A Few of our Favorite Things: The World of Calligraphy

Calligraphy Today

Calligraphy has been making a big splash around town over the last couple of years. This handcrafted way of writing is all over the internet, flooding our homes and, of course, maintaining its space in one of our most precious of days—wedding days! It has been growing so fast lately that it seems every piece of décor has some sort of hand lettered quote, name or holiday written on it.

Simply put, calligraphy is decorative hand writing. Everyone recognizes the elaborate lettering by its swirls and loops, using pen and ink. We picture it on old, bronze paper or a scroll, dipping that feathery pen into the ink. As crazy as it may sound, this beautiful way of art is still alive!

Many of the invitations, the envelopes and small paper items we see in weddings are made with pen and ink. Metallic inks are so shiny and rich… it’s like lighting up the paper! Light colors (like white) on dark colored paper are popular as well. Look at some of these luscious letters on Instagram by @jeanniedicksondesigns & @leslie.writes.it.all

Adding a Personal Touch

Hand lettering/calligraphy is very prominent in the wedding world, as they have been for years. Weddings are meaningful and extremely personal for couples, their families and their friends. All of the décor must match this special occasion.

Handmade items and DIY are still so popular because they can be made to order with that personal touch. When you search “wedding décor” on Pinterest, you’re going to find SO many hand lettered items—timeless, thoughtful and customized just for you! The calligraphic elements add a level of elegance and sophistication on their own, without needing many other decorative elements or filler art around the lettering. A simple window pane order of events sign can add so much, simply with beautiful, flowing letters!

Calligraphy Décor

Outside of the wedding world, have you looked in the décor section of any of your favorite stores this year? You don’t have to go far to see that everything is covered in hand lettering! Everything from quotes to monogram letters, holidays to life events. They’re seen on wood, plastic, fabric, pillows, blankets, clothing, glass… Really anything you can get your hands on!

There are so many different styles, colors and designs—it’s hard not to pick up all of the cute decorative elements and bring a stack to the counter. YIKES! Because it is currently SO trendy, calligraphers are adding more depth to their pieces using chalk markers, embossing pens and powders, wood cut outs, water color pens, brush pens and metallic ink.

Instagram, for instance, is FULL of talented artists showing off their skills with these mediums in REAL time—It’s super cool, ya’ll! Check out and follow one of my favorite local calligraphers/artists right now: @paperpleasers (or you can find more on their website: www.paper-pleasers.com) – a business based here in Milwaukee! Her products are SUPER cute, well-crafted and you can tell she has a real passion for what she does. She has a store open and located in downtown MKE where she does a lot of custom orders that are very unique and original! I mean, just look at all of this cute decor!! She can help you create some of your own cool, custom, cut-outs (say that three times fast!). Here are a few pictures from the Instagram account, the store and a craft show… Look them up!

Learning Calligraphy

Though the description of calligraphy is simple, don’t discount the regal structure and technical skill! There are so many different materials and mediums used nowadays and it takes practice and patience to really perfect the craft. It seems hand lettering is looked at as another DIY project anyone can do, as long as they can get the materials, but calligraphy is a well-practiced art.

There are even classes and workshops you can attend! I’ve seen so many books in stores about practicing how to write letters in certain ways and how to write using different kinds of pens, markers or paint—you can attend a workshop to practice in person too! You don’t realize how tricky it is until you start—trust me, I’ve tried! It’s not as easy as it looks! (But it IS as NEAT as it looks!) There are also some more ‘impromptu’ classes you can take like a paint night, with friends and family, using stencils, cut-outs and more.

Hand lettering projects are really busting through ALL of the store doors and making an appearance as of late. As beautiful and useful as they are, I’ve heard a lot about it going out of style as quickly as it’s come to bloom. Just like I touched on earlier with pen and ink—it’s made a comeback! Not just this year, but throughout the years. Lettering is timeless, it’s fun and it’s versatile. The calligraphic styles mesh with new and old and grow as we move through the years! We can reuse these decorative products and we can alter them.

Calligraphy/hand lettering is not just one style but a freeform flow of letters and [contained] doodles that connect together to fill a unique space. That’s why it’s so fun! I’ve always been a detail-oriented artist and this art form combines the sharp, clean and detailed letters with abstract thinking and creative flow! I’ve been constantly practicing, watching, and soaking in all of the information to try and perfect this craft… I still have lots of learning to do! It’s fun to reflect on the pieces I’d worked on a year or two ago up as compared to those I’m doing now. Just like any way of art… There’s a learning curve! Look at the difference three years can make!

(“Creativity Takes Courage” calligraphy – 2015) & (“Thankful and Grateful for family” calligraphy – 2018)

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Heather D’Amato