Mod Podged Paper Mache Letters

Alright, now that I did the teaser post for the Chicago Craft Social and also the post recapping the day, time to actually share the project with you!

Paper mache letters are great because they're lightweight and hollow, are three-dimensional, and can either stand on their own or stick to a wall with just a little tacky putty.

Not to mention, you can paint them, Mod Podge them, glitterize them, or basically whatever you want!

I got my paper mache letters at Paper Source.



I decided to get a lower case c and k (me and the hubs) and an upper case P (last name). I also picked up some pretty cream and silver papers while I was there!

Now here's where the Mod Podging comes in. For these letters, I wanted them entirely covered as seamlessly as possible. And as you know when working with paper and curves and corners, that's pretty difficult.

I started by cutting a rectangle just bigger than my letter. I brushed Mod Podge directly onto the paper mache letter, then flipped it upside down and pushed it down onto the paper. I then used my fingers to work out all the bubbles, and trimmed around the letter so there was approximately 1/2 inch around the whole thing. Then, at every curve, corner, and crevice, I cut a slit in the paper.



The more slits, the better. This way, when you Mod Podge the sides down, they will lay perfectly and the front will be seamless.



Once you've done the front, cut a long strip of paper to go around the sides and cover all the slits and folded over parts from the front piece. Make sure this piece is wider than the side, because just like the front, you will adhere it and cut slits all in the edges to make it fold over the back. This way, when it's on the wall, it will look like it perfectly wraps around the whole letter.



Once it's dry, add another coat of Mod Podge to the top to seal it all. Then hang on the wall with a little tacky putty, and enjoy!