Word Puzzle Fireplace

Some people put a painting or a mirror on the wall above their fireplace. Here’s a novel idea that creates a dramatic focal point. Letters of the alphabet are applied on the wall with paint stamps to form a word puzzle. Visitors to your home will love finding the hidden words that can be found up, down, zigzagging and backwards above your fireplace.

What you’ll need:

Alphabet paint stamps (available as a set in craft stores or from ballarddesigns.com)
Two contrasting paints
Foam paint wedge
Masking tape

1. Create your word puzzle on a separate sheet of paper

Decide how many letters you will want to go across and how many down. Then think of words that reflect you -- your name, your pet’s name, your favorite book, your friends’ names, anything really. After you have a good list of words, it’s time to form the word puzzle. Hide them in the grid in every direction. Up and down. Diagonally. Backwards. Zigzagging. If you have leftover spaces in the grid, use any letter that strikes your fancy.

2. Paint a background color of your choice.

Paint two coats of your selected background color. Make sure the color is very different from the color of your letters, so they are readable. Let the background paint dry completely.

3. Apply masking tape to the wall to make a grid.

To help you apply the letters in straight lines, apply masking tape on the wall to create a grid, so you know exactly where to place your alphabet letters. As you go along, step back from the wall to make sure your masking tape is reasonably straight across and down.

4. Apply paint to the letter stamps.

Work from left to right, top to bottom of your grid. Using a foam paint wedge, apply the contrasting paint to the stamp.

5. Stamp the letters onto the fireplace wall.

Holding the stamp where you want the letter to appear, press the stamp firmly onto the wall, making sure to press on every side of the stamp before you remove it. You may want to practice on a sheet of paper first to make sure you’re doing it right. Don’t worry if the letter you’ve stamped doesn’t appear perfect. Irregularities are expected and only add to the charm. After you’ve applied all the letters for your word puzzle, remove the masking tape.