E-A-T! {DIY Faux Metal Letters}

Our plans for a kitchen makeover have been put off a few times for one reason or another. I’m sure many of you can probably relate to this. You have all of your plans in place, you’re ready to go. Something breaks {like your fridge, car… or everything in the house all at once}. You walk through the 5 stages of grief {because ALLTHETHINGS keep breaking}. And then you start saving again. You know…general home ownership-ness. Image may be NSFW.
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Whether it’s because of budgetary reasons, or living in a rental —  I would say most of us are having to live with what we’ve got, or work around certain design elements that we just aren’t in love with. One of the ways I’ve learned to work with what I have, is to add accessories and art that are “me”. I add smaller elements that I love to help a space feel more personal and homey. Creating your own art and accessories is budget-friendly and adds that extra personal touch.

The wall space above my stove was looking a bit sad, so I decided to create something that would spruce up the area now, but also look great when we are able to update the kitchen. I’ve always been a fan of typography {Which probably comes from being the daughter of an art director, and then marrying a graphic designer. Keep your comic sans to yourself, thankyouverymuch.}. I have long admired the zinc letters from Anthropologie, but at $18 a pop… I just couldn’t. I’m definitely one of “those people” that looks at a price tag, chokes a bit and then says “Psshh….I could make that!”. So, that is exactly what I set off to do!

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Clik here to view.I bought the paper mache letters at Hobby Lobby for $2.47 a piece. Hob Lob also often puts these on sale {40% off I think?}, so if you wait until they do, you can get even more bang for your buck.

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Clik here to view.Spray a good coat of Rustoleum’s oil rubbed bronze onto the letters and wait for it to dry. Spray paint typically takes about 20 minutes to dry before you’re ready for the next coat. Unless you live in the tropics like me and are dealing with 1000% humidity — then give it about 30 minutes.

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Clik here to view.Once the first coat is dry, it is time to add the main color. I used Krylon’s hammered silver. I allowed that coat to dry, and then lightly sanded the letters to add some more texture. I gave them one last coat of the silver, and then sanded again, but even lighter this time, to create that distressed metal look.

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Clik here to view.And there you go! If I wouldn’t have told you they were actually paper mache, you wouldn’t even know! I hung the letters over the stove with my trusty command strips.

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Image may be NSFW.
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What part of your house are you trying to work with or around? What are your methods for making a space feel more like it belongs to you?

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