I love text as art and so do a lot of people these days. Mottos as fashion statements or design elements are everywhere -- on pillows, t-shirts, phone cases, as tattoos, in wall collages, on babies' onesies. Maybe these cheeky catchphrases resonate because we regularly condense our communication. We put a lot of heart and soul into tweets, texts, snaps, etc. Does this mean that we glorify the shallowness of slogans? Probably. So, to celebrate the glorification of throwaway sentiments, I'm here to show you how to make your own creed to adorn any pretty little thing. It's fun and easy and yes, it peels right off. It's temporary, which I suppose means that it is shallow.   

Disclaimer: I made this using a Silhouette Cameo, which is a laser cutter. It is a miraculous machine. Every teacher needs one. Small-business owners too. Also, anyone who enjoys scrapbooking and brides-to-be who want to create some of their own invites, place cards, etc. (And no, Silhouette did not pay me to say this. I wish!)

I took a pretty gilt-edged vintage platter and measured the face of it. I then brainstormed some phrases that would fit on it -- no more than three lines long. Here are some other ideas I considered: 

• More Sleigh Bell

• 'Naughty' and 'Nice.' Not mutually exclusive terms.

• __ Days till the Kids Go Back to School

• In Whoville, they'll feast feast feast feast! On Who pudding and rare Who roast beast!

I ended up going sentimental, as usual, with a subtle shout-out to my hubbie. He is the "thee" without whom I'd be miserable. 

Within the computer program, I used Lucida Handwriting 98.0 font. Under 'Cut Style', I selected 'Cut Edge'. I used gold card stock paper. To affix the words, I used long strips of double-stick tape that were the same length as each line. I cut each strip in half with an x-acto blade. No rulers. Nothing too fancy. You can't see the tape unless you look closely. However, you can see the way the letters sort of bend away from the platter. I like that. It's obvious they are made of paper, and the effect is more three-dimensional. 

The whole project took me about a half hour. I paired it with a vintage brass vase, a flock of vintage partridges, a vintage pedestal bowl filled with glittery pears and pinecones, and a letterpress card. 

After the holidays, I'll decorate the platter with a New Year's resolution. So many choices: 

• Lose Weight. Quit Complaining. Learn a New Language.

• Either Put the Photos Into Albums or Burn Them.

• Wear Make-up Once in a While!

• Make New Friends. Keep the Old. One is Silver. The Other is Gold.