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DIY – Ombre Wood Letters

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I have another DIY project for you today, dear readers!  This one is an easy one.

Several months ago, I found these white, wood letters in the baby section at Target (I was just walking by, I swear).  If I recall they were $8 each.

I bought them, thinking they would be cute hanging on the backs of our chairs at the Sweetheart table.  But they needed to be jazzed up a bit, so I thought I would attempt an ombre style with paint in our wedding colors.

Items you’ll need:

  • Wood letters
  • Acrylic paint in two colors, I used orange and white
  • Paint brush
  • Sandpaper
  • Paper plate for mixing colors

First, sand the glossy finish off the letters.  In my head, paint sticks better to rough wood.

Pour some of the orange (or whatever color) paint onto the paper plate and use the brush to cover the lower one-fourth of the letter.

Next, mix some of the color paint with just a dab of white paint to get a lighter shade.  Paint the next one-fourth (or so) of the letter above where you already painted.

Repeat the above step two more times, adding a little more white to each layer of color, until the letter is completely covered with paint.

You may have to do a second coat, and when you mix your colors they might not be perfectly matched to the first coat.  That’s okay!  As long as it’s an obvious gradient, you’re good!

Before the second coat dries, clean your brush (or use a second clean one), and brush across where two layers of color meet in a sweeping side-to-side motion, while moving the brush up and down.  Clear as mud?  It’s tricky to explain – you just blend the layers together to get the ombre effect.  Try it, you’ll see.
Total project cost: ~$22 for two letters.
What do you think, friends?  Will you be trying this easy project?
About Mindy

Mindy Marzec is a life-long Disney fan who grew up in Los Angeles. She started This Fairy Tale Life to share Disneyland travel tips for adults. When not at Disneyland, you can find Mindy at home snuggling with her cats and re-watching Thor: Ragnarok for the billionth time.