Moss and Wood Monogram

Tim and I are closing in on the last month before the wedding, and every spare hour is filled with crafting, emailing vendors, and 5,324 other wedding-related tasks. Tim came up with the idea to make a decorative monogram out of plywood, and even though I was a little panicky at the thought of adding yet another thing to our giant list-o-things, I am super glad we made it–it wasn’t too hard, it’s really cute, and it’s something we can keep around the house even after the wedding.

Materials:

• Plywood (size of your choosing–we used about a 2×2 square and cut it down to shape)
• Sheets of moss, which are available at Michael’s or Joann’s
• Wood stain, in a shade of your choice
• Modge podge
• Paintbrush
• Jig saw
• Rope (about ½ diameter)
• Wire

Steps:

1) Trace your letters on the plywood. We were lucky in that our “T” and “L” fit against each other, so we only had to trace and cut one shape. You can cut out two individual letters, or just do one letter for your new last name.

2) Cut your shape out (carefully) using a jigsaw, or a friend who has a jigsaw. Lightly sand the surface of the plywood to prepare for sanding.

3) If doing the joint monogram (as pictured), stain approximately half of it (in our case, the “T”) . It does not have to be a perfect edge, since you’ll be covering the other side with moss. If doing two distinct letters, stain one and leave the other plain. Let dry.

4) Cut pieces of the moss sheet to fit your letter. Apply modge podge thickly with a paint brush to the plywood, and then apply the moss sheets. Use extra bits of loose moss to cover up any spots of bare wood that show along the edges. Allow to dry thoroughly. You may have to go back and reapply bits of moss afterward.

5) If your letters fit together, or have two edges that lay against each other, you can make a rope ampersand. Wrap wire around your length of rope to make the rope stiff and moldable, and then wrap it around your monogram in an ampersand. Use superglue to secure the rope to itself at the points where it meets. According to Tim, a little bit of superglue works wonders.