Your Name in Lights!

I think everyone would like to see their name in lights and my granddaughter is no exception. Individual letters are easy to find, but not full names, so I decided to make her a personal marquee for her birthday party. It was really quite easy. I think she'll love it...

You will need the following tools and supplies: 4" Joy embroidered letters 6" x 12" x 1" Smoothfoam® sheet Walnut Hollow Versa Tool® Design Master Tint It™ spray color 20 light-string of mini LED lights Decorative yarn Tinsel string Sequin pins Tacky glue

1. Measure and mark where the holes for the lights need to be placed. You can do this either before or after spraying the Smoothfoam with color tint in a well-ventilated area.  Option: Smoothfoam can also be painted with craft paint.

2. Make holes in the Smoothfoam with the Versa Tool. This is a hot tool, so please read all the instructions carefully and practice on a scrap piece of foam before starting your project. After removing the blade, I used the blade holder to make the holes for the lights. It was a good size for the mini lights I had, but there are other tips that can be used. When making each hole, raise the Smoothfoam sheet a few inches up off your work surface then push the heat tool quickly straight up and down from back to front. This step should also be done in a well-ventilated area.

3. Insert one bulb into each hole from the back. Being careful not to go through to the front, I also cut an indented area in the back of the foam sheet for the on-off switch and battery holder. I used a sharp knife to cut the outline of the rectangle, scooped out the center then smoothed the bottom with the heat tool and the round disc tip. With the switch facing outwards, the battery holder can be held in place temporarily with a 3D glue dot. 

TIP:  If the bulbs are loose, wrap the base of each one with a 1/2" wide strip of cardstock before inserting in the hole. The cardstock will act as a shim.

4. Wrap each of the letters with fine, decorative yarn or thread then glue in place. I also outlined the edge of the foam with tinsel, held in place with small sequin pins.

Joy 3-D embroidered letters can be found at your local craft stores.  Enjoy!