Why This Book & Why This Weekend
Searches for “hand lettering” on Pinterest jumped 120 % over the past twelve months—a signal that people crave mindful, creative hobbies they can start (and actually finish) in a couple of days. Lettering Workshop for Crafters by Suzanne McNeill answers that itch with 50 traceable alphabets, practice exercises, and project tutorials all bound in a 160-page spiral-friendly workbook. First released in September 2018, the title remains a Fox Chapel evergreen, consistently ranking in the site’s Top-10 craft sellers thanks to its “learn-today, use-tonight” format. foxchapelpublishing.com
Whether you dream of designing a farmhouse-chic menu board or simply want prettier penmanship for Bible journaling, this weekend workshop walks you from basic strokes to Instagram-worthy quotes—no calligraphy nibs required.
Quick Book Snapshot
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Author: Suzanne McNeill—dubbed “The Trendsetter” of arts & crafts; author of 230+ craft books and winner of the Craft & Hobby Association’s Industry Achievement Award. foxchapelpublishing.com
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Length: 160 pages, 8 × 10 in. workbook, lay-flat for easy tracing.
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Skill Level: Absolute beginners upward; every alphabet includes stroke arrows, warm-up drills, and blank guidelines.
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Inside: 50 alphabets (sans, serif, brush-style, whimsical, vintage), border doodles, banners, and layout grids.
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Projects: Greeting cards, gift tags, chalkboard signage, scrapbook headers, and more—each with step-by-step photos.
Fun Fact
McNeill’s first lettering alphabet dates back to 1971, drawn on her kitchen table with a felt-tip marker. That humble sketch turned into Design Originals—her publishing imprint that later merged into Fox Chapel. Five decades on, she still teaches live workshops and credits coffee-shop napkins for sparking many of the book’s playful script ideas. foxchapelpublishing.com
7 Beginner-Friendly Lettering Styles You’ll Master First
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Classic Cursive Sans – A clean, upright alphabet—perfect for bullet-journal headers.
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Faux Calligraphy – Write it once, thicken the down-strokes; ideal for anyone without a brush pen.
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Brush-Look Mono Weight – Achieve variable widths using an everyday Crayola or Tombow; the book’s grid shows exact pressure changes.
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Serif Block Bold – All-caps lettering with built-in shadow guides for poster-ready statements.
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Bounce Script – Playful letters dipping above and below the baseline to add movement.
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Ribbon Alphabet – Letters that look like folded ribbons—easy once you follow the numbered stroke order.
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Floral Accent Capitals – Single-stroke caps sprouting tiny leaves and blooms—great for monogramming gifts.
Each style comes with trace-and-transfer sheets so beginners can build muscle memory before free-handing their own phrases.
Pro Tips Straight from Suzanne
| Tip | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Warm-up drills daily (5 min) | Loops & ovals train muscles faster than copying words. |
| Smooth paper beats fancy pens | Bristol or marker paper stops fraying nibs. |
| Slow down on down-strokes | Consistent pressure = cleaner weight contrast. |
| Add highlights last | A white gel pen fixes wobbles & adds shine. |
| Photograph & digitize | Snap, vector-trace in Procreate or Illustrator—perfect for stickers or print-on-demand designs. |
Ready to Letter Your World?
Pens at the ready—let’s make something beautiful. Pick up Lettering Workshop for Crafters and unlock 50 alphabets, practice pages, and projects that turn ordinary words into art. [Shop now at FoxChapelPublishing.com
