To start with, I decided to paint the letter, using the smallest paint brush I could find - not on purpose, it was just the only one immediately available! Poster paint is nice and thick, but paper mâché is very absorbent, and with my little paint brush, I had to do several coats before I started to get the matte white effect I was after. Next time, I will use a bigger brush and, perhaps, get a little pot of enamel paint.
The linen ribbon was frayed along the edges, so I trimmed it a little and then applied PVA glue to the letter in three long lines, sticking down the ribbon as I went along. PVA glue sticks well ... But .... It shows through fabric, so if you use it, be prepared for some creative covering up!
As you can see, as I worked, my black and white plan became pink, with black and white! A sort of pretty candy effect.
I found that these paper mâché letters are filled with something (sounds like sand) to weigh them down and help them
to stand. With the weight of the buttons on the front, I wasn't sure that the letter would stand, so I added a little ring (used for hooking the central wire cords for net curtains) that I screwed into the top through the ribbon, and then glued and surrounded with well glued buttons. A deep burgundy ribbon, edged in gold, finished it off so my friend could hang the letter if it didn't balance (I put buttons on the bottom, so it probably won't!)
She was delghted with the end result -
