DIY Personalized Wall Art
• 22-by-28-inch poster board
• 26 A to Z alphabet stencils, 4 inches tall (available at craft stores)
• Up to 26 photos (4 by 6 inches)
• Colored paper
• 22-by-28-inch picture frame
• Soft lead pencil
• Painter’s tape or removable tape
• Cutting mat
• Small utility knife and replacement blades
1. On a clean, flat work surface, place your poster board face-down and orient it vertically.
2. On an area next to your poster board, arrange your alphabet stencils in five rows: ABCDE, FGHIJK, LMNOP, QRSTU, VWXYZ.
3. Using your ruler and pencil, mark a 2-inch margin along the top and bottom of the poster board. Draw horizontal lines for each row every 4 inches with a 1-inch margin between rows.
4. Starting with letters A through E (row 1) tape the stencils to the poster board face-down. You will be working in reverse starting with the letter E on the left-hand side and ending with A on the far right. Space the letters evenly across the guideline. Carefully trace each stencil with your pencil.
5. Repeat Step 4 for the remaining rows—letters F through K (row 2), L through P (row 3), Q through U (row 4), and V through Z (row 5).
6. Place your cutting mat beneath the poster board. With a small utility knife, cut out each letter. Use your ruler to achieve straight edges. Replace the blade every 10 to 15 cuts, especially if you are using the blade’s tip. For cutting curves, do not cut all the way through on the first cut. First score the curve with the blade, then run the knife along the curve. It may take two or three passes before you cut all the way through the poster board.
7. Organize your travel photos alphabetically from A to Z. Tape each photograph to the poster board face-down in the corresponding letter opening. For example, a snapshot from Amsterdam could be taped over the letter A. Trim pictures if necessary. If you don’t have enough photos, fill in a few letters with colored paper. Flip the board over to make sure the photos are showing through the letters.
8. Place poster board face-down and secure it in the frame.
Excerpted from Crafting a Meaningful Home by Meg Mateo Ilasco with permission of the publisher, STC Craft-Melanie Falick Books.