How to make the most beautiful letter templates at home

Craftsmanship and decoration are two subjects that usually go together. The handmade decoration (handmade) is gaining space, because in addition to 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 fully adapted to your personal taste.

Typographic decoration (made with letters) is a cheap, easy and super cool handmade option, it can be used in the form of signs to decorate rooms, parties or scenarios, or as a patch appliqué (applications for fabric), on towels, napkins and even t-shirts.

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

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

The ideal fonts to make letter templates

Before learning how to produce and cut your molds, you need to choose the type of mold that will be used. Check out some options for templates with neutral and simple fonts 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 links highlighted in the caption of each image.

4 practical tips to make cutting letters easier

Cutting out the letters that will serve as the template with precision is essential to obtain good templates and a quality final work. So here are some tips to help you with this step of production:

1. Choose a good cutting instrument: there are cutting machines that generate cuts more quickly in the production process, however it is possible to obtain equally accurate cuts even without having one.

The pattern can also be cut (in order of preference), using guillotines, stilettos and a 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 straight and wide. Round fonts are always more laborious and time-consuming to cut, as the paper cannot wrinkle or bend,” the 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 supported and make a cut without many interruptions, in order to avoid cracks or the “perforated” effect.

4. Carry out the cut on a flat and fixed surface: keeping your hands supported makes the cut more firm, which, as we have seen, contributes to better mold results. Try to make the cuts on a table, bench or other surface that is fixed and straight.

Remember to protect the space if you are using a utility knife while cutting so that it is not damaged by the action of the blade.

The best papers to use in letter templates

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

“Give preference for papers of 180g or heavier weight, they make the letters firmer. It is also important to invest in already colored papers. The finish gets better.”, guides the duo. Check out which papers can be used to produce the letter templates and what are the advantages and average price of each one.

Cardboard

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

Holler paper

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

Average price: R$3.00.

Paraná paper

It also looks like a cardboard, the difference is in the texture and thickness of the sheet. The advantage of paraná paper in relation to 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: R$4.30.

Cork paper

Also known as cork paper, cork paper has the appearance of a thinner and more malleable wood, which is why it is more expensive than the others. It is a good choice for 3D decorative letter mold. The difficulty lies in cutting it, as it must be done with a ruler and a stylus so that the paper does not have perforations and/or tears.

Average price: R$12.50.

EVE

Sold in sheets, EVA is a good paper for creating patterns due to its malleability, which facilitates cutting, and its greater thickness (which facilitates marking of new patterns. In addition, it is possible to find it in a wide variety of colors.

Average price: R$2.20.

Videos: how to make decorative letters step by step

In the following tutorials, the artisans on Youtube show you how you can make decorative letters in several different ways, check it out:

3D decorative letters

Decorative lettering made with toothpaste box

3D letters made with EVA mold and toilet paper rolls

Cardboard luminous letters and flasher

Now just choose the type of decorative font you want to make, get inspired and get to work with a lot of whim and creativity!

Crafts made with letter molds

Check out some applications of the molds and get inspired to create amazing crafts through the molds.