New Inlay Alpha Technique Tutorial

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Have you been searching for a super handy technique that can be used for anything under the sun: wedding decor, baby shower gifts, home decor and more? If the answer is yes, we have a treat for you! Our paint inlays add the sweetest touch to any typography/alpha project, and we are so excited to show you this new inlay technique to add it to your repertoire.

For this tutorial, we used this new technique on a sign I made for little Willow. There were a couple things I felt were missing in her nursery, but this sign really was one of the finishing touches that brought it all together!

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED FOR THIS TUTORIAL:

Need to grab some products to follow along with us? Get connected with a stockist near you so you can make one (or more) scrumptious signs with this technique!!

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR OUR WILLOW SIGN USING THE INLAY ALPHA TECHNIQUE:

If you’d like to prep your board before you start, we recommend getting a fine sanding block and knocking it down a notch to give it more texture so the chalk paint grips it nicely. Totally optional, and no sealer necessary before you start. You can go all natural with this technique! 😊

STEP 1: Prepare your inlay sheet.

Cut out your inlay pieces ahead of time for each of your letters and set them aside. Depending on the inlay you use, you can also do the whole word at once and cut a longer strip of your inlay if you’re short on time (instead of cutting for each individual letter).

A few things to keep in mind:

  • With this particular technique, you want to make sure the inlay you choose is compact enough so that you’ll be able to tell what it is within the letter/small space.
  • Place your alpha stamps on a thin mount and hover them over your inlay to see which sections you want and where the pattern falls on each letter.

STEP 2: Stamp your letters.

Squeeze out some paint onto an extra thin mount and load up your brayer with your paint. Make sure to use the same paint you’ll be using to fill in your letters (we’re using a blue color that creates a delicious cottage look with our Rose Chintz Inlay).

Then go across the surface of your stamp with your brayer, place the stamp on your board and firmly press on the stamp so the paint makes good contact with the board (once it’s down, commit and don’t shift).

STEP 3: Fill in your letters with paint.

Take a one inch paint brush and fill in each letter. Be mindful of dry time because you want the paint to be wet when you place your inlay on it (it’s not too difficult as long as there isn’t much air movement and it’s not super hot).

STEP 4: Lay your inlay down on your letters and use a damp sponge or cloth to wet it.

For this technique, use a damp sponge and some nice gentle pressure to wet the inlay. We don’t want to go in hard with the sponge and have the inlay get squished or else it may go slightly outside of the letters.

STEP 5: Let the inlay dry. When it’s returned to being more opaque, re-dampen the inlay with the sponge and carefully remove it!

TIP: If you’d like your inlay to dry faster, you can blow dry with any blow dryer you have on hand (just keep it on the cool or warm setting).

Want to make your sign pop even more? Once the inlays are removed, go back in with your stamps and add a contrasting colored border around your letters! We used white to give it that extra umph (take a peek at it below)!

STEP 6: Seal your sign.

Last but not least grab some sealer, seal your sign and say hello to your new favorite piece of decor (or gift you’ve made)!!

SOME DARLING PROJECTS YOU CAN MAKE WITH THIS TECHNIQUE:

  • Baby Name Sign for Your Babe or as a Shower Gift
  • Wedding Welcome Sign for your Ceremony and Reception
  • Home Decor Sign with Your Family’s Last Name
  • Seasonal Merry Christmas Decor Sign (stay tuned for our Fall/Winter release coming soon!!)

We hope you are thoroughly inspired, equipped and ready to dig into some inlay projects!! Want to make sure you never skip a beat when we come out with new techniques and tutorials? Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

What type of sign are you inspired to make with this new technique? Tell us in the comments!

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New Inlay Alpha Technique Tutorial

New Inlay Alpha Technique Tutorial

No time to read? Pin this post for later.

Have you been searching for a super handy technique that can be used for anything under the sun: wedding decor, baby shower gifts, home decor and more? If the answer is yes, we have a treat for you! Our paint inlays add the sweetest touch to any typography/alpha project, and we are so excited to show you this new inlay technique to add it to your repertoire.

For this tutorial, we used this new technique on a sign I made for little Willow. There were a couple things I felt were missing in her nursery, but this sign really was one of the finishing touches that brought it all together!

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED FOR THIS TUTORIAL:

Need to grab some products to follow along with us? Get connected with a stockist near you so you can make one (or more) scrumptious signs with this technique!!

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS FOR OUR WILLOW SIGN USING THE INLAY ALPHA TECHNIQUE:

If you’d like to prep your board before you start, we recommend getting a fine sanding block and knocking it down a notch to give it more texture so the chalk paint grips it nicely. Totally optional, and no sealer necessary before you start. You can go all natural with this technique! 😊

STEP 1: Prepare your inlay sheet.

Cut out your inlay pieces ahead of time for each of your letters and set them aside. Depending on the inlay you use, you can also do the whole word at once and cut a longer strip of your inlay if you’re short on time (instead of cutting for each individual letter).

A few things to keep in mind:

  • With this particular technique, you want to make sure the inlay you choose is compact enough so that you’ll be able to tell what it is within the letter/small space.
  • Place your alpha stamps on a thin mount and hover them over your inlay to see which sections you want and where the pattern falls on each letter.

STEP 2: Stamp your letters.

Squeeze out some paint onto an extra thin mount and load up your brayer with your paint. Make sure to use the same paint you’ll be using to fill in your letters (we’re using a blue color that creates a delicious cottage look with our Rose Chintz Inlay).

Then go across the surface of your stamp with your brayer, place the stamp on your board and firmly press on the stamp so the paint makes good contact with the board (once it’s down, commit and don’t shift).

STEP 3: Fill in your letters with paint.

Take a one inch paint brush and fill in each letter. Be mindful of dry time because you want the paint to be wet when you place your inlay on it (it’s not too difficult as long as there isn’t much air movement and it’s not super hot).

STEP 4: Lay your inlay down on your letters and use a damp sponge or cloth to wet it.

For this technique, use a damp sponge and some nice gentle pressure to wet the inlay. We don’t want to go in hard with the sponge and have the inlay get squished or else it may go slightly outside of the letters.

STEP 5: Let the inlay dry. When it’s returned to being more opaque, re-dampen the inlay with the sponge and carefully remove it!

TIP: If you’d like your inlay to dry faster, you can blow dry with any blow dryer you have on hand (just keep it on the cool or warm setting).

Want to make your sign pop even more? Once the inlays are removed, go back in with your stamps and add a contrasting colored border around your letters! We used white to give it that extra umph (take a peek at it below)!

STEP 6: Seal your sign.

Last but not least grab some sealer, seal your sign and say hello to your new favorite piece of decor (or gift you’ve made)!!

SOME DARLING PROJECTS YOU CAN MAKE WITH THIS TECHNIQUE:

  • Baby Name Sign for Your Babe or as a Shower Gift
  • Wedding Welcome Sign for your Ceremony and Reception
  • Home Decor Sign with Your Family’s Last Name
  • Seasonal Merry Christmas Decor Sign (stay tuned for our Fall/Winter release coming soon!!)

We hope you are thoroughly inspired, equipped and ready to dig into some inlay projects!! Want to make sure you never skip a beat when we come out with new techniques and tutorials? Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

What type of sign are you inspired to make with this new technique? Tell us in the comments!

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