Wood Letters

Using wood letters is a relatively inexpensive and creative way to decorate in your child's room.  Whether you're handy with a jig saw or you pop into your local craft or hardware store, you can utilise all the letters in the alphabet in many sizes and a variety of other shapes as well.  With a little paint, craft glue and a lot of imagination, you can create wonderful decorative features for baby's room!  

To make a name plate for the door simply gather your materials, a back board, required wood letters, some craft glue and some different coloured paints.  Paint all the pieces individually and, when dry, arrange them in the most visually appealing way and glue them on.  When the glue has hardened it's a simple matter to screw it onto the door or wall.  Alternatively, if you pre-drill some holes in the board you can hang the nameplate with some ribbon or chain. 

You can also use your wood letters to jazz up a tired bureau or dresser.  Simply sand the piece of furniture well, give it a coat of primer and then paint it in either a bright, fun colour to match the room's decor or a sleek, traditional white.  Then paint your wood letters to contrast and complement your chosen colour theme and attach them either to the front of the drawers or on a mirror surround.  Replace the existing drawer knobs with some fun shaped ones from a craft store and you've got a new and exciting piece of furniture as the focal point in the room! 

The same basic idea can be used for wooden boxes, photo frames, toy chests or jewellery cases to give your baby's room a sense of individuality and style, as long as it fits in with the rest of your baby room decor.

Another way to decorate your wood letters is to cover them in fabric.  Cut some thin wadding to the shape of your letter and attach it with craft glue. Now, choose a fabric - often the off-cuts from the curtains, bedspread or wall hanging looks best.  Cut the size and shape of the wood letter out of the material and carefully glue it in place.  When all the glue has set position your letters and glue them on.  Maybe even add some ribbons or sequins to make a jewellery case a real treasure! 

There are also many different shapes available to use with your wood letters.  For a child who loves all things musical there's music notes, for the animal lover there's lions and tigers and bears (oh,my!), for the little princess there's fairies, butterflies and flowers and for the sports nut there's soccer balls and football boots! 

So, pop down to your local hardware or craft store and don't forget to pack your imagination!  Grab the wood letters and shapes and enjoy a decorating project that can be started and finished on the same day! 

Happy painting!