Over the years I've written on my walls, soffets, fireplaces in a variety of ways. I've been thinking for a while now that I should share some techniques here. Deciding to share wasn't so much the hard part...finding the time to take pics and make the post IS! Of course, there is no time to be found, so starting today I'm just going to make the time. It'll be a good way to get me to post weekly if nothing else.
I'll start with the writing that is currently on the kitchen soffet. This is all done with scrapbooking papers.
It's probably too *cutesy* for some, but for now it works for me, and I'm sure you could think of plenty of ways to tone it down. :-) I do most of the work in Microsoft Publisher .
First I measured the running length of the soffet and created a banner in MSPub that size (I believe this was 12 feet). For this project I'm not actually going to print out 12 feet (in the past, I have), I'm just setting it up as a visual. I type in my quote, highlight it, so I can start playing with fonts and sizes. Here's how it looks when I finally find a winning combination. (click to enlarge)
Based on what I came up with in the banner sample, I now know that my letters in the font Missed Your Exit need to be sized at 250. So now I will close this banner document and create a new page.
On the newly opened blank page I created a text box, and within that I typed my first letter, set to Missed Your Exit, at size 250. I also set the Fill Color to Empty, so that when I squish them so close on the page they don't block each other out. (If you use MSPub that should make sense. Otherwise, I don't think I can explain it any better). Now I can right-click and copy that one letter, then keep hitting 'paste' over and over to drop the correctly formatted letter box on the page as many times as necessary and just keep changing the letter. See how much I was able to cram onto one 8.5x11 page by doing it this way? Big paper saving approach. You can print the page now and then start fresh on your next batch of letters in the quote, or just keep adding pages to this document until you have printed all required letters and then print all at once.
Everyone knows that 99% of the cool scrapbook papers available come in a 12x12 sheet. I never understood why, tho. All my scrapbooks were done in the 8.5x11, but oh well! Just trim your sheets down to 8.5x11 to fit your printer. Set the print parameters to PRINT IN MIRROR IMAGE in a DRAFT quality. Then PRINT IT ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE DECORATIVE PAPER.
This is how it will come out. Remember, you see a plain white sheet because it is the BACK SIDE of your decorative paper. Now you just use scissors or an exacto knife to cut each letter out. Print out a miniature version of the banner sample you first created to take with you (or take your laptop into the room you're creating in) as a visual aid for placement of the letters.
I drew a very light pencil line on the receiving wall as a guide to set the letters in a straight line, then erased/sponged off when the project was done.
Then I lay the letters face down on waxed paper and use a small paintbrush and whatever craft glue or Mod Podge (doesn't really matter) you have available.
As I recall (I did this a couple years ago) I added the words 'very much' because I needed to stretch the quote out for the length I was working with without making the letters bigger.
The way I made the scallop borders was to cut (I used a Sizzix die, like always!) a whole bunch of circles, slice them in half, glue them up there, then glue strips of 1" black dotted paper along the edges.
I hope I wasn't too sketchy in my descriptions, but it really is quite easy. Let me know how I did with this first week. I'm glad I finally got started, and I look forward to bringing you a new idea next week. :-)
I like the idea, but wondered how hard it is to remove once you glue it to the wall. What do you use?
Posted by: Jill | June 22, 2009 at 09:15 PM
What a neat idea!
Posted by: amanda | June 22, 2009 at 09:20 AM
I saw this on the UCREATE blog but you dont really get the full impact till you see it here... Awesome!
Posted by: nicole | June 22, 2009 at 09:03 AM
This is probably one of the most exciting things I have read in years....YOU are clever for sure and great to share this....I don't think I have a room to do this in now (I used to) but I may have to figure something out. It looks so fun! Thank you.
Mary Lou Weidman
Posted by: Mary Lou Weidman | May 13, 2009 at 08:51 PM
Just wanted to thank you for the PERFECT idea!! I have pictured the letters I made and credited you for the idea on our blog... I invite you to check it out!
Posted by: Nicole | May 13, 2009 at 01:03 AM
This is darling. Your instructions are perfect. I would need to use basic math and my brain to figure the font size as I don't have MS Publisher. I'm wanting to put some words above the furdown (or whatever) going into the dining room from the living room. Probably just words or a short quote. Wouldn't be hard to figure font size. Remember that wall quote place you found a long time ago? I think I'll check the cost of that place. Probably too high.
Posted by: Donna Layton | May 12, 2009 at 12:53 PM
So creative!
Posted by: CherryTreeLane | May 11, 2009 at 11:04 AM
Jen, this is so darling! thanks for the tutorial...absolutely ingenious! Happy week to you:) xox...jenn
Posted by: noodle and lou studio | May 11, 2009 at 07:07 AM
You are SO SMART!! I would never have thought to flip the letters and print on the back of the patterned paper. Love the way you tackle projects like this Jen.
Posted by: Sue McGettigan | May 09, 2009 at 01:48 PM
I LOVE IT!!!! WOW. I have no idea where I can do something like that in my house, but you better believe I will! So clever you are...
Posted by: elizabeth | May 07, 2009 at 01:14 PM
Hey that is pretty cool! Love that font. Your kitchen is adorable!!!
Posted by: jenny b harris | May 07, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Dang, that is incredible. How you ever figured all that out is beyond me. I love the look! xo, suzy
Posted by: georgiapeachez | May 07, 2009 at 04:52 AM
Very cool indeed and I understood the directions perfectly. Thank you. It looks great in your kitchen.
Posted by: Mary on Lake Pulaski | May 06, 2009 at 02:14 PM
Great job! I write on my walls too. Usually I make a pattern (I prefer Illustrator) - print out and tape together for actual size - then I use graphite paper to transfer the pattern and hand paint, but I've used scrapbook paper too, method just as you described.
S.W.A.K.
Posted by: Marsha | May 06, 2009 at 01:31 PM
WOW Jen!! This was a super fantastic tutorial!! I love the look on the wall and the way you did it makes perfect sense to me. It certainly makes for a great look in your kitchen.
Posted by: Barbara | May 06, 2009 at 01:05 PM
Wow...Jen...thanks so much for sharing this! I've been trying to figure out templates for some words I want to put on a quilt I'm designing...and this is just the trick I needed. I can print out my words and use them for my applique' templates!
Posted by: sherri | May 06, 2009 at 11:09 AM
I love it!!!
I have a area above my cabinets in my kitchen where I could so something like this, thanks for a great idea!!!!
Posted by: Jamie | May 06, 2009 at 11:07 AM