Chipboard Letter Sign

So I saw a couple of blogs doing the "EAT" sign, and I thought it looked great. And now the letters are finished, but...I dunno, I can't say I'm that happy with it. Maybe changing the paint color will help.

You will need:
-Chipboard letters for whatever word you want to use (I added an "s" for "EATS," though I can't remember why...)
-Paint (I used a different color for every letter, though I may repaint them all the same)
-Patterned scrapbook paper (a different one for each letter)
-Mod Podge
-Sponge brushes

Start off by flipping the letters onto the wrong side (like a mirror image) and trace them onto the back of the paper (that way, you won't draw on the pattern). Cut out the paper letters. I used papers with food-themed prints. Paint the sides of each chipboard letter a different color and let them dry. You'll want to paint a rim around the front, too, just in case the paper doesn't exactly fit.




Once the paint has dried, use the Mod Podge to attach the paper to the letters. Coat the letters completely in the Mod Podge so they will be shiny (and possibly weather-proof? Maybe?). Now, if you know me, you know that something always goes wrong for me when I'm crafting. In this case, the problem was the Mod Podge - it kept sticking to everything I set the letters on to dry! Paper towel? Big chunks of fibers stuck. Wax paper? The whole thing glued itself to the letters. Towel (by accident)? Well, you can guess. In the end, I guess the wax paper worked the best, but there's no getting around it - you'll have to spend some time picking off all the little pieces that stuck.

So the letters are finished now. The other blog suggested that you just hang them on the wall with nails, but I don't like that. I found some patterned ribbon and a metal pole to string them on, which will hopefully look good. But I've got to say, the letters look really dark. All of the colors seem to blend together in the middle...so here's what they look like, but I'm thinking of redoing some or all of them.



Any suggestions?