Wooden alphabet letters are always great embellishments for gifts. Add the letters of the first and/or last names of your friend, co-worker or loved one to any card or mini album page, and the result will be instant success 🙂

For the front cover of my most recent paper bag mini album I altered such a wooden initial.

I first added two colors of Distress Oxide ink to color its base. I also chose several Distress Crayons to decorate later, after the second step.

Once the letter had a base color, I added a texture paste and let it dry. I chose Distress Grit Paste by Tim Holtz, but you can use any paste as long as you choose one that can be colored (some pastes act as a resist, avoid those for this type of project).

I added the paste in random spots, to give the letter a dimensional texture. Distress Grit Paste is semi-translucent, which is why I colored the letter first.

Then I used the Crayons to color the paste. (Crayons work best to color Distress Grit Paste,)

Lastly, when everything had dried, I added it to the album cover as an embellishment.

So you see how you can add a very personal touch to any of your gift projects without it taking a million steps! 🙂