate links, which means if you click on any of the given links below I make a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you, so thank you so much for your support if you do!  I only recommend what I’ve used and love!

  • Particle Board for the backing and base
  • Cheap Wood. We chose cedar fencing because it was the cheapest wood we could find.  $1.23/board to be exact.  I’d say 4-6 boards would work for one mummy. 
  • A 2 x 2 for the base
  • Wood of choice for the sign the mummy is holding. 
  • Jigsaw.  We love this jigsaw.
  • Tablesaw.  We recommend this one if you have your own workbench to set it on, or this one if you want a free standing one.
  • Nail Gun and Finishing Nails (Hammer and nails works too).  We like this nail gun set.
  • Permanent Marker, because if you don’t have any they’re always good to have on hand.
  • White Paint.  We have our Mummy outdoors so I recommend using an outdoor paint.
  • Black Paint
  • Chalkboard Paint.  Here’s the spray paint version, or the regular paint version.  I’ve used both kinds, and they both work well!
  • Chalk or chalk markers
  • Wood glue.  This is what we used.
  • Mummy Eyes
  • Ribbon to tie the sign around the mummy.  Here’s a bunch of cute options.
  • Optional* Black Spray Paint for the base.  We used spray paint because we were doing so many, but if you’re only doing one, then the black paint that you use for the head would work great.

Now that you have everything, let’s get started!!

Gather up all of your materials.

Cut your particle board down to the size you want your mummy.  We made our mummy 4ft. tall x 2ft. across.  Then cut out another rectangle for the base.  We made our particle board base 1ft. wide x 2 ft. long.Trace out the shape you want your mummy to be.  Here is what ours looked like traced out.Grab your jigsaw and cut out the shape of your mummy.   Paint the head with your black paint, and while that is drying we’re going to make the base of your mummy.Now let’s finish your base so we can finish with the fun part, the mummy!

  1. Grab your 2 x 2 boards and cut them the exact width you cut your particle board for base.  Ours was 1 ft across, so we used our table saw and cut the 2×2’s at exactly the 1 ft. mark.  You will need 2 of these 1ft. 2×2’s.
  2. Now that you have those, you’ll need to figure out exactly how wide your mummy is so that those can tightly hold up your mummy.  We measured the base particle board to see what the exact middle was, marked that with our marker, set the mummy on it, then placed the two 2×2’s tightly next to it, and marked out lines on the outside of the 2×2 boards to see how wide we needed them.
  3. Once we had our lines drawn, we removed the mummy, grabbed our nail gun and nailed those 2×2’s into place by lining up the outside of our boards with the lines we drew. Once you have those nailed into place, set your mummy in to make sure it is a good, tight fit and will be a sturdy holder for your mummy!  That’s it! Your finished with the base!  (For later purposes when you set your mummy in to make sure it fits well, draw a line at the bottom of your mummy where the mummy meets the base wood pieces so you know how low to go with your wood pieces that you’re putting on your mummy.)4.  Paint your base using your black paint or      spray paint. 

Now it’s time to nail your mummy boards on!  At first, we were painting the boards white before we nailed them on, but then we realized it was easier to nail on the boards and then paint them white at the end.  After making 5 we learned all the tricks of the trade!:)  Starting at the top of  your mummy’s head place one board at a diagonal direction making sure you cover the very top of your mummy’s head. Also make sure you place the wood piece as far to one side as you can to save yourself as much wood as possible.  When you cut the piece you’ll have bigger pieces leftover compared to if you used the middle of your wood piece you’d have two small pieces leftover that may be unusable due to being too short. Using your nail gun, nail that board into place.  You can cut your boards down in advance, but we just kept ours long until the end.  See below pic. 

  1. After that top board is nailed on, you will place your next piece of wood going the opposite direction leaving a triangular gap for the eyes to be glued on later.  Nail that piece on once you get the eye gap exactly how you like it.
  2. From there it’s easy.  Just repeat that last step going all the way down the mummy making sure you are covering your mummy with the wood on both sides of his body.  Yes, I decided mine is a he:).  Once you run out of wood stop what you’re doing, grab your jigsaw, turn your mummy upside down on some sort of work bench or maybe even a storage container like we used, if need be, and cut the wood around your mummy following it’s body outline.  Once those pieces are cut off, you’ll have more wood for the rest of his body.
  3. Keep going all the way down until you get to the bottom where you will need to figure out how to fit pieces on going to that line you drew previously that will be where your base board piece goes to.  We would place pieces down, draw lines on the wood pieces of where the wood meets the bottom line and then cut using a table saw(recommended for ensuring straighter lines), or a jigsaw.
  4. Now you’re done with the bottom layer of wood!  We are almost done!  Now we took three more pieces and nailed them on going the opposite direction on top of our bottom layer to give that mummy the wrapped up look.  We started near his lower chest area and nailed them in.  Then followed that same angle with the other two pieces using the same distance for a gap.  I didn’t measure I just eyeballed the gap, and it turned out fine.  You can also use more than 3 pieces if you want, but since we were making so many we went with 3, plus don’t forget we made a sign to go around his neck so that covers the top part of his body as well.
  5. Cut those pieces off following the shape of his body.  Our jigsaw blade wasn’t long enough so we couldn’t flip the mummy upside down to make the cuts, which meant we had to eyeball our cuts.  We had to do a few cuts over, but other than that the top layer turned out good, too!
  6. Your finished with the cutting!  Now paint the wood pieces, sides of the mummy, and the back (optional, but it would look better) of your mummy white!
  7. Grabbing  your wood glue and the eyeballs that you chose for your mummy, glue the eyes onto your mummy.  He’s starting to come to life now!
  8. While your mummy’s drying, it’s time to make the sign that your mummy will be  holding.  Either buy a good size piece of wood for a sign, or make one!  We made ours 14 inches across by 12 inches high.  Then, paint that with chalkboard paint.
  9. Let that dry, and then drill two holes in the top corners to tie your ribbon to that will also go around your mummy’s neck.  We poked the ribbon through the holes using a nail.
  10.  Now write whatever cute saying you want your mummy to say, and you are done!!!

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How I Changed My Summer Wreaths to Fall Wreaths For Super Cheap!

October 15, 2018 | DIY Holiday Decor, DIY Wreaths

Hello everyone and happy fall!!!!!

You guys don’t know how excited saying that makes me!!  I mean, I absolutely love fall and everything about it from the clothes, to the trees, to the pumpkin everything!!!!  

Just, yes!!!!  

This year I was trying to come up with ways to add more fall decor into my house on the cheap!  And I’m happy to say that I did it!!  

One HUGE money saver that I came up with was adding little fall touches to my already existing wreaths so I didn’t have to go out and buy all new wreaths, because I’m getting quite the collection of wreaths around here!😬. 

I can’t help it, they just make things look so much cuter!  Please say you feel the same way and that I’m not just turning into a crazy wreath lady!

Anyways, enough about my wreath obsession, let’s get to this money saving strategy already, shall we!??!  

Here’s what I did, because I had some really neutral wreaths that could easily be changed up a bit for each season.  

Here’s the neutral wreaths I started with.  

 

I took two different wreaths of mine: My DIY Magnolia Wreath and My DIY Farmhouse Wreath (at least that’s what I’m calling it:)

If you don’t have wreaths to start with then feel free to make those wreaths, and then add in your fall touches to them. Everything you need to know about how to make them is in those links given above.

I’ve loved these wreaths because they’re so neutral, they add so much character, they go with everything, and now I’m having fun adding holiday touches to them depending on the season for a super cheap way to add holiday decor. 

First, I’ll show you what I added to my Magnolia Wreath. I got this Fall Floral item from Hobby Lobby for 40% off of $6 Dollars, and this was enough to put into my two Magnolia Wreaths.

I cut each individual branch off and stuck them into my Magnolia leaves without using glue or anything! That way I can take them right back out when fall is over with.

See below pics for reference on where I cut them and how I just tucked them right into the wreath.

Cut the stems

Tuck the stems into your wreath

Keep tucking them in until you get the length that you like them at.  

That’s it!!  You now have a Fall Magnolia Wreath for  $3 Dollars!!!!

Now let’s get to the Fall Pumpkin Wreath!

 

I took this wreath…Added a bag of these I got from Hobby Lobby, again for 40% off.  I can’t remember how much they were, but these were cheap as well!  It came with 6 pumpkins!  In hindsight, I would have probably bought one or two more bags to make my wreath extra pumpkiny. (Yes, I know that’s a word I just made up, but you get the point!)  I may still go back and by more for November, but right now all my Halloween decor is out so I don’t need to just yet.I then just stuck in the pumpkins, again using no glue or anything, so that way I can just pull them right back out when Fall is over.

Keep sticking them in where and how  you like them, and you’re done!! 

I even used this one as part of my dining room table centerpiece, too!

That’s it!!  Super simple ways to add fall decor to your home for super cheap!!!  I sure like the sound of that!  

Happy Fall everyone!

Thanks again for coming, and I’ll see you back here for my next project real soon!

XOXO,

Lauren

The Decor Mama

How To Get Those Perfect Looking Neutral Pumpkins for Cheap!

September 4, 2018 | DIY Holiday Decor, Uncategorized

Hi everyone!!

You guys, I’m so excited because it’s almost FALL!!! I love Fall so much!!  Especially here in Arizona, because that means cooler temperatures are coming our way!!!

With fall creeping up on us, I’ve been seeing a lot of fall decor start to pop up on all my feeds.  One thing I’ve really been loving is all of the different colored pumpkins I’ve been seeing!

That’s why I decided to take this project on myself, and of course, I wanted to do it the cheapest way possible, which means not buying them in the cute colors, but to do it myself instead!  And guess what!?  It was so easy and fun, and don’t you feel so much more accomplished when you do it yourself!? Like, yeah, I just made those super cute pumpkins right there, kind of feeling!

Now let’s get this project done so you can have your new, super cute pumpkins up for as long as possible!  Oh yeah!!!!!!  I’m kinda obsessed with mine, and am definitely on the hunt for more cheap pumpkins that need makeovers!

(This article does contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small portion of anything you buy from my links at no extra cost to you!  So thank you in advance if you do!)

First, here’s what you’ll need:

  • The cheapest, plastic pumpkins you can find in any shape or size.  I’ve heard you can find them at The Dollar Store or Walmart for cheap…  Don’t worry, I’ve got your back when it comes to saving you money! I got mine from Hobby Lobby.  Although, I had one more, but got over excited and painted it without taking any pictures for you guys!  Blogger fail!  I did find this cute set of 10 pumpkins for $10.80 here for you though, if you don’t feel like leaving your house.
  • White paint or spray paint.  This one works great.
  • Paint colors of your choice.  I used the colors; Succulent, Aviary Blue, and Sea Glass that I got from Hobby Lobby.  I couldn’t find any of these exact colors on Amazon, but I did find Seamist, and Marina Mist, which looks super close and in the right tones of that neutral pumpkin look if you don’t want to run to hobby lobby.
  • Paint brushes, and some type of mat to work on.  Here’s a whole bunch of paint brush options if you don’t have any.
  • Hot Glue or Super Glue.  This one works great if you don’t have one.
  • Clear finishing spray.  I used this brand and it’s worked great for me!

Okay, now that you have all of your materials, let’s get started!!!

  1.  Gather all of your materials
  2. Remove the stems from your pumpkins.  Don’t worry, they’re easy to put back on!
  3. Now put your base color of white on starting with the top half. Let that dry, then finish painting the bottom half.  I didn’t have the white spray paint I listed above on hand and I couldn’t wait to get started so I used regular white paint, but I much prefer the spray paint.  You can use any white paint like I did if you’re as excited as I was to get started!:)
  4. Now that the base coat is dry, you get to start with the real paint colors!!  Use the same technique as above as far as painting the top half, letting that dry, then painting the bottom half.
  5. ***This step is optional.  Once the paint dried, I used one of the three other colors to accentuate the lines of the pumpkin like shown in the picture below. 
  6. Let that dry, and then spray the pumpkins with your clear coat to help make them more durable and protected.

That’s it!!  Now put them anywhere and everywhere around your house!  

Enjoy your new pumpkins!!

XOXO,

Lauren

The Decor Mama

Super Easy and Cheap DIY Fourth of July Decor

June 21, 2018 | DIY Holiday Decor, Uncategorized

I can’t believe how fast this summer is flying by!  I’m in shock that The Fourth of July is right around the corner!!  I absolutely love decorating for the holidays and realized my Fourth of July decor is lacking!  That’s why I had to bust out my tried and true mod podge, and whip up some cute DIY Fourth of July decor. These letters are a super easy, super cute, and super cheap way to add some holiday decor to your house.  You could make all kinds of mod podge letter words for any holiday.

This post does contain affiliate links, which means if you purchase anything by clicking on the links I’ve provided, I receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you, so thank you in advance if you do!!

Here is what you’ll need:

  • Letters of your choice.  I got mine from Hobby Lobby in the craft wood department.  
  • Paper of your choice.  I got my paper from Hobby Lobby as well in the scrap booking section, but most craft stores have all kinds of cute paper to choose from.
  • Mod Podge.  This can be found at any craft store, Target, or Walmart, or also here if you don’t want to leave your house.
  • A foam brush.  These work great!
  • Paint of your color choice.  This chalk paint is what I used.
  • Scissors.  Here is a good pair.
  • Pencil
  • Something that can get messy to work on.

 

Now let’s get started!!

  1. Gather all your materials up!
  2. Trace your letters.  Turn your paper over on it’s back side and trace your letter.  That way you won’t have any pencil marks on your letters.  See the picture below.  Follow this step with all of your letters.  If you look at the pictures below then you can see I accidentally traced the “S” backwards!😳😬😜  Don’t make my mistake!  I had to go all the way back to Hobby Lobby for another sheet of paper!🤪  It should be backwards when you trace it so when you turn it around on the front it’s the right way!😆👍
  3. Paint the sides and backsides of your letters.  If you plan to hang them on your walls, then you don’t have to paint the back.
  4. While that paint is drying, cut your paper out from when you traced your letters.  Try to stay as close as possible to the line so that your letters look perfect!
  5. Once all your letters are cut out, place them on your wooden letters to make sure they fit perfectly and look just how you want them to before the glue is on! 
  6. Hopefully by now your paint is dry so you can start the final step!  Open your Mod Podge, and start painting the Mod Podge onto your wooden letters.  Once you paint the whole letter gently set the paper cut out on it.  Press down starting from one side and work your way to the opposite side so that you get minimal bubbling of the paper.  Bubbling may occur and if it does, leave it, it should go down when it dries.  Set that aside to let it dry, and then move on to your next letter and repeat this step with each letter.  Let the Mod Podge dry.  (I usually use a foam brush for this, but I was out so I used my chalk paint brush.)
  7. Once your Mod Podge seems pretty dry, gently paint over the paper with Mod Podge keeping the paint strokes going the same direction.  This seals in the paper and makes it much more durable.
  8. If you have any extra Mod Podge build up on the sides like you can see in the picture below, then paint that into the side of your wood letters.
  9. Let that top layer dry for at least an hour and you’re done!  

That’s it!  You now have super cute Fourth of July decor that cost about $7 to make!  

I hope you enjoy your new letters, and I would love to see how yours turn out if you have time to snap a picture!

Thanks so much for coming!

XOXO,

Lauren

The Decor Mama

 

Welcome!

 

Hi!  I’m Lauren, the decor mama!  I’m an AZ native who is a mom to three boys and one lucky wife.  I have a passion for decorating and love a good DIY project.  Luckily, my husband does too, so we make a pretty good team. Well, he likes the DIY part, the decorating part, not so much!  Thanks so much for visiting!

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