From Minnesota with love

Published 3:38 pm Thursday, September 22, 2016

Working as a freelance illustrator for several large companies, Angie DenHerder of Hollandale has creative juices in her blood. Aside from her job, DenHerder enjoys refurbishing furniture and creating signs and chalkboards. She took us step-by-step through how to make this Minnesota-based project.

Angie DenHerder

• Mod Podge, glossy or matte finish will work

• White acrylic paint

• Elmer’s glue

• Fine-tip Sharpie marker

• Baker’s string or twine

• X-Acto knife

• Hole punch

• Scissors

• Pressed board 9 1/2 by 12 inches

• Printout of outline of the state Minnesota on an 8 1/2-by-11-inch piece of paper (this can easily be found by searching Google for a “Minnesota state outline”)

• Printout of outlines of tags, one slightly smaller than the other, a heart and lettering to use as a template

• Scrapbook cardstock paper

: After painting the pressed board with a thin layer of acrylic paint and allowing it to dry, use an X-Acto knife to cut out the state of Minnesota outline with a sheet of scrapbook cardstock paper underneath. Using a cutting mat will ensure you don’t damage the surface underneath the paper.

: Paint the back of the scrapbook paper sheet shaped like the state of Minnesota with Mod Podge.

: Center the scrapbook paper shaped like the state of Minnesota on the board, and then paint over it with another layer of Mod Podge.

: Use an X-Acto knife or scissors to cut out two tags from two complimentary pieces of scrapbook cardstock paper. Glue one on top of the other. Use a hole punch to make a hole at the top center of the tag.

: Once you’ve used an X-Acto knife or scissors to cut out the heart shape, trace the lettering with a pencil and fill in with a fine-tipped marker.

: Cut a length of baker’s string or twine long enough to be wrapped around the board three times. Thread the string or twine through the hole in the tags.

: Wrap the string around the board three times — once straight across, once low on one side and high on the other, and then high on one side and low on the other. Tie the string tightly in the back.