DIY Scrapbook Paper Letters

I decided to take on some relatively easy wedding recently. If you recall, I was inspired by this image:

Image via: StyleMePretty / Photography by: Adria Peaden

I love the soft, romantic color palette and I thought the concept would work well in our Marie Antoinette-inspired wedding. I dashed off to the craft store and returned with the supplies I needed to complete this project. I bought the letters, the scrapbook paper, and the spray adhesive at Michael's. I love their teacher discount! I bought the self-healing mat on Amazon.com. Click HERE for a link to the same product that I purchased. This project is super easy and would be great for a DIY beginner!

• wooden or papier mache letters (found at craft stores)
• scrapbook paper 
• spray adhesive
•  X-Acto knife
• self-healing mat

Step 1: Prep Your Letters

The letters I bought for the "LOVE" sign were already white. However, I bought a larger pair of letters that are black which will need to be painted white before I can attach the scrapbook paper. The second set of letters are "E" and "G" to represent our initials. I'm not sure how we will use them yet, but I'm sure they will find a suitable place in our collection of wedding decor!  

Step 2: Pick Out Your Papers

I chose to use a different paper design for each letter. I wanted to make sure the patterns looked cohesive together so I played around with each paper before settling on my final choice. You can also make uniform letters in all the same color or design. Think about all the amazing glitter and metallic papers available these days! So many incredible options! 

Personal photo - my fiance is doing the work here!

Step 3: Spray Adhesive on Letter

Place your letters on some scrap cardboard or another safe work surface and spray on the adhesive. It only needs a light coat. If it is applied too thick it might take too long to dry. My fiance is holding the adhesive spray a little too close to the letters in the above photo. 

Personal photo - my fiance is doing the work here!

Step 4: Attach Letter to Paper

The scrapbook paper I used was double-sided, so I made sure it was the back of the paper design I had chosen and gently laid the letter adhesive-side down onto the paper. Press gently to push out any air bubbles. 

Step 5: Let the Adhesive Dry

I gave the letters about 15 minutes to set before moving on to the next step. If the adhesive is still wet, it could cause the paper to bunch up when you cut it with the X-Acto knife.

Personal photo - my fiance is doing the work here!

Step 6: Cut Off Paper

Using a firm motion, trace around each letter with the X-Acto knife. Don't be too hasty or press to hard or else it could tear the paper and ruin your project! 

The final product! (personal photo)

Step 7: Revel in Your Accomplishment! 

And that's it! This is such an easy and simple project. But please take your time and be careful using the X-Acto knife as they are very sharp! I am going to repeat these steps with our initial letters later. I'm still deciding whether or not I want to use the same approach with the different paper patterns or something entirely different. I have a map of Paris that I might use instead!

Will you be incorporating letters like these on your big day?