Create scrabble art

Repurpose some old Scrabble tiles and picture frames together to create cute and colourful word art.

Resene upcycling for good with Sarah Herring - Project 53

Scrabble art
Finished project

You will need

Old set of Scrabble tiles, assorted wooden photo frames, testpot brushes, a small piece of sandpaper, scissors, ruler and clear-drying strong hold glue
Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat
Resene testpots in your choice of colours, Sarah used Resene Paper Doll, Resene Soothe and Resene Ebb
Resene wallpaper samples in your choice of designs, Sarah used Resene Wallpaper Collection 219281 and LL-03-05-8

Before

Finished project

Instructions

How to create word art using scrabble tiles:

Top tip: For something a little different, paint the edges of your Scrabble tiles in Resene White and Resene FX Nightlight for a subtle glow in the dark effect at night.

Step one
Take your frames apart and carefully discard the glass. You could save the glass and use for a separate project if you wish.

Step one contd.
Give the frames a light sand and then apply one coat of Resene Quick Dry primer to both the frames and the backing boards. Leave to dry.

Step two
Using your selection of testpot colours, paint the frames and the backing boards. Sarah chose three shades of pink because

I was going for a feminine theme for this project: Resene Paper Doll, Resene Soothe and Resene Ebb.

Step two contd.
Apply at least two coats of colour with a testpot brush, waiting for each coat to dry completely before adding another.

Step three
To add extra texture and depth to your frame art, add complementary wallpaper samples. Sarah chose two frames that would best suit the samples and cut, glued and fit wallpaper pieces down onto each backing board.

Step three contd.
Alternatively, you might like to cut shapes from the wallpaper, or just glue over part of the backing board so as not to hide the paint colour. Wait for the glue to dry before putting the backing boards back in their frames.

Step four
While the glue is drying, you can select your Scrabble tile phrases. Sarah chose a bunch of empowering slogans that would look cute on a little girl’s wall, but you could choose anything you like! Famous quotes, humorous words, popular slang, names of family members to personalise a room… so long as you have enough Scrabble tiles to spell it of course!

Step five
Measure and position your tiles within their frames and glue them down to the backing boards using clear-drying glue (the stronger the better for holding the tiles on). You could use a hot glue gun but I found strong PVA was fine. Make sure you wait until they are completely dry before hanging.

Upcycling for Good

You can find a huge range of treasures, from ornaments and picture frames, to furniture and toys at your local Salvation Army store that you can easily upcycle with a little Resene paint and some imagination.

"Our Family Stores are full of treasures generously donated by members of the public. We value these donations and try our hardest to re-purpose and sell as much as possible. We’re all about re-using and recycling, so teaming up with Resene on Upcycling for Good was a perfect match. Resene’s products and tips are a natural fit with our pre-loved furniture and accessories, which are usually great quality but could sometimes do with a lick of paint to ensure they fly off the shelves.

Each year, nationally, our stores save 16,000 tonnes from landfill. This initiative increases the value of the donated product, improves the range of goods for our customers, and furthers The Salvation Army’s mission and Resene’s community activity.” Gareth Marshall, The Salvation Army's National Family Store Manager.

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