Glittered Letter Magnets Tutorial

Last year when I wrote about a few "Cozy and Fun Kitchen Projects", several readers wrote and asked for more information about the glittered letter magnets that are on the front of my island. So I thought I would put together a little tutorial explaining how you can make your own for your kitchen {or wherever you'd like to use them!}. You know, I never really considered myself a glitter-kinda-girl, but combining my love of letters with my desire to make sure our home isn't too serious or stuffy {a little whimsy, please!}, I thought glittered letter magnets would be a sweet addition to the kitchen.

Now, the original chipboard letters {below} that I used for this project last year I bought from Michael's. I really loved their old-fashioned font style. One of the reasons that it has taken me so long to get around to doing a tutorial on this project is because I wanted to use those same letters again, but Michael's, unfortunately, no longer carries them. Argh! You *may* be able to find them on Ebay, though, under a search for "chipboard letters".


What I used instead this time around were some letters that I also found at Michael's. These were already "glittered", but not really. Actually, they have a bit of a sparkly texture, but they aren't really covered in the fine glitter that I love so much. Now I have seen real glittered letters at craft stores, but only in two colors - silver or gold. What I like about creating my own is that I can choose my own glitter colors and also, I paint the letters dark brown before I glitter them so as the glitter wears off in places, it takes on a tarnished appearance.

I picked up a pack of these white chipboard letters as well as a pack of black letters. {I left the black "as is" - I just added magnets. I'll share some photos of those a bit further down the page.}


Here is a list of supplies you'll need for this project:

chipboard letters
paint - spray paint is fast and easy
spray adhesive
fine glitter - Martha Stewart has a beautiful color line. For this project, I used "smoky quartz"
superglue - I used superglue "gel"...no drips
magnets - I prefer small, thin rare earth magnets {You can get them on Ebay here}


First, you'll need to spread out your letters on some cardboard in preparation for painting them. {The letters in my original project last year came on sheets. I didn't punch them out of the sheets until I was ready to add magnets at the end...it was just easier to do all the steps that way.}



In a well ventilated area, spray a coat of paint on the letters and let them dry.


When the letters are dry, next spray them with a nice even coat of spray adhesive and let it set up for a minute before moving on.



Now the fun part...sprinkling on the glitter! I am generous with my glitter, making sure the surfaces of all the letters are covered completely.


To ensure that the glitter really sticks to the letters well, place a piece of paper across the top of the glittered letters and press firmly.


The sides of the letters will be sticky with adhesive and will need to be covered with glitter as well. To do this, just dip them repeatedly in a bowl of glitter until the sides are covered.


Here are those black letters I was telling you about. I'll use them to tell you about adding the magnets...


Just add a dot of the superglue gel...


And put the magnet in place. I would let the superglue dry for at least 12 hours before using the letters because sometimes the uncured glue can cause a chemical reaction with some surfaces.


Ready to see the result?

I added the unaltered black letters to the "scrabble board" I made a little while ago. I love how they really contrast well with the paper background and vintage scrabble tiles.


This way, I can write a word...


and then it's definition!






And the glittered letters?


I put them on the front of my island with the others. :)


Here you can see the difference between the two Martha Stewart glitter colors I used for both last year's letters {"white gold"} and the ones I made this week {"smoky quartz"}. Can you also see the tarnished look of the older letter O?



I think the ampersand is my favorite!



So there you go! Why not add a little bit of sparkling whimsy to your home with this easy and fun project?!

---

I'm linking up to Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home.