Guest Project -- make Glittered Burlap Paper Mache Letters!!

Hello to all the Tatertots and Jello readers!

I'm Allison from

The Soladay Family

I am so excited to share an easy project with you today!

Easy = doable in my book.

I am constantly decorating and redecorating our mantle...especially during the holidays.

You can see our Halloween mantle here.

I start by clearing everything off...minus the mirror...laying out my decorations and going for it.

I always have a general idea in mind of what I want the finished product to look like,

but it never looks exactly like my original vision.

If you are a follower of my blog, then you know I love to decorate with words,

so I decided to incorporate this love into our Christmas decor.

This is where this project came to life.

Here's what you'll need:

* Paper mache letters spelling your desired word...in my case NOEL.

* Enough burlap fabric to cover the front of your letters...in my case 1/2 a yard of red burlap was plenty.

* Black Sharpie

* Red glitter

* Red spray paint

* Sewing scissors...I found through trial and error, that they work better than regular scissors.

* Spray adhesive (not pictured)

* Clear top coat (also not pictured

1. The first step in this project is to trace the letters onto the burlap.

I found the best way to do this is to place the letters face down

so when you cut them out, you won't see the sharpie like this:

2. The next step is to cut out all the letters:

3. Now spray all sides of the letters red:

4. Once the letters have completely dried, coat just the front

of the letters with a generous amount of spray adhesive, and adhere the burlap to the letters:

5. Next, spray the burlap with a generous amount of spray adhesive,

and coat it with the glitter.

Don't be afraid to overdo it, friends.

You can never have too much glitter!

Once you are satisfied with your bling,

spray the front of the letters with a clear top coat,

available in the spray paint section, to keep the glitter in place.

On a side note, keep this clear coat stuff in your craft room 24/7.

I use it all the time.

For instance, I sprayed my monogrammed, polka dot painted pumpkins with it in early September,

and the paint lasted outdoors in the elements for over 2 months.

6. After the letters are dry, let the fun begin!

I decided to use mine on our mantle.

 They really sparkle!

And I love the way they look with everything else the mantle.

I can see these letters done in traditional burlap with

silver glitter in a natural holiday decor setting, used in a tablescape,

one large letter hung over the mantle

or on the front door from a ribbon or a strip of burlap,

the numbers "25" for the Christmas holiday,

the numbers "2011" for a New Year's celebration.

The possibilities are endless and can extend way beyond the holidays!

Thank you so much for having me as a guest!

Happy holidays from The Soladay Family!

Thanks Allison!! 

That Sparkly NOEL is awesome! And your mantel is beautiful!! 

I think Allison is just amazing! Here are some of my favorite projects she has shared: 

{Magnetic Chalkboard Teacher Gifts}

{Thankful Tree}

{Mirror turned Chalkboard}

Such great ideas! Be sure to check out  The Soladay Family!!!

xoxo