L.O.V.E. letter... tiles

way back in 2009, i had a wild idea to make a supersized version of wood Scrabble tiles.
i made them - a LOT of them, actually - and sold them (a LOT of them!) for several years.
at that point, no one else was making them or sharing them online.
a few years later, in 2013, i shared them here on the homewardFOUND blog.

since this is the season for putting our hearts on our sleeves, (or, erm, walls?!)
i thought i'd share my super easy tutorial again!

continue reading for a very easy DIY project that you're sure to L.O.V.E.!

supplies: 

a piece of wood (details below)

sandpaper (fine grit)

sanding sealer spray

a black Sharpie fine point marker

clear varnish spray

please READ THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE PHOTOS

and then the notes under the photos...

 a 6 foot board yields 14 letter tiles

if you want to have a LOT of letters, grab two boards - or a longer length.

quick note:

yes, you CAN use reclaimed lumber, pallets, old flooring, old fencing, 

or whatever you want to use to make your letter tiles!

i recommend finish grade vertical grain douglas fir for the best 
'just like the game pieces' look.

and yes, the guys in the lumber department at Lowes & Home Depot WILL cut it for you!

all you have to do is ask them to, and give them the 5" measurement. 

[you may be charged 50 cents per cut, but hey, it saves you the work!]

 sand the edges FIRST, then the tops - the tops look better that way.

then spray the sealer on the side that you will be lettering, and let dry.

[you can seal the whole thing if you want, 
but it's only necessary to keep the Sharpie marker ink from bleeding into the woodgrain.]

figure out what words you want your letters to spell out, 

and add a letter to each tile using the black Sharpie marker.

 a straight ruler and a smooth curved jar lid will help keep your lettering crisp.
yes, you CAN use stencils if you'd like - or even cut out letters on your Cricut!!

need ideas for words?
i've used seasonal names (winter, spring, summer, fall)
season-specific words (love, nest, snow, merry, joy)
encouraging words (faith, family, believe, home)
and even created sets of letters with family last names as gifts!

seriously, let the marker dry - if you don't, it will run when you spray the varnish on!

let the varnish dry 30 minutes, then flip & spray the back. spray the edges, too.

let dry at least an hour in a warm place to 'cure' the varnish before you use them - 
especially if you're using them outdoors or as coasters / trivets.

now you have letters to make a sign with, or a trivet, or coasters.
you can adhere hooks to the back and hang them on a wall.

or find a piece of genuine vintage wood rain gutter to display them in!

(because the wood gutter is like a giant version of the wood base 

that holds letter tiles in that famous game ;) )

*note that there are no numbers on my versions. 

they are not called giant Scrabble tiles - this product is 'inspired by', not a copy.

if you wish to add the numbers to your tiles, feel free. 

i'm leaving it off of my versions to prevent any misunderstanding regarding copyright infringement.*

this tutorial originally appeared here on homewardFOUND in 2013.