Can't Stop Crafting

I saw decoupaged letters posted on this craft blog and since I'm in both a newlywed and a craft stage, I had to make some for husband and myself (well, more myself than anyone really). Buuuut, they didn't turn out so hot. So, I changed up my materials and made some for a friend of mine who recently got engaged.  Much better.

Here's what I started with - cardboard letters from Paper Source (3.95ea), a beautiful piece of gift wrap also from Paper Source (4.95ea), Mod Podge, and a sponge brush. I thought I could ratchet up the creativity by using the ribbon and paint, but it didn't happen.

I didn't love the 'M', so I finished off the pointy corners just by creating a corner with some card stock and taping it to the top of the 'M'. Here's what that looked like:

Then I cut the beautiful paper into strips and started attaching it with the Modge Podge.  Big mistake.  It looked like 'M' for Mummy.  

So, I started ripping the paper into scraps and gluing it that way. It actually okay in this picture, but in real life, still quite ugly.

So, I ditched the fancy expensive paper with the beautiful silver glittery swirls and ripped up two sheets of wedding scrapbook paper (about 50c ea at Michaels). Then I attached that with the Mod Podge to the letters for my girlfriend. I don't know if it was the bold colors of this paper or the texture, but it turned out So. Much. Better.

I finished the black with ripped scraps of black construction paper because I ran out of the wedding scrapbook paper and Michaels is located on the most annoying road in the whole state...

Neither the 'C' nor the 'P' stood on its own, so I hot glued them to a thick black cardboard I had lying around - I think it was an insert in a scrapbook I bought one time. Crafters never throw anything away. Here's a close up:

Take aways from the decoupage letter project:

~Always make crafts for yourself first so you can screw up freely.

~This project works best with scrapbook paper (but not card stock) 

~Don't take 'before' pictures of materials (like paint and ribbon) that you have no idea how to incorporate into the craft.