Handlettered Tray

Handlettering doesn’t have to be limited to paper! Today I’m personalizing a plain wooden craft tray with a handlettered design in gold and black, using Sakura Pentouch® markers.

Tips:

1
I bought this tray at Michael’s craft store for $5, but you can also check Oriental Trading Company. You can paint the tray with acrylic paint first, but I like the look of natural wood, so I’m leaving mine unfinished.

2
I’m drawing my design with Pentouch® markers, in metallic gold and black. These have smooth, paint-like ink, and they come in a variety of nib sizes.

How to:

1
As with most of my lettering projects, I’m going to start with a thumbnail sketch. It can be fun to play around with different shapes and type styles. I’d like this to be a tray for drinks… you could make your design a tribute to your favorite drink. But I think I’m going to keep mine more general… I’m going to take a cue from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and draw a tag that says “Drink Me.”

2
Now that I have a design idea, I’m going to sketch it directly on the wood using a Sumo Grip® mechanical pencil. Make sure your pencil has a good eraser.

3
Use a pencil and ruler to make guidelines for your letters. I’m drawing a baseline for my letters to sit on, as well as a cap height line. Draw additional guidelines as needed.

4
Consider extending tails or creating flourishes with ascenders or descenders.

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Finally, I’m drawing a rectangle tag around my words.

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I’m using an extra-fine gold Pentouch® to fill in my letters. Shake the pen, then depress the nib on a piece of scratch paper. This has a nice metallic ink that is easy to control. It dries more quickly than paint, however, you do want to give it a few seconds to set before you touch it.

7
Next I’m outlining the letters with an extra-fine black Pentouch®. Color in any small areas with this fine nib, then switch to a large nib marker to quickly fill in large areas.

I think this tray will be perfect for serving drinks!

Made By Marzipan may have received product or payment for this post. Posts may contain affiliate links. Disclosed in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

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