DIY Faux Metal Letters, Easy 5-minute Craft

Turn paper mache (papier-mâché) letters into aged gold letters in under five minutes with this DIY Faux Metal Letters Craft. I wanted a gold X and O for my Valentine’s decor, but could not find what I was looking for. Yet, I realized paper mache letters are readily available at craft stores and even Target (where I got the 7″ X and O). However, just using regular metallic paint was not going to give me the look I wanted… but I knew what would!

Have you heard of Liquid Leaf? I first used it when I made DIY Gold Foil Easter Eggs. It’s a premium gilding paint that gives you the look of gold leaf, but you don’t have to use glue and sheets of gold—a process that is both time-consuming and messy. You can apply the liquid gold leaf lightly for a textured, aged finish (like I did here) or apply a solid finish. And while it is hard to capture the shine in pictures, the results are much shinier than regular metallic craft paint. Just be sure to use in a well-ventilated area because it is highly toxic and has a strong smell.

Materials

• Paper mache letter (I found my 7″ letters for $2.50 each at Target, you can also find letters at Michaels, Joann Fabrics, Hobby Lobby)
• Liquid Leaf in gold (or color of your choice)
• Paint Brush (for an aged finish, use a bristle brush)
• Fine sandpaper (optional, only if you want to create an aged finish)

Instructions

Working in a well-ventilated area, paint your letter using the liquid leaf. You can create an aged-metal finish (seen in the pictures) or solid-metal finish. Below are instructions for both finishes.

For an aged-metal finish, use a bristle paint brush and apply lightly so that spots of the brown paper mache come through. Do not use a sponge brush because it will be harder to get variations in your brush strokes. Once you’re happy with your coverage and the liquid leaf drys lightly sand in spots to further age the letter. Note, the liquid leaf drys quickly (almost as soon as it is applied) so you don’t have to wait long to sand.

Note: before starting an aged-metal finish, if your paper mache letter isn’t a light brown, be sure to paint it first using a light brown matte craft paint. Or if you are doing a silver letter, paint your letter a light grey matte craft paint

For a solid-metal finish, just cover the entire letter without any variation in your brush strokes. You can use a sponge brush or bristle brush.

That’s it! It’s really that easy. I finished both the X and O in under five minutes while even taking pictures. And I’m honestly blown away by the results. I’m even thinking I should sell these because I believe others would be blown away too. I still look at them in awe that it’s just paper and fancy paint.

Don’t the faux gold letters look perfect flanking my DIY Floral Heart Wreath? I honestly don’t know which project I love more, the letters or the wreath. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Happy crafting!