Using Molds for a Custom Letter

8 Materials
$12
2 Hours
Easy

I'm always looking to reuse, repurpose, or customize my decor items as I get bored with them or am just in need of a little refresh! This wooden letter was on the wall in my daughter's nursery and I decided it needed a new look!

I used molds, paper clay, paint and wax to transform this plain wooden letter!

For this project I decided to use paper clay but there are many other options you can use with these molds depending on your specific project and needs.

I find that using pressure and something flat to push the clay into the mold helps a lot.

I also use the same plastic spatula to gently scrape the excess clay from the mold so you don't have any messy edges to fix once you remove the piece.

This is where the fun begins! I decided that for this application I would create a mosaic look by piecing the clay molds together to fit the letter. With paper clay you can remove the piece from the mold immediately as well as cut, bend, and shape it. It's a bit delicate though so use a soft touch! Once I removed the clay from the mold I used wood glue to secure it to my letter.

If you have any spaces you need to fill you can use smaller pieces and squeeze them in. One downfall to paper clay is that it will shrink a little and can crack as it dries. I really don't mind that though for the look I have in mind.

Once all of pieces are glued on I like to put something flat but not too heavy on top to keep the pieces from curling up.

Time to paint! (Be sure and let your molds dry. I usually let them sit overnight.)

A chalk paint brush with a pointed tip is perfect to get into all the nooks and crannies.

Once the paint was dry I coated the entire piece with clear wax.

Immediately after the clear wax I applied a small amount of black wax with a smaller brush and really worked in onto the crevices. Then I wiped away the black wax with a paper towel until I was happy with the look.

All done!! The possibilities are endless with these molds and clay and I'm so happy with the outcome. Let me know what project you would use this technique on and feel free to check out my other projects on Instagram!

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3 of 26 comments
  • GeorgiaBulldogsFan GeorgiaBulldogsFan on Feb 13, 2021

    This is just gorgeous! I love elegant looking things and this certainly fits the bill! Have never worked with paper clay, but this inspires me to do so. Thanks for sharing this project. Great job!

  • Jan piner Jan piner on Jan 10, 2023

    Lovely. Did u make the wall hanging with the dogwood bloom as well?

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