Mossy Monogram - Pottery Barn Inspired

Over the holiday break I was in a gorgeous store in Mississippi called The Potting Shed and saw these lovely moss covered letters. Simple and elegant, don't you think?

Yeah, that simple thing was $79. Same for Pottery Barn. I walked away...but not without a picture. ;) My momma taught me a lot of things and one of them was "I can do that." So here we go. Keep in mind it's not an exact science and you may or may not need this level of instruction, but just in case, I'll try to be thorough.

I've found a handful of other tutorials for these online, but every one I have seen did a small letter - something you can get at Hobby Lobby or JoAnn's. If that's what you want, great, go for it. But for my front door, we were going BIG. The letters at Pottery Barn are between 18"-20", so that's what I went for. I found letters online at WoodenLetters.net for $10. You can even pick your font. The crux was the shipping was $10 for just about any size order, big or small, so I talked my small group gals into joining me and share the cost. It would still be a lot cheaper than PB without splitting the cost, but it's a fun activity, so why not?

Next up, moss. Found sheets of it at JoAnn's with webbed backing. Perfect. Used a coupon (40% or 50% off). I bought the largest sheet they have and it would make 3, maybe 4 letters, depending on the shape and size.

The other items are pretty self explanatory. Burlap, brown paint, staple gun, glue gun, scissors.

The letters come unfinished, and even though I got the outdoor letters, I decided to go ahead and prime and paint the edge. Having done it, I highly recommend it. It doesn't take long and the finished product looks more finished. So prime and paint the edges dark brown or black. I mixed the two since all I had was light brown. Don't worry if you get it all over the face of the letter. One side will be covered, the other side facing the door. Please note, in the picture you may notice I painted one entire side. I had some extra paint and thought it would look nice. Then I realized that was a mistake, as the paint would likely transfer to the front door. Tsk tsk. So that side got the moss. ::shrug::

Once the letter is dry, lay it on the mesh side of your moss and trace with a marker. If your letter has a correct direction, make sure you lay it down the right direction! Cut along the line (you can trim excess later if needed).

Now just glue the two pieces together. I laid mine out first and then pulled it down to just above the middle, applying glue 2-3 inches at a time, stretching the entire sheet back down to line it up again, then pressing it down. Once I got the top half of the letter done, I did the middle and then continued down the letter. Do it however you want, but check your alignment often.

Last, the burlap. I cut two strips 6" wide and a yard long, but I think I'd go with 4" strips the next time. Fold in half and attach to the top of you letter at the appropriate places. Then tie a bow. It took me a few tries to get it to look how I wanted and to get it in the right position, so make sure you have plenty of length to work with. The length will also depend on where you are hanging it, so you'll just have to play with it. I also ended up adding a twist tie threaded through the burlap in back to hang it on a nail.

And voila, the finished product! I'm pleased - and the total cost is right at $13. Take that PB! Let me know if you make one or if you have other questions.