name blocks

About a year ago a friend of mine gave me a set of blocks with my last name on it.  I fell in love with them and wanted to give them to everyone I knew.  What is more perfect for a wedding present than something celebrating their new last name or for a little kids room to display their name.?  On etsy they sell for about $4-6 per block which is about $4-6 more than I wanted to pay.  Plus, some of them were butt ugly.  Sorry if any of you sell these on etsy. 

We had a girls craft day and my friend came over and taught all of us how to make them.  So here you go....

Materials

3 X 4, 3 X 5,3 X 6  pieces of wood.  Any type of wood will work

sand paper

scrapbook paper

modge podge

spray paint or acrylic paint (depends how long you want to wait for it to dry)

paint brush or foam brush

scrapbook paper edge cutter, I like the rounded edge, size small

letters for name: can buy foam, paper or wood ones from craft store or cut out with a cricut machine

stickers or additional embellishments if desired

1. Cut and sand wood.  Purchase a 2X8 and cut it into the desired sizes.  I like to mix up the sizes.  But be creative and do what you like best.

2. Once they are all sanded paint your wood.  Make sure to cover all sides and edges

3. As paint is drying get paper and letters ready to modge podge onto wood.

4. Take block and paint a small layer of modge podge onto the front of the block.  Place scrapbook paper onto the modge podged block.  Smooth the paper out to get all the air bubbles out.  This will prevent any bubbles from forming later.  Then paint a small layer of modge podge over paper.  Place the letter onto the paper and paint another layer of modge podge over letter. 

5.  Paint all sides of block so that the block.  This is especially important if you use a glossy modge podge. 

5A. If you are going to do any embellishments add them onto the block before modge podging over the letter

6. Repeat until finished with the name you are doing

DONE!  Enjoy your efforts!

 For my son's Toy Story room.  Found the stickers in the birthday aisle at Target on clearance for .42 cents!

The paper I got in the dollar spot at Target.  There was enough for 4 of us to make this...

This says Happy Halloween and then I have Christmas paper on the back to reverse for Merry Christmas...I sell Scentsy and this was in my Scentsy stock closet.  They smell good to now.

My daughters.  Above the a I have a crown sitting on it with jewels.  I will update with a closer picture.  Her name means queen so she has lots of crowns in her room.  It doesn't help that I think she is my princess

If you aren't interested in making these on your own then check out http://www.etsy.com/people/krissybear32.  She doesn't have any blocks posted right now but I have seen her stuff at craft shows and they are really cute.  Ask if she will send you pictures of her LOVE blocks.  She will customize them to match any theme, color, event etc.  Kris even adds pictures of your family, or location to the blocks.