The Family Room re-do: Decoupaged large chipboard letters

Even though the new aqua paint in my family room has been dry for a few weeks, I'm still working on putting the finishing touches on the room. This week I got things back up on the walls, and one of the projects I did was something I intended to do a long time ago, but now I'm glad I waited.

I purchased these large chipboard letters at Hobby Lobby over a year ago, and always intended to paint them or cover them with maps or old book pages or sheet music or some other type of ephemera. I never could decide exactly what I wanted, however, so I've left them raw all this time.

Inspiration finally struck in the form of a thrifted piece of fabric that I had purchased a long time ago and tucked away in a drawer. I rediscovered it last week and realized that it is perfect for my new family room! I had originally planned to use it in my front room but now that I have aqua walls instead of navy, I can use it in my family room. It's perfect for bringing in the brown and blue colors of my new rug, and brings in the red so I won't have to change my red window valances.

I picked four coordinating sheets of paper from my scrapbook stash and decoupaged the paper onto the chipboard letters--easy as pie! I used a sanding block on the edges to remove the excess paper and to give a nice little distressed edge. If I did letters like this again I'd do that part before putting on the top coat of decoupage medium--it would have required a lot less sanding!

I even had enough scraps left over that to make a little matching pennant banner to hang on the vintage chalkboard that hangs on another wall of the room. I simply cut out triangles and glued them to a piece of red and white baker's twine.

I'm happy with the way the letters look and for another way to bring the red & green into the rest of the room. I'm hoping to get started on sewing some new pillows this weekend. I think I have enough of that fabric to make two pillows if I use a coordinating color for the backs. I'm so close to being done--hopefully I can show you all a Before & After post next week!

Do you have any DIY plans for the long weekend?