To begin, you need to prepare a cutting template. The easiest option is to freehand draw a cutting pattern directly onto the wood. We wanted the styling of the letters to be more uniform, so we relied on a computer printout. After printing the desired letters onto ordinary paper, we used clear tape to affix the paper to the wood. Then, with a hobby knife we cut through the pattern to create a shallow score in the wood. This score can be darkened with a pen or pencil so the line will be easy to see during the cutting process. You can also try transferring a printed pattern to wood using a household iron (note that this technique only works with toner from certain printers and photocopiers - inkjet ink, for example, will not transfer from paper to wood).