the Creative Orchard: CREATE: COLOR-BLOCK Letter Magnets

What's so CORKY about these COLOR-BLOCK Letter Magnets? They are actually made out of CORK, duh! Since I have been recently redecorating my office area, I wanted FUN and COLORFUL magnets to go all over my MAGNETIC surfaces so that I could DISPLAY my large random collection of scrapbook paper ARTWORK pieces, DECORATIVE note cards, INSPIRATIONAL pictures and fabric SWATCHES that are too tiny to frame. But when I went searching through all of the magnet selections available in OFFICE/DEPARTMENT stores, their magnets were boring and BLAH!

Well then I figured this could just be another super quick and easy DIY project. When I started looking around for NEW magnet INSPIRATION, I came across these CORK die-cut Alphabet Letters in the "BARGAIN" section @ Michaels Stores. They also have bamboo options and I have seen chipboard/cardboard letters in craft stores that would probably work just as well. Being a GRAPHIC DESIGNER means I have a SOFT spot (a.k.a. "OBSESSION") for anything to do with TYPOGRAPHY/LETTERS. I actually DROOL over really pretty CALLIGRAPHY and LOOOVE the SMELL of freshly printed paper! How weird and "CORKY" is that? Anyway, the plain CORK letters were cool but lacked two very important DETAILS - COLOR and MODERN STYLE. That's where the COLOR-BLOCKING came into play. This project is pretty self explanatory just by looking closely at the PHOTOS of the final product but below is a DIY TUTORIAL in case you need a little more detailed info...

DIY TUTORIAL

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• CORK Alphabet Letters @ Michaels Stores

(NOTE: BAMBOO option also available -OR- you might try CARDBOARD/CHIPBOARD ones.)

• Hot Glue or E6000 Glue

[CAUTION!: Although project is SUPER EASY, NOT recommended for kids due to type of GLUE.]

• Craft Paint or Acrylic Paint

• Small Flat Paintbrush

• Craft Magnets

(*NOTE: Push pin magnets like the ones I used are located in OFFICE sections. Flat round magnets or sticky magnet tape ones are located in CRAFT sections.)

DIRECTIONS:

STEP #1: Hold the middle of each LETTER on both sides with two fingers. Using a small flat paintbrush in your other hand, carefully PAINT the outer edges of each LETTER a different COLOR. ONLY one "thick" coat of PAINT was necessary. Then let DRY completely.

STEP #2: Once the first coat of PAINT is DRY, then using two fingers hold the outer edges you just PAINTED so you can use your other hand to slowly PAINT only HALF of the top in a DIAGONAL shape across each LETTER with the same exact COLOR that matches the sides to give them a MODERN COLOR-BLOCK look. Then let DRY completely, AGAIN.

STEP #3: Carefully place a very SMALL dot of GLUE to the back of each MAGNET, then quickly stick to the BACK of each LETTER. Then let glue DRY completely OVERNIGHT.(*NOTE: Small round flat magnets will also work great but I chose magnets that look like push pins because I wanted the LETTERS to really stand out and have an even more 3-dimensional effect once they were on the bulletin boards.)

STEP #4: Place your NEW fabulously CORKY COLOR-BLOCK Letter Magnets on any magnetic surface such as a Bulletin Board, Fridge, Tin Cans, Paint Buckets, etc! DIY PROJECT DONE!!!