The Luckiest

I love typographic decor, from 3D letters to Helvetica prints to letterpress pieces. When I spotted a wire word wrapped in yarn over on Family Chic, I immediately knew I’d have to try it. We can only have so many J’s and G’s decorating our house, after all! This Christmas, I finally had the word, the time and the occasion.

I chose “Luckiest” because Greg and I danced our first dance to Ben Folds’ The Luckiest. Perhaps it would have been a better as an anniversary gift, but oh well. Now we can enjoy it five months sooner! A similarly meaningful word would make a great Valentine’s gift.

Supplies:
14 gauge primary wire*
Thick yarn
Hot glue

* I basically bought the thickest flexible wire I could find. The original directions called for wire-reinforced clothesline, but I couldn’t find that at our home improvement stores.

1. Firmly bend the wire into cursive letters just as you would write them. Some of the letters won’t hold their shape until the yarn is added.

When you need to double back with the wire, for example, at the top of the “c”, put the second layer of wire behind rather than next to the first. This keeps the letters from getting too wide.

2. Trim wire.

3. Cut a piece of yarn 18-20″ long. Don’t use a strand that’s too long, or it will be difficult to wrap through loops. I learned this the hard way!

4. Start by holding the yarn end in place about an inch from the end of the wire. Begin wrapping at the end of the wire and continue all the way down, covering up the end of the yarn.

Use this technique whenever you need to start a new strand of yarn, as well. Leave about an inch of the old piece unwrapped and add an inch of the new piece of yarn, then wrap over them both.

5. Wrap criss-cross at the joints to secure the two strands of wire together and hold the shape of the letter.

6. At the very end, attach the yarn to the back of the end with a dab of hot glue.

7. Trim any excess yarn.

8. Hang your lovely word with a few small nails!