DIY Wood Cut Out Name Plaque

Given a little advance warning you can easily make a personalized gift for any occassion.  I recently went to a dinner party and rather than bring the typical bottle of wine I made a wood cut out name plaque for the family.  Of course I’d be happy to receive a bottle wine, that’s perfectly acceptable, but I prefer to make a unique gift.

I used scrap wood to put together this last name plaque and cut out the letters from 1/2″ plywood but you could easily purchase premade letters and achieve a similar look.

I just love seeing the plywood sandwich layers under the stain and all the grainy bits poking through.

This wood cut out name plaque is similar to the wood cut out valentine decor I shared a few weeks back.  First decide which font and size you want the lettering.  Print out the letters (use an outline for less ink waste).

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Step 1: Use spray adhesive on the back of each letter and apply to 1/2″ plywood scraps.

Step 2: Cut out each letter using a jig saw, band saw, bladerunner or scroll saw.  I prefer the bladerunner for the straight cuts.

Step 3: Then I use the scroll saw for the curvy cuts.  It takes some pratice to get the letters perfect but it’s worth it because the possibilities are endless!

Step 4: Once the letters are cut out remove the paper and sand smooth.

Step 5: For this last name plaque I opted to stain the letters and shared a peek on Instagram.

Step 6: To make the frame paint the background wood white.  Cut 1×2 trim to fit and paint before assembly.

Step 7: Attach the frame edges using wood glue and 1 1/4″ finish nails.  Then adhere the letters to the background board using wood glue.  I use a small paintbrush to smooth the glue over the entire back of each letter then press firmly in place.

For this ‘Alexa’ name plaque I used decopauge to adhere fabric to the letters.  This name plaque was for a young girl for her birthday so I thought it was more fun to add the colorful fabric.

The stained letters are more subtle but still make a beautiful finished piece and truly unique.

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