Altered Letters
Anytime I can combine my love of all things crafty with my love of scrapbooking, I am a very happy camper. Not only does creating altered alphabets allow me to combine these two loves, it also allows me to visit the crafter’s equivalent of Disneyland--the craft store.
At any craft store you will find unfinished wooden shapes that can be altered using your scrapbooking supplies for a one-of-a-kind look. Although any shape can be altered, the hottest item to alter at the moment is wooden letters. Once altered, they create a unique decoration for your home. Use them as a single initial, words, or even a whole phrase. The possibilities are endless once you have the basics down.
 Gathering the Supplies
You will need the following items:
- Embellishments
- Patterned Paper
- Mod Podge or other decoupage adhesive
- Wooden Letter
- Paintbrush
- Sandpaper
- Acrylic Craft Paint
- Embellishment Adhesive
Preparing the Letter
To prepare your letter for altering, you must remove any price stickers and sand all surfaces with fine grit sandpaper.
 Tracing the Letter
Most of the wooden letters available at crafts stores have a multi-level decorative edge. Patterned paper is placed only onto the uppermost surface of the letter. To do this, you will need to isolate this surface for tracing.
- Place the patterned paper face down onto your work surface.
- Turn your wooden letter upside down and place it onto the paper.
- Use a sharp pencil to trace the top surface of the letter. (This means you will be reaching under the edge of the letter with the pencil.)
- Cut the letter out of the paper.
 Painting the Basecoat
The tracing process will leave lead marks on the edge of your wooden letter, that it why it is important to paint the letter after you have traced it. Apply two coats of coordinating acrylic craft paint. Allow to dry thoroughly before moving to the next step.
Adhering the Paper
Brush a thin coat of Mod Podge onto the top surface of the wooden letter. Gently smooth the paper over the adhesive and allow to dry thoroughly. After the adhesive has dried, apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the top of the paper to seal it and protect it.
Embellishing the Letter
Now the real fun begins! Dig through your stash of scrapbooking supplies, ribbons, buttons, and silk flowers and truly customize your letters. Just remember to keep the backside of your letter as flat as possible so that it will hang correctly.
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