A craft room should feel like a reflection of the person who spends time in it, and sometimes all it takes is one small project to tip the balance from generic to genuinely personal. This fabric-wrapped letter studded with upholstery tacks was exactly that kind of project.
Supplies
- Upholstery tacks (browse the hardware store for these — there are plenty of finishes to choose from)
- Paper mache letter (available at most craft stores)
- Decorative fabric
- Mod Podge
- Elmer’s glue
- Fabric chalk
Instructions
Step 1: Wrap the Letter in Fabric
Brush a layer of Mod Podge onto the letter and press the fabric down over it, leaving enough excess around the perimeter to fold neatly onto the sides and back. At each corner, make small cuts into the fabric so it lies flat without bunching — think gift wrapping technique. Once the front is done, repeat the same process on the back.
Step 2: Clean Up the Edges
Cut a long, thin strip of fabric and wrap it around the outer rim of the letter to conceal any raw or uneven edges. Secure it with Mod Podge as you go. This one extra step makes a noticeable difference in how polished the final result looks.
Step 3: Map Out the Tack Placement
Rather than pressing tacks in freehand and hoping for the best, use fabric chalk to draw a placement line first. It keeps everything consistent and takes the guesswork out of spacing.
Step 4: Press In the Tacks
Add a small drop of Elmer’s glue to each tack before pushing it into position along the chalk guideline. If substituting another adhesive, just confirm it dries without staining or bleeding through the fabric surface.
The finished letter is bold, fun and unlike anything you would find on a store shelf. Want a closer look at the rest of the space? The full craft room tour is right here.
The Yarn Storage Situation: Finally Solved
Alongside the letter project, there has been a separate craft room win that deserves a mention. Yarn has a way of multiplying quietly until it becomes an organizational problem, and finding a storage approach that is both practical and visually appealing proved trickier than expected. That changed with one visit to TJ Maxx.
An oversized wire basket turned out to be the perfect answer. The open construction means every skein is immediately visible without any rummaging, and all those saturated, varied colors showing through the sides give the basket a warmth and vibrancy that makes it feel more like a display piece than a utility item. Genuinely did not expect a storage solution to be this enjoyable to look at.
Having everything on full display is also turning out to be surprisingly motivating. There is a Granny Tree Skirt currently underway with the deliberate goal of working through the collection before the holidays arrive. As satisfying as a well-stocked yarn basket looks, there is something even better about seeing those same skeins transformed into actual finished projects. Several more are already lined up and waiting.
(A brief note on the canine perspective: Tanner the dog is not a fan of the new arrangement. His disappointment appears to stem entirely from reduced access to yarn for chewing purposes. He remains undeterred in his ambitions.)