DIY wooden monogram

Just as I'm sure most of the bloggers you follow are, I'm obsessed with monograms. Monogrammed phone cases, monogrammed coffee mugs, monogrammed vests the list goes on. My aunt got me wooden laser-cut monogram for my birthday, and nine months later, I finally finished it and hung it up Sunday. Painting it and getting the ribbon to stay was a lot more involved than I thought. If you've got a monogram you've been meaning to paint, or you've always wanted one, here's the process I used to prep, paint and post mine.

What you'll need:
- wooden monogram
-Sand paper
-Wet rag
-Push Pins
-Spray primer
-Acrylic paint
-Foam brushes
-Ribbon
-Thumb tacks
-Hammer
-Optional: furry friend to supervise 

Sanding

It's easy to want to skip this step because it's a little tedious, but sanding is probably one of the more important steps with a project like this. You'll want to lightly sand the entire surface of the monogram to get rid of any imperfections and stray pieces of wood. A nice, smooth surface will make for a nicer finished product and will help the primer and paint go on easier. After you sand, take a wet rag to the wood to remove any remaining dust.

Prep

 Place a few push pins on the back of your monogram so it doesn't stick to any towels or blankets you've laid down once paint and primer is applied. The push pins will also make it easier to paint the sides and small corners. 

Priming

 To help your paint go on easier, apply a coat or two of spray primer to your sanded monogram. Make sure to do this in an open, well-ventilated area. I took my work table to the middle of my yard as to not make a mess in the garage. Once your primer has dried (about an hour later), lightly sand one more time to get rid of any rough edges.

Painting!

This step is fairly self-explanatory. You'll probably need to apply two coats, and make sure you let each coat dry before applying a fresh one. 

 Adding ribbon

There are probably a few ways you can do this, such as looping the ribbon through the top of your monogram, but the shape of my letters didn't really allow for this, so we had to improvise. I'm happy how the ribbon turned out. I think it's a little cleaner than just looping the ribbon through the middle. Fold a long piece of ribbon in half and place each side on the back of the monogram at the height you'd like to it hang. You'll need about four thumb tacks to secure your ribbon. You'll want to lightly hammer down one on each side to keep the ribbon in place. Then you'll gather some of the ribbon to make sure it's hidden behind the monogram and hammer another push pin on each side to keep your gathering in place.

Once you're happy with your ribbon placement, cut off any extra, tie a bow at the fold at the top, nail the back of the bow to your wall, and voila! 

Have you DIY-ed a painted monogram? What are your tips? Any suggestions for DIY projects I should try?