Holiday Mantel Wooden Letters

How to Make Holiday Mantel Letters

1. 1 Trace the Letters

   
   

   Decide on a festive word (e.g., “snow”), and determine the size of your letters. Then, select your choice of thickness or "heaviness" for each letter. If your letters have thin sections, choose a thicker piece of plywood to avoid snapping your letter during cutting. Print out large letters in various fonts, and trace them with a sharp pencil to create an impression of the letter.  Retrace the lines on the plywood with the pencil using a straight edge if needed.

2. 2 Cut Out Letters

   
   

   Clamp the 2 x 2 foot plywood piece between two sawhorses or blocks. Using the slow curve setting on your BLACK+DECKER 5 Amp Jigsaw with CurveControl™, carefully follow your traced pencil lines to cut out your letters. You might have to rotate your piece of wood to cut in certain directions comfortably.

3. 3 Sand + Shape

   
   

   Eliminate any rough edges, bumps and pencil lines on your letters with the BLACK+DECKER MOUSE® Detail Sander. Use the attachment piece to sand the tight spaces and corners of the letters. If you'd prefer a more weathered look, round out the edges by putting more pressure on the edges of the plywood.

4. 4 Create a Layered Letter

   

   Break up the 2-D feel of your letters by scaling one letter down when printing and cutting a duplicate piece. Glue the scaled-down shape on top of the larger one with wood glue, and allow it to dry overnight before painting.

5. 5 Paint the Letters

   

   Chalk paint is a quick and economical way to cover wood surfaces with just a few coats. Brush a layer over the surface and sides of your letters and let dry before assessing whether you need another coat. Drying can take a half hour to an hour, depending on how much paint is used. Create a distressed look by strategically brushing over the letters with fine-grit sandpaper.

6. 6 Finish + Enjoy!