A How-To video on how to make decorative, museum quality letters from upcycled magazines.

WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS

for MAKING MUSEUM QUALITY LETTERS:

SUPPLIES:

Magazines

Paintbrush

Permanent Markers

Scissors

Ruler

Glue

Water

Tray (bigger than the magazine)

*Jig Saw/Band Saw

*Industrial Clamp/Press

(If you have a jig saw/band saw join us at step 5)

Step 1: Draw your letter on the cover of a magazine and cut it out.

Step 2: Use your letter as a stencil and trace onto the page below.

Step 3: Cut the letter out through 3 or 4 pages at once.

Step 4: Keep doing this until there are no pages left in the magazine!

Step 5: Mix glue 1 part glue to 2 parts water in your tray.

Step 6: Place letter/magazine in tray with gluey water mix-making sure to cover all pages. If you don’t cover all pages, they won’t all stick together as a solid form and you will have weird gaps in your letter—and, really, who likes weird gaps?

Step 7: Set your magazine/ magazine-letter on a towel to soak up some of the moisture for a little while.

Step 8: Press under something heavy. If you have a proper press/clamp these would work well, but books, bricks and boards work (and all start with B!) as long as the weight is evenly distributed. Make sure you have towels around too, as this process also works to squeeze out excess moisture. I do all my letter work on my balcony for easy clean up!

THE HARD PART: Wait a few days until it’s dry

(If you have a jigsaw, cut the letter out now)

Step 9: Glue an interesting page or personal photos onto the top of the letter.

Step 10: Brush the top with gluey water mix for a shiny varnish.

Voila! You are done!

Hanging Advice/Ideas:

The letters are light and I have always hung mine balanced on pushpins but if you are handy with power tools I am sure you can figure out how to carve a hole in the back for hanging. This will create a more elegant line, I am sure ☺

Also, I haven’t done this yet, but think it would be super cool to screw hooks into the letters to create decorative wall hooks for hanging coats/dog leashes by the front door.

Credit:

Music: Bomba Estereo; Bailar Conmigo