Paint polka dots on a wood letter to decorate a children's room.
Polka dot wood letters are popular decorations for children's rooms. They are also used as a centerpiece for baby showers and birthday parties. For a handmade item, paint polka dot wood letters to spell a name, initials or a word such as "BABY." When finished, embellish with ribbon. If you intend to hang the letters in a room, measure the area to figure out the correct letter size.
Instructions
1. Buy unfinished wood letters, a 1/2-inch foam brush, a round brush, white acrylic gesso and acrylic paints at a craft supply store. Use fluid or tube acrylic paints. Pick contrasting colors for the background and dots. The gesso can be used for white backgrounds or white dots. Gently sand any rough spots on the wood and remove all sawdust.
2. Dampen the foam brush and squeeze out excess water. Open the container of gesso. Use the brush to apply a smooth layer of gesso to the top surface of the wood letters. Replace the lid on the gesso. Clean the brush in water and allow the gesso on the wood to dry. Turn the letters over and paint the back and sides of the letters with gesso. Allow to dry. Sand all gesso covered surfaces gently with the sandpaper and remove all dust. Repeat this step with another coat of gesso.
3. Open the acrylic paint for the background color. If you want a white background, skip this step. Squeeze a quarter sized amount of paint onto a plastic disposable plate and replace the lid on the paint container. Spritz with water and stir, adding water as necessary to achieve a creamy texture. With the foam brush, apply a smooth layer of paint to the top surface of the letters and dry. Pour out more paint, as necessary. Spritz excess paint with water and cover with an inverted plastic plate to prevent it from drying out between applications. Turn the letters over and paint the back and sides of the letters. Dry. If you need better coverage, repeat this step.
4. Draw the location of the polka dots lightly with a pencil. Mark an x for small dots and roughly sketch larger circles. If you want perfect circles, use a stencil to draw them. Make dots of equal size or use a variety of sizes. Allow portions of large dots to go off the edges of the letter surface. Draw dots on the sides of the letters or keep the sides a solid color.
5. Dampen the round brush bristles. Open the acrylic paint for the polka dots. Place a quarter sized amount of paint on a clean plastic plate and replace the lid on the paint container. Spritz the paint with water and stir with the round brush, if necessary, to achieve a creamy consistency. Use the round brush to paint dots on the wood letters and allow to dry.
