DIY Scrabble Tile Wall Decor

*Please note we are not professionals. Projects and products depicted in this blog are not to be taken as advice, but as inspiration only. 

ALSO NOTE: I cannot offer advice about this project. This is just to show you how I created the project for my own personal use.

How I Made My Own Over-Sized Letter Tiles Wall Decor
Hubby and I are recently empty-nesters. Well, not exactly. Our older daughter has moved into her own place in a city about 40 minutes from us. And our younger daughter is currently traveling with a missions group. She will return this summer for a month before leaving again for another year. So, basically Hubby and I are on our own.

It was really hard at first. Both our kids left within a month of each other. We went from being a family of four, to a couple again. As young parents, we'd dreamed of the day when our kids would be independent, and Hubby and I could finally have a chance to travel and "date" again. But I never realized how much a family dynamic changes when the kids grow up.

I decided I wanted to celebrate the fact that we're still a family, even if parts and pieces of us are scattered a bit. So, I'm working on a gallery wall above our basement stairs. Part of that wall is our names in over-sized Scrabble style wood letter tiles.

You've probably seen these on Pinterest. If you've thought about doing them, I say go for it! These turned out even better than I'd imagined. Here's how I did it.

Cutting My Tiles
Hubby cut the tiles from 1x6 boards. They measure 5.5 x 5.5 inches. He even sanded the edges for me. Gotta love that man! If you don't have the time or tools to do this, check out these pre-cut wood squares on Amazon.
I goofed on how many tiles we needed. I counted each letter in our names, but forgot that some of the letters would be shared (like the K in the girls' names). So I ended up with a few extra tiles.

Painting The Tiles
Next, I had a decision to make. I've seen these tiles in many different finishes, and I really like ALL of them. Should I leave the wood natural? Stain it dark brown? Gray? Paint it black with white letters? The possibilities! I decided to do a combination style for a distressed grayish-white look that would match my farmhouse decor. I began by painting the tiles with white SATIN latex paint--just the front and sides. The back I left plain wood.

Printing & Tracing
Next, I printed the letters/numbers out on paper and colored on the back with a pencil. (I'll include the printable letters at the end of this post). I then traced these onto my tiles. I filled the letters in with black craft paint. The numbers were so small, I decided to fill these in with Sharpie. The marker dries out pretty fast. Each letter/number takes two coats of paint.

Sanding The Edges
The next step was to sand the edges of each tile. I used a sanding block, but you could use an electric sander, too. I wanted just a bit of raw wood on the corners and edges for the next step, which is gray stain.

Staining Over The Paint
I used rubber gloves for this next part. I wore an apron, too. Using a brush, I applied wood stain in Carbon Gray to the sanded edges, and all around the sides of the block. With a cotton towel, I wiped the stain away and also rubbed it into the wood, spreading it lightly around for an antiqued finish.

Hanging My Tiles
Now I had all my tiles, and they looked even better than I'd hoped! But I had a dilemma. How do people hang these on the wall? One at a time? That seems crazy! I came up with a plan to use a thin piece of wood to connect the tiles and create one giant piece of art. Hubby agreed and did all the hard work. He then attached a couple saw-tooth hangers to the back for hanging. Did I mention I love that man?

All Done!
I did a quick layout on the floor to see where other pieces would fit with my tiles. I am planning to add a few more things, like the word "family" and maybe the letter S or number 4. But I love how it looks on the wall!

So, what about you? Think you'll give this project a try?


*Please note we are not professionals. Projects depicted in this blog are not to be taken as advice, but as inspiration only. 

Want more ideas? Check out my post on How to Transfer an Image to Wood.
To download the printable letters, click each one and right click to save the image or print it.
Please note the size. There are 4 letters on each 8.5x11 inch printable sheet. So each letter fits in a space that is approximately 5.5 x 4.25 inch.

 

 

How to Create A Farmhouse Gallery Wall of Your Very Own

Farmhouse Gallery Wall
Have you ever looked at Pinterest and seen those tidy walls of collected items that just look so perfect they're almost too good to be true? Well, they're totally doable! You  just need the right spot. For years, I've wanted a gallery wall. But we lived in an old house that was all windows and doors. There was literally not one wall that was just a plain, flat space. Then, about a year ago, we moved into our lake house.... and it was the same problem. Only it wasn't just windows and doors--but built-in bookshelves--taking up precious wall space. Not that I'm complaining about awesome built-ins, but sometimes a girl just wants a blank canvas.

 

I managed to find one wall in the living room between the bookshelves and a door. It was big and blank and just perfect for a gallery wall! So, I got to work!

When deciding what pieces to include, I knew I wanted to keep it simple and clean. With a little trial and error, I think I managed it! And you can, too!

Here are some things to keep in mind when creating a gallery wall:

1. Space. You need to understand the dimensions of the space you're working with. Try laying out your chosen pieces on the floor next to the wall. It will help you understand how the pieces fit together. Try to keep the top and bottom even to create a "rectangle" shape (see picture). I only included pieces that fit well, using the largest piece (the chalkboard) to define the edge of my rectangle shape.

2. Color. Modern farmhouse calls for a neutral color scheme. If that's the look you're going for, then I recommend pieces that are black, white, and gray with perhaps one other color. I chose brown for mine. It made sense because I had wood pieces in my gallery. Too many colors can make a space look cluttered and messy.

3. Materials. Choose materials in keeping with your theme. Most of the items in this gallery are wood and metal, which add to the farmhouse style. The lantern is BOTH metal and wood and ties in nicely with the other pieces.

4. Function. While a gallery wall's primary function is aesthetic, it can also serve other purposes. Does your room need a clock? A gallery wall is a good place for one! Also, consider a chalkboard. Gallery walls can get stale if they aren't somewhat changeable. I enjoy decorating my chalkboard with seasonal messages. It also gives me a place to display collected, handmade and sentimental pieces. The "Love Grows" wood sign is made of wood from my dad's barn and has our family tree on the back.

You can see more photos of this "Love Grows" sign HERE.

 

5. Balance. Make sure you get a good mix of large and small pieces. Don't put all your heavy, square pieces on one side, spread them out. Likewise, don't put all items of one color on one side. I tried to create balance by putting my heaviest pieces (the chalkboard and Love Grows sign) on opposite sides. Also the "S" and "The Sanders Family" sign both have large letter S's, so I separated them, too. I filled in the gaps with smaller pieces.

Read about how to make your own Family Name Sign HERE.

I'm so excited to finally have a gallery wall! Do YOU have a gallery wall in your house? What pieces did you include?

Share in the comments and follow me on Facebook and Pinterest.