We recently disassembled a loft bed which opened up a whole wall in my kid’s room. Side note: loft beds (and bunk beds) are no bueno. Sure, it saves space but making the bed is SO dang hard. Hubby and I are stoked that we won’t be hurting our backs anymore putting on fitted sheets. 
Ok, back to today’s post! What to do with a blank wall?? So many possibilities but how to do it without cluttering it with a ton of stuff? My kid’s room is rather small so “less is more” is best. I decided to GO BIG with a statement piece.
I had actually had this idea to create a giant letterboard above my office/craft space but COVID hit and my hubs became a co-worker in my space. #WFHlife
Since I already had most of the supplies, creating this for my kid’s room was quick and easy. SO easy. Here’s how I did it!
Supplies needed for wall ledges:
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- 48″ Long level
- Nail gun and nails longer than 1.5″ (mine were 2″)
- 3/4″ x 36″ pine square dowel (exact link)
- 1/16″ x 3″ x 36″ balsa sheets (similar; I got mine from Michael’s)
- Wood glue
- Ruler
- X-ACTO knife (link)
- Self-healing mat (link)
Supplies needed for DIY flex letters:
How to Make DIY Letterboard Wall Ledges:
Step 1:
Measure from the corner of the wall where you would like the first top ledge to start. Make a mark with your pencil.
Step 2:
For my wall, I planned to use 6-7/8″ tall flex letters so I opted for the gap between ledges to be 9″ apart. I made 9″ pencil marks down the wall, from the same distance from the wall corner determined in step 1.
Step 3:
Using a long (48″) level, draw a light line that’s 36″ long from each ledge mark.
Step 4:
Match square dowels to the lines you drew on the wall from step 3. Place level on your dowel to ensure it is level. Always double-check before doing anything permanent (like nailing or painting). Use nail gun to secure dowel to wall, ideally nailing at least one nail into a stud.
Step 5:
Using a ruler and pencil, create 0.875″ tall strips from the balsa sheet and use an X-ACTO knife to cut them out. Be sure to cut over the self-healing cutting mat. By the way, this step is really optional. I did it so that the balsa sheet can cover the nails in the dowel AND so that it creates a bit of a lip so that the flex letters don’t slide off.
Step 6:
Apply wood glue to the back of the cut balsa sheets and press firmly onto the dowels. Hold for a bit and let them fully dry.
How to Make DIY Flex Letters:
Step 1:
In Silhouette Studio, create 6″ tall sans serif text. I used Hallo Euroboy font because it’s a little chunky but also condensed, which is nice since my ledge is only 36″ wide. Then, send it to cut on black cardstock with the proper cut settings.
Step 2:
Using a paper cutter, cut two sheets of self-adhesive laminating sheet to be 6-7/8″ tall. Peel off the backing of one sheet with sticky side up. Then place each cardstock letter on top so that it’s vertically centered and about 0.5″-1″ inch from the edge. I was able to put two letters per trimmed sheet. Peel off the second sheet backing off and line up with the first so that you are sandwiching the cardstock letter between the two laminating sheets. Firmly press to remove air bubbles as needed. Use the paper cutter or scissors to trim each letter to be on its own.
Once your ledge has fully dried, it’s time to set out the DIY flex letters! Have fun creating inspirational or witty messages! I have a few ones planned for my kid that I know he will love!