Hand lettering: Make artistic lettering yourself

Hand lettering is the term for elaborate labeling by hand. With a few simple steps, your own text and your artistic handwriting, you can create magical boards for your home.

The latest trend is decoratively decorated texts on self-made greeting cards, framed on the wall or as window dressing. These sayings, often written in decorative script, seem to be the work of artists, but far from it! You really don't have to be a Picasso, because you can too! Hand lettering, the artistic labeling by hand, is a creative activity for everyone. All you need is a suitable text, your creativity (or a good template) and the right material.

Hand lettering as a decorative trend

Hand lettering focuses on artistically drawn letters, but the design is completely up to you. You decide how the letters should look and how elaborate you want to decorate the board. Chalk markers (from edding, for example) are very helpful for hand lettering, because the liquid chalk in the handy pens not only makes writing easy, but usually also removes them. For this you should make sure that you only work with the chalk markers on a closed surface. If a spelling mistake creeps in or you don't like the motif, everything can be corrected in no time with a damp cloth on closed surfaces!

We need:

• A medium density fibreboard (MDF)
• Permanent spray universal primer, for example from edding
• Permanent spray, deep black matt, for example from eddding
• Chalk marker, white, for example edding 4095
• A large base to protect the work area from splashes
• Masking tape
• Absorbent paper

Step-by-step instructions for hand lettering:

Spray the board.

Photo: edding 1. Pick a nice saying or look for a quote on the Internet. In our example, we chose the saying "Home is where your heart is".

2. Buy an MDF board in a format that you like.

3. The best way to spray the board with permanent spray is to find an outdoor job. Cover everything well with paper or some other pad to avoid unwanted stains.

4. For an optimal result, we recommend pretreating the MDF board with the universal primer. The edding permanent spray universal primer is suitable for almost all materials, including MDF.

5. Shake the edding permanent spray well and spray the tablet evenly covering black. To do this, move your arm back and forth in calm movements. This is the best way to dose the spray jet and you can easily get a perfect result.

6. Let the board dry well.

Label the board.

Photo: edding

7. When the board is dry, you can start drawing.

8. First activate and test the chalk marker as described by the manufacturer.

9. Auxiliary lines made of masking tape make it easier to write on. Attach the lines as you like and remove them later. Or include them as an ornament in the overall composition.

10. Now you can start with the actual labeling. First try the writing style on paper. When a word is as successful as you want it to be, transfer it to the board. Write the letters one by one on the board and leave a suitable space between them to achieve a balanced overall picture.

11. Would you like letters with shadows or with tendrils and garlands? Start with just the letters and gradually add more lines and flourishes. So you can perfect the overall picture step by step.

12. And don't be afraid of mistakes. With a damp cloth you can wipe your creations from closed surfaces at any time. Practice creates masters!

13. Are all the letters in their place but you are still not completely satisfied? Add small drawings or embellishments to make your picture even more expressive.

This is how the decorated table can look.

Photo: edding