DIY Wooden Letters for a Reclaimed Wood Love Sign

Do you love the new letter decorating craze? Looking for a way to have that look without forking out some major money? What about DIY wooden letters that look amazing, are easy to make and can be personalized to fit your needs! The first set of wooden letters I made were paint stick letters with an industrial twist. These are made with a different wood but can be interchanged to fit the look you are going for!

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Wooden Letters Supplies:

• • Shims or Paint Sticks
  • Wood Glue or Hot Glue
  • Acrylic Paint or Spray Paint
  • Clamps  (These are by far the easiest clamps to use for a project like this)
  • Mitre Saw
  • Glitter (optional)
  • Wire (optional)

Wooden Letters Instructions:

Step 1) Decide what word you want to make. I am making the word LOVE. Home is also another word that is perfect for these!

Step 2) Decide how large you want your letters to be. I decided to use the length of the shim as my full size letter. This size fit the look I was going for and also cut down on the amount of cutting I would have to do.

Step 3) Lay out your word to get an idea of what you will need to cut.  For LOVE, I needed a smaller piece for the bottom of the L  and 3 smaller pieces for the E. We will do the round “O” later.

Step 4) Using your mitre saw, cut the boards for the L and E.

LOVE Wooden Letters Cut List:

• L = 1 x 8″ and 1 x 6″
• V= 2 x 8″
• E= 1 x 8″ and 3 x 3 1/2″

Step 5) Apply wood glue or hot glue to the connecting pieces of your letters.

Step 6) If using wood glue, clamp the pieces where they intersect.  Let dry.  If using hot glue allow to cool.

Step 7) Paint or stain your letters. In the above photo I spay painted mine with Rustoleum Heirloom White. The advantage to spray painting is a quick one coat coverage. The disadvantage is that you always need to use spray paint in a well ventilated area. Using acrylic paint is another great option. Allow you letters to dry.

Step 8) Now it’s time to make your “O”.  I chose to use wire for a complete DIY project! Wrap a heavy wire around a circular object to create a coil. I used a miniature wooden bat my son had. You know my motto; use what you have whenever possible!

Step 9) Pull the wire off and shape it into an “O“. Attach the two ends together.

Step 10) Attach your letters to a reclaimed piece of wood or pallet sign. I attached mine with my brad nailer. They can also be glued on.

Step 11) Attach a screw into the board and hang your O. 

I played around with different “O” ideas. I used a grapevine wreath, a wooden embroidery hoop, the wire swirl and a metal embroidery hoop. Make it your own with your own unique colors and O. I made a HOME sign with my more industrial looking Decorative Paint Stick Letters if you are looking for how to configure the word HOME.

We recently took this project on the road for the KC Home Remodeling and Garden Show Make It Take It booth. We made them with paint sticks, glue guns and acrylic paint. Check out all of the great ways our new friends came up with to make their projects their own! 

Each and everyone of you inspire me and I LOVE to see the work that you’ve created. Feel free to share with me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. And as always, be sure to follow Diva Of DIY on Pinterest and sign up for our FREE Newsletter to receive the latest projects delivered straight to your inbox!