DIY Family wall decor

I have been realizing just how boring the walls are at my house lately.  Last night I decided to take a trip to Hobby Lobby! (Always a good/bad idea)  I found a few things that inspired me to get crafty, so here we go!

I made a hanging wall decoration with the word FAMILY.  You can buy something like this at the store for significantly more than it cost me to make it!  Everything is always 50% off at HL!

I will walk you through it step by step.  They are pretty simple, but you need patience!  

Step 1.  

You will need to purchase the wood pieces ($.99) for your words, or you can make your own  Obviously, I purchased 6.They are pretty simple, look like this:

Step 2:

I painted the edges of my blocks with a dark brown acrylic paint.  I am in the process of changing my colors to brown and light blue.  Choose any color you want!  I used two coats, letting the first one dry completely before I applied the second. *I painted a little onto the face of the block because I plan on sanding down the edges for a rustic feel*

Step 3: 

Measure and cut out the scrap book paper for your backgrounds ($.59, and 50% off at HL).  Be creative!  I used 6 different pieces!  You then place a thin layer of modge podge (homemade for me... 1/2 Elmer's glue and 1/2 water) onto your block.  Let it dry for a few seconds then center your cut paper into the face.  (I used my Kroger card to smooth out the bubbles)

Step 4:

Here is where the patience comes in... If you have a cricut or something like it you may want to use it now.  I however, do not (yet)!  I downloaded an outline font on the computer and printed out the letters.  Don't be afraid to alter your font... I changed the "F" up a little because I thought part of it was too skinny.  You're being creative, don't forget!  I had to sit and carefully cut out all of my letters, but I think they turned out well! ('Tis a little blurry)

Step 5: 

Now, as I said before I wanted to sand down the edges for a more "rustic" feel.  I started with a 600 grit sand paper, which really did nothing to the edges so I switched to a 150 grit.  Try it out and decide which one is best for your taste.  Remember, the lower the number the rougher the sand paper.  Once you sand the edges, paint a layer of modge podge over the entire face of the block.  Let dry and continue.  Here is a before & after:

Step 6:

Now, use ribbon (50% off rolls of ribbon at HL) to create a loop for hanging.  I hot glued mine to the back, but I am sure a staple gun would work just as well.  Make sure they are centered and all are the same length.  I used to different lengths, but make sure the one that need to match do, other wise, your finished product will look crooked.  Once your ribbon has dried completely you are ready to string them onto your rod.  I used an extra curtain rod we had at home, but use whatever you want... I am thinking of using a branch next time!

Step 7:

Once my letters were strung, we placed the end back on the rod and hung it on the wall.  We used two nails and a level (trust me you need one).   We took a step back and this is what we saw.  

The first time I did the ribbons I did long, short, long, short, etc... When we hung it and looked at it, it looked crooked because the F was long and the Y was short.  I made a few adjustments and voila!  I think the entire project cost me about $9.00.  Granted, if you don't have some of the stuff it may be a little more, but...  I have seen stuff like this selling for $20-$30 in the store!!  

Happy crafting :)