DIY letterboard

M A K E T H E L O O K DIY letterboard

Make a felt letterboard from an old photo frame to create your own word art, like Abi

Letterboard letters will slot in securely between the dowel rods but are easy to move so you can change your message when you like

T O P T I P

Upper case alphabet letters like these are usually about three quar ters of an inch tall. Keep this in mind when choosing the size of your frame – for longer phrases, you’ll need at least A4 in size YOU WILL NEED thin gold frame, minimum 1cm deep ¼in diameter dowel rods hacksaw stapler glue gun black felt alphabet letterboard letters, from Letterglyph on Etsy INSTRUCTIONS 1 Remove any backing or glass from your frame and place it face down. Measure the width of the gap from one internal edge to the other, horizontally across the frame. Your dowels will need to be the same length as this gap. Cut the dowel rods to this length with your hacksaw.

2 Cut strips of black felt to the same length as your dowel and about 1 inch wide. Wrap the strips around your cut dowel rods, securing with a stapler so that the felt is taut against the rod’s surface.

3 Put a dab of hot glue on the end of each rod and slot into position in the frame, with the staples sitting at the back, so the taut fabric finish is seen at the front. You want the rods to sit quite snugly without gaps between them, to provide the tension you need to keep the letters in place. Position as many as you can in the length of your frame, and fill any space too small to take an extra rod with a folded strip of felt to pad out the space.

4 If you’re using a shop-bought frame, you can put the back panel back on to hide the messy stapled dowels from view. If you’re upcycling a frame, cut your own back from a cardboard box. Very little of this will be seen when the board is on display, but covering the stapled sections will give you a cleaner finish, and hide any light gaps between the rods from the front.

5 Add your words using the alphabet letters, slipping the supports between the wooden dowels where the felt covering will cushion them in position.