Cut up a coffee filter & add flair to your home with ease

Decorating a living space is best done with plenty of personalized attention to detail. Being able to be completely comfortable at home often begins with setting an aesthetic that speaks to a customized sense of style. A whimsical way to put a personal stamp on interior design is to incorporate a monogram letter into the overall look. This pays homage to a family name while also working as a wonderful conversation starter.
Although one can buy finished monogram letters, this DIY project turns simple coffee filters into just the right surface covering to bring a paper mache letter to life. Cutting coffee filters into fringe and strategically adding them to the letter creates texture and style to the final look. Place the finished monogram letter anywhere in the home, whether on an entryway shelf or as a centerpiece on the dining room table.
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Materials
- 12 bleached coffee filters, or as many as are needed to cover the letter
- Scissors
- 6 unbleached coffee filters, or as many as are needed to cover the letter
- Paper mache letter
- Hot glue gun with glue stick
DIY Everywhere
Instructions
1. Fold a bleached coffee filter in half.
2. Cut the rounded edges off on both sides to create two flat edges.
3. Trim away the top rounded edge of the filter to create a long straight edge.
4. Cut the coffee filter rectangle in half lengthwise.
5. Turn the filter so the fold is at the top, and make a series of small cuts side by side along the bottom to create short fringe.
6. Cut the fringe in half along the fold to create two identical lengths of filter fringe.
7. Repeat steps 1 through 6 with as many bleached coffee filters as are needed to cover the letter you’ll be decorating. The tutorial uses 12 coffee filters for the letter L.
8. Repeat steps 1 through 6 with as many unbleached coffee filters as you’ll need to add a bit of colorful fringe into the design. The tutorial uses 6 coffee filters in total.
9. Place the paper mache letter flat on the work surface.
10. Apply a line of hot glue along the middle of the bottom of the letter, and press a length of bleached filter fringe to secure it. The fringe should line up with the bottom of the letter and not extend past the edge.
11. Continue hot gluing bleached filter fringe around the bottom of the letter. Make sure the fringe overlaps. Trim away excess fringe at the corners as necessary.
12. Stack the second layer of fringe on top of the first so they overlap. Hot glue each length of filter fringe in place. Continue with as many layers as are needed to cover the bottom of the letter, folding down the top of the fringe so it's the right length.
13. Layer and glue unbleached lengths of filter fringe to cover the top of the base of the letter L.
14. Continue hot gluing bleached fringe lengths up the the letter. When shorter fringe is required, simply cut it or fold over the top or implement a combination of the two strategies.
15. Alternate bleached and unbleached fringe up and around the neck of the letter L.
16. Add a rectangle of bleached coffee filter at the top of the letter to finish it.
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