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April 19, 2024
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How to make the most beautiful letter molds at home

Crafts and decoration are two subjects that usually go together. The handmade decoration is gaining space, because besides being more economical it brings a special charm to the pieces. Not to mention that if the decorative item is made by you it will be totally adapted to your personal taste.

Typographic decoration (made with letters) is a cheap, easy and super nice handmade option, can be used in the form of signs to decorate rooms, parties or backdrops, or as a patch (cloth applications), in towels, napkins and even t-shirts.

However, to make these pieces we must first produce the molds for the letters, which serve to standardize their size and shape. There are a wide variety of fonts and sizes to create the molds, which will determine which font is best to use for the occasion and the desired effect.

Learn here how to choose the best paper to make letter molds and check out the tips of Cynthia Nogueira and Wilham Fernando, artisans and creators of Mundo Decor Festas store, to cut the letters correctly and create their molds without leaving home.

The ideal fonts for making letter molds

Before learning how to produce and cut your molds you need to choose the type of mold that will be used. Check out some of the neutral and simple font molding options to use in different types of crafts and cut out the letters easily. You can download both fonts and ready-made templates by clicking on the highlighted links in the caption of each image.

Read also: Decoupage: Learn how to apply this craft technique

4 practical tips for easy letter cutting

Cutting out the letters that will serve as a mold accurately is essential for good molding and quality final work. So here are some tips to help you with this stage of production:

1. Choose a good cutting instrument: There are cutting machines that make cuts faster in the production process, however it is possible to achieve equally accurate cuts even without one.

The mold can also be trimmed (in order of preference) by means of guillotines, stylus and ruler or scissors. Paying attention in all cases to the quality and sharpness of the cutting blades. And don't forget to be careful not to get hurt.

2. Choose a font with simple strokes: The best style is the straight and wide ones. Round fonts are always more laborious and time consuming to cut, as the paper cannot crumple or bend, experts explain.

3. Keep your hands steady and a constant cut: Firmness in the hands is important for the quality of the cut, try to keep them flat and make a cut without too many interruptions to avoid cracking or the "perforated" effect.

Read also: Patch Applique: A Creative and Easy Way to Customize Your Objects

4. Make the cut on a flat, fixed surface: Keeping your hands flat gives the cut more firmness, which as we have seen contributes to better mold results. Try to make the cutouts on a table, bench, or other surface that is fixed and straight.

Remember to protect the space if you are using a stylus while cutting so it will not be damaged by the action of the blade.

The best papers to use in letter molds

According to Cynthia and Wilham, the most suitable papers to use in making the mold are those with a weight of 180g or more, the thicker paper is important to form firmer and more durable molds.

• Give preference to papers of 180g or larger weight, make the letters firmer. It is also important to invest in already colored papers. The finish is better.?, Guides the pair. Check out which papers can be used to produce the letter molds and what the advantages and the average price of each one.

Cardboard

Cardboard is well known and can be obtained by reusing shoe boxes, which are made of a thinner cardboard than that found in product storage and shipping boxes. Produces firm molds and preferably in a font without many curves.

Read also: Decorative letters: more personality and charm for your home

Holler paper

Similar to the cardboard, but thinner and more malleable (depending on the thickness), it requires a little force when cutting and ideally use a guillotine to not leave any left over.

Average price: $ 3.00.

Paraná paper

It also looks like cardboard, the difference is in the texture and thickness of the sheet. The advantage of paraná paper over holler paper is that it has a faster and more efficient absorption of glues.It is sold in large pieces which increases the cost-effectiveness of this paper.

Average price: $ 4.30.

Cork paper

Also known as cork paper, cork paper has the appearance of a thinner and more malleable wood, so it is more expensive than others. It is a good choice for 3D decorative letters molding. The difficulty is to cut it, because it must be made with ruler and stylus so that the paper does not have shreds and / or tears.

Average price: $ 12.50.

EVE

Sold in sheets, EVA is a good role for creating molds because of its malleability, which facilitates cutting, and its thicker thickness (which facilitates marking of new molds. In addition, it can be found in a wide variety of colors.

Average price: $ 2.20.