DIY Cork Monogram

I peruse stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby and websites like Zulilly and proclaim with nearly everything I see: “I could make that…and a lot cheaper!” But then I never do it. “Enough!” I said after seeing both a wreath with a wine cork monogram online and stand alone burlap monograms at the store.

I did however need a ‘little’ help from Michaels and Dollar Tree, to make my own Cork Monogram.

DIY CORK MONOGRAM

I purchased an 8″ Recollections™ Craft It™ Canvas Letter as well as a pad of DCWV Patterned Cork from Michaels. Then I bought a pack of 300 ‘gold’ thumbtacks from Dollar Tree. I also used some Modge Podge and Folk Art Metallic Solid Bronze acrylic paint (which we used on our upcycled bathroom light fixture) and Delta Black Pearl acrylic paint, that I already had at home.

I originally started with just the bronze paint on the thumbtacks, but wasn’t happy with the coloring of it. So then after they dried I streaked them through with the black pearl paint. We are changing all of our finishes to the oil rubbed bronze look so adding the black paint made it look more rustic and less polished, which is the look I was going for.

In the meantime I chose one of the cork ‘papers’ (again I used one with black to match our home finishes), took the canvas letter (which I believe is wood under the canvas), and on the back side of the cork, placed the letter face down and traced around it with a pen. I worked from the straight edge outward so that I had one less straight line to keep…well straight!

Then I cut the letter out.

I Modge Podged the back of the letter and placed it on the canvas letter.

Then I adhered the thumbtacks about an inch apart around the edge of the letter.

I had trouble pressing in a few of them, probably due to the angle and the wood base underneath, but I managed (although admittedly I have sore thumbs now, lol!)

I placed it on our fireplace mantle to replace the Wrapped Jar I had up there for Valentine’s Day. I really like the way it turned out.

The total cost to me figuring out what I bought for actual materials used, discounts and tax, not including supplies I already had at home:
Canvas Letter – $3.60
Printed Cork – $0.40
Thumbtacks – $0.09
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$4.09

Happy Crafting!