How to Cut Out Letters

Co-authored by Claire Donovan-Blackwood and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: April 24, 2023 References

Cutting out your own letters is a great way to make signs for the classroom or your home. However, it can be a pain to sketch out each letter individually, especially if you’re cutting out a lot of them. Thankfully, you can make your letters look even and uniform without spending ages using stencils or a pattern.

Things You Should Know

Cut off the sides of the paper in straight lines to start shaping the letters.
For letters with rounded corners, make your cuts rounded and smooth rather than cutting in straight lines.
For letters with inside pieces, like A and O, fold the paper in half and make a small hole. Unfold the paper and use the hole to cut out the inside piece.
Glue your letters to cardstock or poster board to make them stand out more.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Shaping the Letters

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1
Create your grid and sketch out your desired letter. Draw a 1 in (2.5 cm) grid on your rectangles with a ruler and a pencil. You don’t have to use a grid on your letters, but if you want them to be perfectly symmetrical, it helps a lot. Use a ruler to measure 1 in (2.5 cm) blocks on all your letters and trace a grid lightly with pencil.^{[1]
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Research source}Try to stick with upper case letters to make it easier. Lower case letters have more curves that are difficult to cut out. If you’re okay with it, try to stick with all upper case letters for a more chunky, blocky look.^{[2]
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- This will also help your sign look more uniform.
- Make sure you outline your grid in pencil so you can erase it later on.
2
Cut the edges of your letters to get them started. Once you know which letters you’d like to cut out, start out with the ones that only use straight lines, like E, N, and A. Cut off the sides of the paper in straight lines to start making the shapes of your letters.^{[3]
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- For example, if you are cutting an A, make 2 diagonal cuts on either side of the rectangle to make the basic shape.
- If you are making an E, cut out 2 small rectangles on the right side of your paper to cut out the lines on the right side of the letter.
- If you’re using the grid method, you can use the lines of the grid to make sure your cuts are even on each side.
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Keep your cuts rounded for smooth letters. Letters like S, G, C, and O have smooth corners. When you start cutting them out, don’t cut in 1 straight line. Instead, make your cuts rounded and smooth as you cut out the shapes for these letters.^{[4]
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- If you drew a grid on your rectangles, use the boxes to make sure that your curves are even on each side.
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Cut inside pieces by folding your paper in half. For letters that have a chunk taken out of the middle, like A and O, gently fold your piece of paper in half, trying not to crease it too much. Then, use your scissors to make a small hole in the center of the paper. Unfold your paper so that it lies flat and use the hole you made to go in and cut out the inside of the letter.^{[5]
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- You can use this trick for any letters that have cutouts in the center, like A, B, D, O, P, and Q.
Take a large eraser and gently rub it over your letters to take away the grid. Use caution so that you don’t accidentally rip any of your letters.^{[6]
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Alternative: If you’re making a sign for a math class, you can keep the grid to make your letters look more like graphing paper.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Mounting the Letters

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1
Glue your letters to cardstock to make them stand out. If you used construction paper or felt, use a glue stick or liquid glue to attach your letters to some cardstock for a thicker, eye-catching back. You can leave your cardstock in a single sheet, or you can cut it out in the shape of each letter about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) larger so that it sticks out.^{[7]
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- Adding cardstock is a great way to keep your letters around for a long time.
2
Attach your letters to a poster with glue to hang them on the wall. To make a sign out of your letters, pick a thick piece of paper, like cardstock, and arrange your letters in order. Glue them down with a glue stick to keep them in place for a cute label, activity guide, or example question.
- You can make your sign look more interesting by adding a decorative piece of paper behind your letters. It can have a floral pattern, bold stripes, or polka dots.
Tip: Laminate your sign once it’s dry to make it last longer.
3
Make your letters bolder by outlining them in pencil. If you’ve glued your letters up and they don’t stand out like you want them to, try using a pen or dark pencil to draw a thick line around each letter. This will give them a more defined shape as well as draw attention to them.
- This is great for signs in the classroom that you want your students to focus on.
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Hang your letters on twine to make a banner. Reinforce your letters with cardstock and then hang a length of twine between 2 push pins. Use clothespins to hang up each letter individually to spell out your phrase or saying.^{[8]
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- This is a great way to hang letters above a whiteboard or corkboard.
- You can also use a hole punch to make holes in the top of each letter and then thread the twine through the holes.