Our Family Name Plaque

There are so many things out there that you can do with your family name, crest or something similar. You can put letters on just about anything these days!

I have wanted something in our house that had our family's name on it for quite some time now... and NO, not the actual "roof" of our house, but our name!  (ha ha I thought that was funny, okay maybe not)

Step 1: I started with just some plain wood plaques that are already made and in the stores for purchase and only $0.79 each.



Make sure to get the corresponding number of these plaques
according to the name/word that you are going to make


Step 2: I then painted them a dark brown color to coordinate with our home



You will need to paint the fronts, let them dry and then paint again. Don't worry about getting too much in the middle section, as you will be covering this up.
You then need to flip them over and paint the backs, let them dry and then paint again.
Also, don't forget to paint the sides!
Sidenote: I didn't like it with just the dark brown color, so I went for that "distressed" look again. I took a paint brush and did light strokes over each piece of wood with gray paint

Step 3: When dry, take a piece of scrapbook paper (pick a design that you like) and then cut squares that match the size of the wooden pieces.  When you have your pieces of paper cut to size, you will need to attach them to the pieces of wood. I used a hot glue gun and just put glue on each corner and on the top and bottom and in the middle, in order to hold the paper in place.

Step 4: Once you have all pieces of paper attached to the wood pieces, then you need to assemble your letters to work on arranging your name/word of choice. When ready, attach them to the pieces of wood, on top of the scrapbook paper with hot glue.

Tip: Stack your wood pieces and put a couple of heavy books on top to help with the adhering process

Step 5: Once all letter have been attached, then lay out your name/word and cut a piece of ribbon (of your choice) to cover the length of the piece.  Make sure to leave yourself some inches at the top and at the bottom, in order to hang and for a decorative piece. Once assembled, flip over the pieces of wood (make sure to keep them in order) and arrange about 1-1 1/2 inches from eachother. Put lines of hot glue on the back of the wood pieces and then attach the ribbon. Work your way down the entire piece.

Step 6: Take the top of the ribbon and glue together a small loophole where you can use another piece of ribbon, wire or a "D" ring to hang. Once glued together (make sure to allow enough time to dry and adhere), flip the pieces over. Take a pair of sharp scissors and cut a small "v" shape in the bottom of the ribbon to add a decorative touch

Step 7: Enjoy your newly made and personalized craft and hang it in your home for all to enjoy!


Total cost for this project and materials needed:
Wood square plaques (ready made) 4 x $0.79 each
Ribbon (depends on the style that you want)
Black wooden letters (already painted) 4 x $0.99 each
Scrapbook paper  1 12x12 inch piece at $0.49
Hot Glue
Your choice in color of paint
Scissors