Decorating with ampersands

Ampersands, otherwise known as the “and” symbol, can be used for more than combining sentences, phrases and letters on party invitations and holiday cards. In fact, you can make your own ampersand to decorate your home or to give to friends and family as a unique gift. Here’s how to make one and what you can use it for:

How to make your own ampersand

Gather the materials:

• Sanding block
• Pencil
• Sandpaper
• Tape
• Printout of an ampersand
• Jigsaw
• Variety of PVC pipe sizes
• Spray paint or regular paint
• MDF Wood

Directions:
1. Find an ampersand design online that you love. If you’re planning on using the ampersand to decorate your vintage home, you might want to search for one with ornate detailing, like this ampersand. But if you’re going to give the ampersand as gift, say, to a modern bride, you want a design that’s a bit more simple and contemporary, like this one. Search around on Pinterest to find an ampersand that you like, then print it out (in a size of your choice).

2. Use a pencil to outline the back of the printed ampersand, then tape the paper to MDF wood. Trace the edges of the ampersand so you know where to cut the wood.

3. Use a jigsaw to precisely and accurately cut the wood into the shape of the ampersand.

4. Wrap a piece of sandpaper around a PVC pipe and sand the edges of your ampersand – you can use different sizes of pipes for various curves of the ampersand.

5. Use spray paint or regular paint to cover the ampersand in a color of your choice. After you’ve let it dry, you can use sandpaper to give the ampersand a weathered, vintage look. You can also forgo the paint and use wallpaper to decorate your ampersand instead.

Now that you’ve made your ampersand, put it to good use with these decorating ideas:

Wall hook
Add some style to your entryway with an ampersand coat hook. Simply nail in small hook to the bottom of the ampersand and hang it on the wall. It can act as a drop zone for coats, purses and bags.

Photo gallery
Create a photo gallery on an empty wall by hanging various sized photos, your ampersand and few small mirrors together. You don’t even need photos to make a gallery wall – just group together various frames, and put your ampersand inside one of the frames.

Style a mantel
Draw attention to your fireplace by adorning the mantel with an ampersand and a few white candles. The arrangement is simple and stylish – plus, the candles create the perfect cozy ambiance for autumn.

Bookend
Dress up your bookshelves by using an ampersand as a bookend. The decorative piece will certainly fit with the literary theme.

Wedding gift
An ampersand is a perfect gift for newlyweds – they can hang it on their wall at home, or use it as a part of their wedding decor by tying it to their chairs with some ribbon.