Christmas JOY- DIY Metal Salvage Marquee Letters- in Gold & Silver

$20-30
3-4 Hours
Medium
I love vintage Christmas decorations. I enjoy found objects that you've searched antique stores, thrift shops, and salvage yards for. However, if you're a treasure hunter like I am, then you know that sometimes you have a hard time finding just the right piece, or if you do then finding it to fit your budget.
So, why not make a set of faux metal letters yourself?
First, start by cutting the front panel off your letters with your exacto knife. It's not too hard, just be careful, obviously. How do you like my background there, huh? That's the top of my craft table, it's clearly seen a lot of use.
I thought the inside of the letters was cool, mine had these zig-zag pieces of cardboard for support, but they came right out.
My knife left my edges pretty rough, so I used a piece of sandpaper and sanded them down a bit. Not totally though because remember I wanted a rustic look.
Next, spray paint! I originally painted mine in gold metallic.
After the paint dries, flip your letter over and mark the back to where you're holes will be. I put mine about every inch or so. Then drill your hole through into the letter. I did mine this way because I wanted the cardboard to poke into the letter for texture and dimension.


You can also use a thick nail and hammer if you don't have or want to drill.
Well, I lived with these gold for a little while, but the more I looked at them, they still just looked like cardboard letters, not too much different than their original color.


So, I opted for my second favorite metallic color, silver. This silver is really shiny though, and didn't look very old.


I also dry brushed a bit of black acrylic in the nooks and crannies just to add a bit of depth to the texture of the paint.
So, what are your thoughts? Do you prefer these "metal" marquee letters in gold or silver?
Molly - Just a Little Creativity
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Sally Sally on Dec 07, 2016
    What a great idea. I think even my granddaughter could help me make these. She loves doing crafts
  • Pamela Pamela on Dec 07, 2018

    Love this !!! I definitely like the silver !!! After all the packages I have coming from on line shopping , I will have plenty of cardboard !!!! Thinking of lots of letter gifts throughout the year !!! Thanks for the post !

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