How To Make a Collage in the Shape of a Wooden Letter

Hello! Welcome to my blog on how to make a collage in the shape of a wooden letter! I apologize for the delay ... but I think I have some helpful information for you today. Please let me know what you think and if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below!

So to recap from the last two weeks, I own a shop online called Match Point Gifts (www.matchpointgifts.com and www.matchpointgifts.etsy.com). You can purchase a variety of wooden letters, numbers, and shapes that are perfect for collage from either of my shops! The best thing about our letters is that they are custom made for you - so if you have a shape or size in mind that you don't see, just send us a request and we will make it for you!

To get started and follow along with this tutorial, you'll want to make sure that you have your wooden letter or shape prepped and ready to go, and the following list of materials:

Materials:

1. Match Point Wooden Letter or Shape.

2. Mod Podge (I used the glossy version).

3. Foam brush.

4. 20 pictures you would like to use, printed onto copy paper.
5. Exacto Knife (not pictured)

1. Match Point Letter.

4. About 20 photos for project.

Step 1: Layout Your Collage.

I have the benefit of using Photoshop, which is a high-powered photo editing software program. If you don't have access to photoshop, you can physically lay them out AFTER step #2.

Step 2: Mod Podge Your Pictures.

I learned the hard way that using mod podge on my pictures BEFORE handling them and trying to put them onto the wooden letter works best. The modge podge gives them a little extra strength and stability PLUS you don't have to worry about smearing ink or damaging the photos as you move them around. TIP: Use thin layers, and try not to "over-wet" the paper, especially if you are using copy paper. Give the photos plenty of time to dry. 20-30 minutes is usually sufficient.

Mod Podge over all of your pictures. I had some extra "help" :)

Step 3: Cut out Your Photos and Arrange.

This step always takes the longest, particularly if you aren't able to make a design of the photos prior to decoupaging them onto the letter. When I first started making collages, I just laid them out as I went. I got a lot of great feedback from my early projects, so this method works as well!

Tip: When you are laying out your photos, make sure to trace an outline of where you want them to go onto the letter. I've included an example below. That way you can glue them down in the correct place. This ensures you align the photos the way you want them.

Layout Photos

Trace around the bottom edges of each picture, so you have a guide when it's time to glue it down.

Voila! You have a "map" of where to put the pictures! Make sure to glue the ones at the top first. Use your exacto knife to trim the edges that overlap the sides of your letter.

Step 4: Cover with thin layers of mod podge.

Another important fact that I've learned about mod podge is that it is very forgiving - but to maximize it's use here, use THIN layers, and let them dry for 3-5 minutes and apply another one. Three coats minimum has yielded the best for me. With mod podge, less is more, but the greater the buildup of layers, the better the effect. It will really start to look like a puzzle masterpiece!

Let it dry and give your masterpiece as a thoughtful gift or display proudly in your home!

I'm going to give this one to my mom as a gift for Mother's Day - its full of photos of our family and in particular, all of her beautiful grandchildren!

I really hope you liked this tutorial - I'll be doing another one in a few weeks with a simple wooden frame, so check back again soon! If you'd like to see more examples of my work, you can follow me on Instagram @matchpointgifts and on Facebook: www.facebook.com/matchpointgifts.

If you follow this tutorial and make your own collage, I'd love to see it! You can post your comments below or email me at design@matchpointgifts.com if you have any additional questions!

Happy Collaging!
Crystal

Prepping Your Letter or Number For A Collage - What It Looks Like

Hi there! I hope you had a great week! Besides my iPhone screen breaking and running random programs, I had a great one, too! I am participating in an Instagram challenge this month, called #marchmeetthemaker and I have posted several pictures of myself, my home studio, and the wonderful machine that makes all of our wooden letters, numbers and shapes. Please follow me if you'd like, @matchpointgifts on Instagram.

But I digress - this week I wanted to follow up my last blog post with pictures of an actual project. And I have to start off by saying, I may be wrong about foam brushes. At least for painting the back of my collage letters/numbers, they definitely have upside. One being that they absorb the paint very well and two, you can really get into the nooks and crannies of the letter.

I realized that if I was going to tell people not to use foam brushes, I should at least try one to see what all of the fuss was about - but the jury is still out for me on using foam brushes as a finishing brush. But I digress, again!

So here I go, following my own steps from the last post. I took pictures so that you could follow along, too!

Step 1: Purchase Your Wooden Letter, Number or Shape.
You can purchase your wooden letter or number from www.matchpointgifts.com or in my shop on Etsy, www.matchpointgifts.etsy.com. These letters are thick and you can't get custom fonts in any craft store! So check us out, made in the Carolinas, USA!

I chose a 15 inch letter A in our block font. I'm going to make a collage for my parents, my son's grandparents, of my son, Asher! This style of letter is for sale in our shop for $20.

15 Inch Letter "A", block-style font

Step 2: Choose a Paint Color.

I prefer black for the edges of my collages... and I'll use this example collage to show you why. For this project, I went with Pure Black.

I feel that you can never go wrong with Folk Art paint.

Step 3: Select the Right Brush.

Here is where I have to share my change of heart (I've learned this from watching all of the Political Debates on TV!) Foam brushes are more than ok for this step in this particular project. I used both a gold haired brush (that I thought was too narrow for painting the back, but I couldn't find my wider-bristled brush) and then the foam brush.

It's the battle of the brushes.

Step 4: Paint Your Letter, sides, then back.

This is where the foam brush kind of separated itself from my beloved gold-bristled brush - it seemed to really flow over the unfinished wood, and the foam brush navigated the crevices of the A's cutout and it's block intersections. 

Side view of the painting job.

The bottom photo shows why I don't like to use foam brushes as my "front" of the letter brush - there is a lot of streakin going on. But for the back, it will dry ok.

And we're done! With the back.

So ... a lot of people might think this is all very simple, and it's true. But I want to stress to you, gift recipients are going to turn your collage over - and you want it to have a finished feel. And it's a lot easier to do the back BEFORE you do the collage, please take my word for it!

Next time we will prep the photos and finish this tutorial, so go ahead and pick out 15-20 photos that you would like to use. It's best to print them with a laser printer, but if you don't have one, no worries. I'll walk you through my processes with an InkJet next week.

Happy Collaging!

Crystal

How to Prepare a Wooden Letter or Number for a Photo Collage in Four Easy Steps

Hi! I'm Crystal, the owner of Match Point Gifts (www.matchpointgifts.com and www.matchpointgifts.etsy.com). I've noticed a trend over the last year of DIYers purchasing our letters and numbers for personal collage products, so I wanted to post some (hopefully) helpful tips to help you make the best collage possible!

Today I will explain how to prepare a wooden letter or wooden number for your collage project in four easy steps! I hope to have a video version of this tutorial linked here soon!

Step 1: Purchase Your Wooden Letter, Number or Shape.
You can purchase your wooden letter or number from www.matchpointgifts.com or in my shop on Etsy, www.matchpointgifts.etsy.com. One reason I would suggest this is that we offer a variety of sizes, from 12 inches to 60 inches! I personally have made 3 foot collage projects, and I've sold numbers larger than that to those who wanted to make the giant collage themselves!

12 Inch Wooden Number, Block Font (Great for Sports Collages!)

24 Inch Numbers, Block Font

15 Inch Wooden Letters, Standard Bold Font

We also make the block fonts pictured above and can custom make any shape you would like, so just shoot me an email if you don't see what you have pictured in your mind's eye ... we will custom design any shape for you!

Step 2: Choose a Paint Color.
I personally prefer to use black for all of my collage projects. Black provides a clean edge and cohesiveness that I like. Clients request customization when it comes to color, though, so every once in a while, I will choose a finishing color that is not black.

I have used a lot of craft paints, and my favorite by far is the regular acrylic version made by Folk Art. Sometimes it goes on sale, but you can almost always get it for 40% off by using a craft store coupon. (TIP: most craft stores accept competitor's coupons! YES!)

Here's a quick glance at the Folk Art paint:

Folk Art Acrylic Paint, My FAVORITE!

Step 3: Select the Right Brush.
Some people say that foam brushes work well for painting, but foam brushes are not my top choice when it comes to painting wooden letters. I love them for decoupaging collages, but for painting, I prefer gold-bristled brushes like this:

Gold Bristled Paint Brush - My choice for painting wooden letters, numbers, and shapes!

Step 4: Paint Your Letter, sides, then back.

When I first started making collages on wooden letters and numbers, I made a big mistake in assuming that I did not need to paint the back of the letter or number. I chose not to paint the back to "save time" ... and while skipping the back may have saved time, the letter looked terribly unfinished when people flipped over my beautiful collage, only to see an uneven splattering of paint covering the back of my letter or number.

You want your final piece admired from front to back and side to side, so make sure to paint the back of your number and letter completely BEFORE you collage the front!

Thanks for reading! Next week I will share a detailed tutorial for prepping your photos for your collage, and give you a couple of different options for putting your collage letter or number together! Now's the time to get your letter or number at www.matchpointgifts.com!

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think - and is there anything you would add?

Happy Collaging,
Crystal

The Start of 2014

Hello!

I am Crystal and this is my first blog for my Etsy shop, Match Point Gifts. I started Match Point in November at the encouragement of my good friend, who was already selling her wares successfully on Etsy. Etsy is an amazing website where talented people across the globe sell handmade or vintage items.

At first, I didn't think that I belonged on Etsy - as I tell people, I have a random skill set. Not exactly creative or talented in any area outside of a volleyball or basketball court. But to paraphrase one of my favorite Scriptures, I may not have a lot, but what I do have, I will give to you.

What I'm giving away is my time and consideration for other people's lives. I create photo collages, memory collages that celebrate life and the milestones in it. I create simple pieces of "art" that capture a year or a lifetime or a slice of the present that you can display on your bookcase or wall for all to see.

In the short four months that I have been creating collages for people around the world, I have been able to glimpse into their lives and celebrate, mourn, and marvel with them through the pictures they send me. I wanted to share what that was like ... and the perspective that each gives to me to encourage me to be a better wife, mother, neighbor, and daughter.

Praise God, I've got a lot to catch up on. Next time I'll start with my first customer, Paige.

I think you can follow this link to see my work: Match Point Gifts .

Thanks for stopping by!