You know when you have those awkward spots in your home that you just can’t seem to find the right decorations for? My fireplace is one of those awkward spots. There is a fairly thin space of brick on either side, and a window on either side of that. I was struggling with how to bring visual interest to the base of my fireplace during the holidays and nothing I had in my stash or found at stores seemed to fit the space. So I decided that I would make my own custom wood signs. Since I made these Autumn and Joyful signs last year, I have had countless e-mails asking me to share the tutorial – the day has come at last! lol.
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How do you make your own custom wood signs?
If you have some basic woodworking skills, you can make these signs!
Materials:
Paint (I used Fusion Mineral Paint)
1/4″ Plywood
3/4″ Pine board
Wood stain
Vinyl
Cricut Machine
Tools:
Saw
Router Table (if you want a reversible frame)
The overall dimensions for the plywood board are 14″ by 30″, with the frame on, it was 15.5″ by 31.5″.
If you want to make your frame reversible, you need a table saw or a router table. For ours we used our router table. You need to use your saw to cut your frame pieces into the proper length and width for your sign. Ours were 1.5″ wide x 3/4″ thick.
Once you have your frame pieces cut, use your router table to cut a 1/4″ groove in the centre of the frame – leaving a 1/4″ frame on either side. [Note: depending on how you are joining your frame, you may not want to router through the ends or the seams could show when you attach them!]
Your plywood should slide snuggly into the new frame you’ve made.
Paint your background and stain your wood in whatever colour you chose. I used Fusion Mineral Paint on my plywood. I painted one side in Casement and one side in Raw Silk.
The next step is to paint your letters on! You can print and cut your own letters, or you can use your Cricut Cutting Machine to cut your stencils onto vinyl, with my FREE cut file here (you are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy):
[PS – Here are some other great things the Cricut Machine can do!]
Once you have your letters cut out of vinyl, use a measuring tape or a ruler to find the center points and approximate where you want your letters to sit. I was pretty obsessive about getting my pieces in the right places, so it took me a little while to line everything up properly!
Once the vinyl is in place, use a foam brush with a small amount of paint on it to fill in the letters. Make sure to dab around the vinyl edges so that the paint doesn’t seep under the vinyl. You will likely need a couple of coats. That beautiful soft pink I used? It was called Damask by Fusion Mineral Paint.
Doesn’t the sign look amazing when surrounded by all of the beautiful fall decor? I love the height that it brings!
But I didn’t stop there! Since I made my sign reversible, on the flip side I used Bayberry green to paint the word JOYFUL. Which happened to be the perfect addition to my Christmas mantel as well :)
If you like these signs, don’t forget to check out the rest of the fabulous home tours!
Hi Lindi,
it is really awesome. I kind of feel I have this thing with signs so I moight just give it a try!
Have an awesome day!
You should! It’s such a fun project!
Love this DIY post! Great idea to make it reversible. I wanted to touch base with you and let you know that I sent you an email today with an important proposal. I don’t want you to miss it in case it goes into your junk or something. Have a great day!
Thank you so much!! I’ll make sure to look for your e-mail :)
What are the dimensions of this sign…is it in the tutorial?
Oh my word! I’m so sorry! I forgot to put the full dimensions in! I’ll measure it this afternoon and add it to the post :) Thank you so much for pointing that out!
It’s updated now! Thanks again! Let me know if you make it!
I love that this is reversible! Both sides are perfect!
I know! I had it up for about 5 months straight, lol. NO one noticed it had another side, except my toddlers, lol.
Your DIY Fall and Holiday signs look so good! I love how big they are and the wood frame. Thank you for sharing your tutorial with us at the #HomeMattersParty this week.
Thank you so much! The overall dimensions for the plywood board are 14″ by 30″, and with the frame on, it was 15.5″ by 31.5″.
Curiosity Question, it wasn’t mentioned in the post, but how did you join the framing? Nailing or gluing them together? Love this!! Thank you!
Oh man! So sorry I didn’t mention that! I’ll have to fix the post! I used a nail gun and wood glue to attach everything :)
This is so perfect!!! I don’t have a Cricut but I do have a Silhouette Cameo. I was wondering what font you used so I could make a cut file that’s compatible for my Silhouette?? Thanks!!
Thank you!! I think it’s a font that’s exclusive to Cricut :( Maybe you can find something similar on the Silhouette! I hope you get to make your own!
I have a cricut and was wondering what font you used?
If you open the design files it will open the design in Cricut Design Space for you! I can’t remember off-hand, but if you need me to look it up, let me know! :)
Amazing holiday sign. I love how big they are and the wood frame. Thank you for sharing your tips with us.