How to Make Long Wood Letter Blocks for Seasonal Decor
Wooden blocks were traditional gifts given to children at the holidays. Hand-carved blocks often held personal meaning to the receiver, because a family member or close friend made them. If you want to make a wooden block for decorative purposes, you can make a long set of blocks that spell out a simple word such as "NOEL" or "JOY" by creating faux blocks that appear to be placed in a row. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 3-inch-thick wooden post
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Handsaw
- Pocketknife or carving tools
- 200-grit sandpaper
- Acrylic paints
- 1/4-inch artist's brush
Instructions
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Measure and mark a line across the wood post every 3 inches for each letter of your word. Cut straight across the post at the final mark. For example, if your word is "NOEL," you will mark four lines, with the last one at 12 inches. You will cut through the block at 12 inches.
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Draw a line all the way around the piece of wood at every 3-inch mark. Draw the blade of a handsaw along the marked line on one side until the cut is 1/8 inch deep. Rotate the piece of wood, and slice into the line again to the same depth. Turn and cut the piece of wood twice more until you have a 1/8th-inch cut all the way around. Repeat for each of the other 3-inch-mark lines. For "NOEL," you will cut 3 lines all the way around the piece of wood. This will define each letter block.
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3
Draw a centered, 2 1/2-inch square inside the face of each of the faux letter blocks. For the "NOEL" letter block, you will draw twelve 2 1/2-inch squares.
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Draw the word you want in block letters on each face of the cube. Take up the full face inside the 2 1/2-inch square with each letter, and make the strokes of the letters 1/4-inch thick.
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Carve out the areas between the block letters and the square you marked on the face of the block with a pocketknife or carving tools. If you're using carving tools, use a straight-edged tool to cut in along the straight arms and legs of the letters and the square outline on each face. Cut in 1/8 inch deep, and remove the wood to create a flat, carved surface. Also, carve out the central areas of letters such as "O."
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Use 200-grit sandpaper to smooth the areas where you cut away material. Also sand all edges of the blocks, including the 1/8-inch divisions you carved between the blocks.
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Paint each of the carved letters with different colors of acrylic paint in seasonal colors. Also paint the 1/2-inch edge of the blocks.
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Tips & Warnings
Select a soft wood like pine for easy carving.
If you want, you can work only the front and top of the letter blocks, as no one will see the bottom and may not see the back.
If you can't freehand the letters, trace them using carbon paper.
If you don't want to do a lot of carving, you can paint faux shadows instead of carving the letters.
You can stain the blocks, if desired, finish them in tung oil, or leave them natural.
If you find it is taking too much effort to carve, try taking smaller bites of wood with the knife, and take your time getting down to the desired depth.
Handle knives and carving tools with care.
Always hold the working block firmly in your hand, and carve away from you, to prevent accidental cuts.
Keep your carving tools or knife sharp. A sharp knife is safer than a dull knife, because you will push too hard with a dull knife.
