Experiments in Sign Painting: Tea cups and buttons!

I started this project in May so that I would be able to show you another type of wall art that is inexpensive and fairly easy to make. Granted, it would have been a LOT easier with a cricut or silhouette to provide me with a lettering template. I would hope that you find the slightly wonky writing adorable though....

My button tea cup was made with: an off cut of mdf, emulsion paint tasters (3 colours on offer for £1)and some budget buttons from the craft shop. With a hot glue gun, pencil, ruler and infinite patience, it turned into my fun sign.

You probably don't need a tutorial to tell you that I painted the wood first, drew on a t-cup and then painted it in a pastel shade of purple before sticking on buttons with my glue gun (and only burning one finger...result). The lettering I typed on my computer first and then used sight drawing to transfer it to the wood. The bottom part, had I applied more logic should have been drawn out starting with the middle letters first to avoid the slant. I'm not even going to pretend to you it is deliberate. I find painting stuff bizarrely therapeutic, so really enjoyed the process of this project. However, I was also more relaxed as the whole project cost less than £2.

I want to make a bunch of signs for my wedding reception (preferably not quite as wonky) so will be running some more practice attempts before then in the hope that hand lettering will one day be an art I CAN do. It might also be because I went a bit 'offcut' crazy while visiting the DIY store and have a heap to paint.

Are you sign writers? Do you have any tips for me to perfect my proportions and lettering by hand? I would so appreciate your input.