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. 

DIY: Empty Frame Collage

I can't even begin to tell you all how many pictures I have saved on my computer as inspiration for this DIY. One of my most favorite home decor looks is a collage of empty frames. In living rooms, hall ways, dining rooms, bedrooms... anywhere! I love it! And I knew I wanted to have it in my house. And now I do!

Need:

5-20 empty picture frames (be sure to get a variety of sizes, shapes, and designs around the edges)

2-4 cans of white spray paint in semi-gloss finish*

Nails

Hammer

Directions:

Before painting your fames, go ahead and lay them on the floor and play with the arrangement until you get it the way you want. Then snap a photo to reference back to when you begin the hanging process. (My arrangement changed a bit. I broke one and then another one wouldn't take the paint)

Lay out a large piece of cardboard to lay your frames on for painting.

Spray the frames with 2-4 coats of paint or until they are completely and evenly covered.

Once dry, begin hanging your center frame(s) and work your way out. Be sure to refer back to the photo you snapped earlier. Or feel free to hang as you please for a less uniformed look. 

                          

*As always, I like to mention that you can pick any color that you prefer or that may better suit the room you are doing this project for. Same applies with the finish of the paint.

Attention All Crafters!

I caught the second half of the Oprah show today. It was random as I'm not necessarily a daily Oprah watcher. I do try to catch shows where people or subjects of interest are featured. Anyway. Martha Stewart, the goddess of all crafts, decors, and cooking, was on the entire show. She shared tips and demonstrations throughout the hour and it was fabulous.

I especially loved and appreciated the segment on How to Fold a Fitted Sheet. I don't know about you, but I suck at folding a fitted sheet, and more times than not it turns into a ball of disaster that gets shoved somewhere until it's ready to go on a bed. And when it goes on the bed it's horribly wrinkled. If you want to see that tutorial click here (and then just click the tutorial link on the right). It's a super old video, and when she showed it today she folded it a bit differently, but both ways work. I'll keep a look out for a clip from the show today.

Back to the reason for the post. As the show ended the audience received a fabulous package full of crafting goodies from Martha and Michaels. For us viewers, a 50% off coupon for any one Martha Stewart item from Michaels!! If you are interested in using this coupon do so QUICKLY! It's only printable for a 24-hour period which ends tomorrow night and is redeemable between now and October 16th. She has so many fabulous things in her line at Michaels and I'm eye-balling her Punch Around the Page tools which are fabulous for scrapbooking, card making, or any thing else where pretty paper is necessary.