Instructions for making foam letters yourself
For work, prepare the following:
- polystyrene foam (several sheets);
- paper or wallpaper (to cover a future work of art);
- PVA glue;
- decorative elements.
You will also need a ruler, sharp scissors, a stationery knife, a marker and a simple pencil.
You can buy polystyrene foam at the construction market or at a store that sells building materials. The number of sheets depends on the size and number of letters you plan to cut out of it. Experts recommend using thicker foam, since thin layers will need to be glued together to give greater strength.
Sequencing:
- Draw on paper and cut out a sketch of the letters.
- Carefully transfer the template onto the foam sheet. You can immediately mark the letters on the foam.
- Cut using a utility knife. Movements must be confident and precise. All unevenness will need to be leveled by removing excess material.
- After the bases are ready, they need to be finished. To achieve an attractive appearance, the letters must be covered with wallpaper or paper, after tearing the roll or sheets into small pieces. All corners must be clearly marked.
- Decorate using your chosen decorations.
Creating a wedding monogram design
When designing a wedding logo, you need to pay attention to several important points:
- Create your wedding monogram or monogram in high resolution format. If you plan to download a monogram from free stock services, then be prepared for the fact that, firstly, it will not be unique, and secondly, the images will not be of very high quality.
- If you have a color monogram, then also create another one in black and white, since not all decorative elements on which you plan to use it will look beautiful.
- If you plan to use your wedding monogram on anything other than printed materials, we recommend avoiding super-fine lines. They may be too fragile or inconspicuous.
For example, this is what the invitations to the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton looked like (2011)
Pay attention to the monogram, quite modest, right?. This is what the invitations to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle looked like in 2018
And this is what the invitations to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle looked like in 2022.
This is interesting: Floral arrangements with monograms at a wedding - our view on the issue
Decorative design of foam letters
Before you start decorating the letters, you need to make sure that the glue is completely dry. The final result will depend on how developed your imagination is. To decorate the letters, you can use wallpaper with a beautiful texture or decorative wrapping paper. It is allowed to use bows, ribbons, braid, beads, beads, rhinestones, Swarovski crystals, artificial and fresh flowers.
Whatever you choose as decoration, you need to start decorating the letters from the sides, smoothly moving back and forth.
As soon as the finishing process is completed, the foam letters can be considered ready for the upcoming celebration.
How to make a monogram for a wedding?
Most often, newlyweds order a family symbol from professionals. He sketches the monogram in a specialized program. If you need little things in the form of wood, fresh flowers or textiles, then the master makes the appropriate adjustments.
There is also an alternative option. It involves using your own imagination. But how to make a coat of arms without the help of designers? There are several programs and services that will help solve the problem.
Office Word
This program is familiar to everyone and is found on almost any computer. It is enough to use the tools to draw a coat of arms, select the desired font and insert decorative elements.
This option is considered the easiest, simplest and most affordable. But this will not help in creating original ideas. If newlyweds are looking for an easy way to create a monogram for a photo shoot and create 3D letters, this is a great workaround.
Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, Adobe Photoshop
You can make a sketch in other programs. Fonts, colors and sizes for letters will help diversify the symbolism. The use of various effects and original patterns is allowed.
The advantage of this method is that a young couple will be able to get an effective result without putting in a lot of effort. But there is one drawback - basic knowledge of such programs is required. If you don’t have time to study the material, then you should abandon this idea.
Paint
Another simple assistant in creating wedding symbols. This program allows you to use different colors, fonts and shapes. Adding decorative elements is allowed. But it won’t be possible to create spectacular symbolism. The letters will have no volume.
Backlit foam letters
If you want something unusual and memorable, then backlit letters look very impressive. The process of creating them is similar to the process of making regular letters. The difference lies in the decor used.
To make this masterpiece, purchase an LED strip or garland (of your choice). Tape is preferable as it is easier to work with. You just need to tape it with tape along the contour of the future accessory.
Experts advise choosing your own garland for each letter and not combining them into one chain. This way you will avoid many possible unpleasant consequences.
Master Class
As a fashionable idea for a photo shoot with volumetric letters, we can recommend luminous large letters. To make your own letters and initials of the bride and groom, you need to prepare:
- Thick cardboard.
- Sheet of plywood.
- Illumination in the form of a garland of LED bulbs.
- Pencil.
- Scissors.
- Transparent tape.
- Electric drill.
- Electric jigsaw.
- Nails.
- Hammer.
- Sanding paper.
Work on the production of backlit letters is carried out in the following order:
- Prepare a paper template of letters of the required size from cardboard, place them on a sheet of plywood, outline them with a pencil and secure with tape.
- On the drawn figure of the letters, use a drill to drill small holes for attaching LED bulbs.
- Using an electric jigsaw, cut out the outlines of the letters according to the template.
- In order for the letter initials to look like a single design, it is necessary to connect the parts of the letters according to the chosen template. If it is planned to install letters on the ground, it is necessary to prepare the fastening of wooden legs.
- At the final stage, LED bulbs are installed. The garland is fixed into the drilled holes. To admire the bright, cheerful lights, all that remains is to connect the installed lamps to the electrical network.
This is how you can consistently and simply get original and technically simple wedding decor.
A wedding photo shoot against the backdrop of shining letters will turn out to be creative and incredibly beautiful.
Volumetric letters made of polystyrene foam using polyurethane foam
This idea is a little more complicated. In this case, foam is used as a secondary material. It is necessary to cut out shapes from it, which then need to be filled with polyurethane foam.
The surface will need to be carefully leveled, making sure that the foam does not get on the foam. Next we carry out the coloring. The color can be any - of your choice. Such colored letters with a snow-white foam frame look very elegant.
Fixing the foam decor
Due to its lightness, foam letters are attached without problems. They can be fixed using mounting adhesive or double-sided tape. Having settled on the last option, you should remember that some types of such adhesive tape can only be attached to a flat surface. Therefore, it would be a good idea to do some training beforehand.
Advantages of foam letters
Foam letters can be a pleasant and original accent for any celebration, be it a wedding, birthday or other memorable event. They can be used as an independent element of a festive interior or as part of a fashion installation. Many people prefer to make entire inscriptions from three-dimensional letters.
This decor has the following advantages:
- Its shape, dimensions and volume can be absolutely any - to your taste.
- Light weight. You can easily move even the largest letter to another place.
- Opportunity to bring a variety of design ideas to life.
- The ability to create a certain atmosphere.
- Ease of manufacture.
- Financial inclusion.
- Ease of use.
- High moisture resistance. Foam is weather resistant. Even when it rains, it retains its attractiveness.
- Durability. Foam jewelry will last you for many years.
DIY polystyrene letters will become one of the most beautiful holiday attributes. The main thing is to approach their creation with soul - then they will acquire special energy, which they will generously share with invited guests and heroes of the occasion.
