I have to apologize, things have been a touch quiet around here lately. There’s good reason for it though! I’ve been busier than Santa’s head elf trying to get some signs made for a shop this coming weekend. And in typical Chandra fashion I waited until the week before to hammer down and do them.
I recently purchased a Cricut Explore Air & holy WOW! It makes sign making a breeze. The signs I’ve done in the past were all done free hand, and although they all turned out well, they can be time consuming.
This sign quickly became my favourite once it was finished up, who can resist a little Olaf quote in their lives?!
Oh Olaf, I like warm hugs too!
To make this sign I used a square of 1/4 plywood that was finished smooth on one side & gave it a couple of coats of white paint. I had Eric frame it out with some barn board we had kicking around to give it that rustic Christmas-y feel!
Using the Cricut I chose the font and size I wanted my lettering to be and printed it off on some plain black vinyl. I peeled off the surrounding vinyl, leaving the letters in place, and centered it on my background.
Here’s a quick tip to getting sharp lines with your lettering. Use mod podge as a base around the edge of the letters. It dries clear and fills in any spots where your vinyl may not be lying flush with your board. This will prevent your paint from bleeding underneath!
I love a matte black so I used my actual Chalkboard Paint (not to be confused with chalk paint) and gave the letters 4 good coats.
After the 4th coat I peeled the vinyl away while the paint was still wet. I find this works better than waiting for it to dry first. This way it ensures that your paint does not peel up with your vinyl. I also added two little snowflakes; one on top and one the bottom. They got a few coats of shimmery silver.
It looks simple, sharp & a touch rustic. 3 of my favourite things! And really, anything to quote something other than let it goooooooo from Frozen, ha!
Not much into sign making? No prob, I’ve got you covered! I loved this sign so much that I made it into a a printable just for YOU!
Click HERE for your FREE 8×10 Printable