Guest Post- Cute Family Name Stacker

Hi!  I’m Briana from the blog, Sweet Peas and
Bumblebees!  I’m a wife to a wonderful man, mom to 2 adorable
little ones, full-time teacher, crafter {when I can find time}, and
newbie blogger.  While I’ve been crafting for as long as I can
remember, I’ve just recently started blogging about it.  I’m
seriously loving sharing my crafting ideas and have a list of
crafts I want to complete a mile long!

My twin sister and I (I’m the one on the right!) both share our craft
tutorials and recipes on our blog.  I hope
you’ll stop by sometime to find some inspiration!

I am SO thrilled and honored to be a guest posting over here at Craft-O-Maniac!!!!
Thank you so much Jen!!

Family Name Stacker

First you’ll need to get a 2x4.  The biggest reason I love this
project is because of the price…if you don’t have a 2x4 lying around
your garage they are so inexpensive to buy! 

Cut your blocks into the following lengths:

First Letter of last name - 8”

Last portion of last name - 8”

Established date - 6”

Then, using an electric sander, sand the edges until they are rounded
and smoothed.  {You could definitely do it by hand if you’re so
inclined!}

Now for the paint!  I decided to start by painting my sanded
blocks brown, knowing that the majority of the front surface would be
covered with scrapbook paper.  {And, I finally found a use for
those frequently purchased diaper boxes! =) }

After the paint has dried completely it’s time for Mod Podge!!
{I heart you Mod Podge!!!} 

Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the front of the block and smooth
down your coordinating paper precut to the dimensions of the front of
the block.

I don’t wait for the first layer of Mod Podge to dry, I immediately
coat the top of the scrapbook paper with another thick layer of Mod
Podge.  {Pretty sure I’m not following the Mod Podge directions
but it all turns out okay!}  I like to see the brush strokes, so
I add quite a bit!  Using an old credit card, or something
similar, smooth out any excess bubbles.  As it is drying, it will
seem to bubble slightly.  **Don’t stress…they seem to flatten out
as it dries!**

I like the rustic look, so using sand paper, I roughed up the edges
and took some of the paint off of the edges.  Now it’s time for
the vinyl!  Using my Sure Cuts A Lot 2 software and my favorite
font, Larger
Mine, I cut out the letters using my Cricut.  {What did I
ever do without you Sure Cuts A Lot!?!?!  SO much easier!}
I apologize, but I don’t have any pictures of this step.

Now stack your blocks and you’re finished! 

Thanks again Jen for having me!

Stop by Sweet Peas
and Bumblebees anytime!

LOVE THIS cute fun project, thanks a bunch Briana for sharing it with us. Winks- jen