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“JOY” Marquee Letters

“JOY” Marquee Letters

Hey Friends!  Last week I mentioned the DIY “Lit Marquee Letter” I made for a client this summer.  That little lady dreams of seeing her name in lights and of being a star on the big screen one day!  But, you don’t have to dream of stardom to appreciate the project.

I love to use lighting to enhance the feel in a room.  Weather your going for homey, romantic, or fun lighting can help you achieve the effect!  There are all sorts of ways to bring in lighting, and today I am just showing another version of the lit marquee letter that I recently completed for my own home! 🙂     Instead of a “K,” this time around I decided to do a whole word.

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“JOY” seems to be a word I could afford to focus on year round, so I thought it was the perfect thing to  highlight in our house.  I used the exact same instructions as before. . . .

1. Draw your letter out on foam core.
2. Cut it out with a sharp exacto knife.
3. Use a large drill bit to create the holes that your light bulb will go through. (Remember to space these out evenly.  You will have to do some math here. 🙁
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4. Cut up 4 in. (or so) strips of heavy duty poster board. My “K” took 4 strips.
5. Mark a line down the center of your strips.
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6. Place hot glue around the edge of your letter and place the poster board strips onto the foam core essentially outlining your letter.  Use the center line you drew to make sure you are keeping the same amount of poster board on each side of your letter.
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7. Once your poster board has been secured around the letter’s edges with the hot glue, use paintable caulk and run a bead on the front and back of the letter where the poster board and the foam core meet. This will further secure the piece and make it more durable.
8. Once your caulk has dried, spray paint the piece your desired color. I chose a high gloss paint to make sure the surface was easy to clean- plus it reflects the light more!
9. Last, screw your lights in place.  I used these “Room Essentials” clear globe lights from Target.
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The only thing I changed this time around was the paint I chose to finish the piece with. . .

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The “Glitter Blast” is quite beautiful in my opinion.  However, be prepared to use the whole can at once.  It tends to permanently clog after sitting for too long.  I found my glitter spray at Michael’s but I’m sure most craft stores sell it.

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Once again, I could not get a good photo with the lights on.  But I do love that these letters look fab whether they are plugged in or not!

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So, what would you spell if you were to take on this project?

This article has 6 comments

  2. Emily Netz

    I think these are fabulous! I really need to try making this…I’ll probably just start with one letter. Math isn’t my thing 😉 The glitter adds some fun character…great choice. Thank you very much, Kara, for linking up to “It’s a DIY Christmas” at Putting Down Roots 🙂 Made my day!

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