Whitney's Burlap Monogram

Hey guys!  This week has and will be a bit crazy for both Ash and I.  This weekend is my daughter's NCA Nationals competition for cheerleading.  This means that Ashley has been putting in 4837520 extra hours or work getting CCA ready to compete.  Forgive us for being a bit absent :)

So... I was able to play with my new favorite tool on this project!

This is my new super cute Cricut Expression Machine.

I was really wanting to make a monogram for above my bed.  I loved Ashley's she made and was ready to create my own.  This is how I did it!

I started with a free hand me down frame.

I knew I wouldn't be using the glass so I just moved on to the paint.  I gave it two coats of Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch in Canyon Black.

I let the frame dry and moved on to the next step.  I used some extra fabric I had left from my bedding I made for the next step.

I cut a piece large enough to cover the cardboard.  I used my hot glue gun attach the edges to the back of the cardboard.

My finished piece looked like this.

Now for the fun part!  I used my Cricut Expressions Machine to cut my stencils out.  I chose to use a great monogram font called Plantin Schoolbook.

I cut my letters out.  You just attach your stencil paper  (or regular paper) to your cutting mat, type in your letters and push a button.  It's THAT easy :)  The best part about the Cricut Expression Machine is that you can cut your letters up to 24"... Wow and woohoo!!

After cutting my stencils, I used the letters to plan where I would paint.  I would like to add on this part that I did not space my letters evenly :( !  I went ahead and finished so I could share with you guys but I would suggest that you measure before painting... duh.  Then you won't have to redo yours like I will soon be doing.

I cut a piece of burlap 3" shorter than my cardboard.

 

I used a stencil brush and some black acrylic paint to do my stenciling. 

Just dab your brush up and down, not side to side to get the best outcome.

I finished all my letters and I was ready for my final step.  I hot glued the burlap to the fabric and then wanted to add just a little something more.  I decided to use bronze nail heads around the edge of the burlap.  I spaced them 2" apart and pressed them through my cardboard.  Then, I turned the cardboard around and hammered the nails down to the side.

My final step was getting a few pictures for you.  I waited to hang it above the bed until I go back and fix my stencil job... bummer:) 

Thanks so much for stopping by! Wish us luck the weekend. It's a huge weekend for both Ashley, my daughter and the entire gym. Go CCA!

~Whitney