BEV: DIY Moss Covered Letters

Early in the wedding planning I knew I wanted to incorporate a couple moss-covered "J" letters into our special day. I also knew I wanted to make them myself.  These can get quite pricey if you purchase them already made, so making them yourself can help you to save quite a bit of cash. 

I ultimately decided to make two 12" J's and two 24" J's. I had the 24" letters placed on the two windows at the top of the stairs at the church, and I had the 12" letters hung on the doors of the country club. 

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Need:

Mod Podge ($7)

Small-Medium sized foam brushes ($1)

Large sheet of plastic ($3)

Scissors (already have)

Paper mache letters ($4-$10)

Paper plate (already have)

Moss ($2.50)*

Directions:

1. Lay out your large sheet of plastic on the surface you will be using. You want a large area to work on as you will be making a mess - moss pieces will get everywhere and you will need extra space to leave the letters to dry.

2. Pour some Mod Podge onto a paper plate. You'll want to do this because as you start covering your letter, your sponge will most likely get moss on it and if you are dipping back into the Mod Podge bottle, you'll get those pieces into the jar. 

3. Start with the top of the letter and work in small areas. I'd  spread the glue on a 2x4" area and lay down the moss. 

4. Continue working in small areas down the front of the letter until it is completely covered.

5. Once covered, use scissors to trim around all edges.

6. Repeat steps 3-5 for each side of letter until it is completely covered. 

7. Once completely covered, use scissors to snip away any remaining pieces that are sticking out.

8. Set aside to dry over night.  

After finishing all four of my letters, I noticed a four-leaf clover on one of the J's. Lucky me!

A couple days before the wedding I gave the completed moss covered letters to my florist and she hung them for me using a navy colored ribbon that perfectly matched my bridesmaids' dresses. This ribbon was also used to wrap the bridesmaids' bouquets and used around a couple vases on tables. 

If you find that you do not have the time, patience , or whatever else to make these yourself, I would suggest heading over to Etsy and checking out the selection of moss covered letters. Purchasing letters online will cost you anywhere from $25-$150+ depending on size of letter, moss material, and person selling. 

Check out other ideas for using moss covered letters!

*You can get moss at Walmart or at any craft store. The craft stores, like Michaels or JoAnn, will have more of a variety of moss, so pricing will depend on what moss you want. I purchased six bags of the Walmart moss and had one bag left over after doing all four bags.