Category Archives: Home Decor

Painted Wood Signs

How to paint lettering on a wood sign (and have crisp lines!)

What you’ll need:
– Vinyl cutter: I have a Silhouette Cameo – Cricuts are great too!
– Stencil Vinyl: Oracal 631 from Amazon
– Transfer Paper: JH Best Crafts from Amazon
– Plywood: Sande plywood from Home Depot works well
– Wood Stain: We use MinWax Weathered Gray and Verathane Dark Walnut
– Sand Paper: We use 120 grit and then 220 grit
– Mod Podge
– Acrylic Paint: Any white outdoor acrylic will work well
– Paint brushes for stain and small brushes/foam brushes for stenciling – Polyurethane: Optional for sealing boards

If you’ve made it to this page, you are at least a little interested in the prospect of making your own wood signs. I don’t blame you – it’s a blast! I’ve used my vinyl cutter for so many projects – stencils, stickers, iron-on designs, cardstock – my favorite crafting purchase yet!

First things first – decide how large you want your sign to be. We typically buy 4′ x 8′ pieces of plywood and have them cut down at Home Depot, but a smaller piece will work for just a few signs. After cutting the wood, sand it with 120 grit sandpaper to smooth out any rough edges and to even out any imperfections in the top of the board, finishing with 220 grit.

Once your board is cut and sanded, you are ready to stain! One coat provides full coverage on the plywood since the color is fairly light and uniform. We applied two coats of the stain shown above to get a darker color, but I think next time we will use the Premium Varathane and see if one coat does the trick. We recommend staining the back first, waiting a couple hours (follow directions on your stain can), and then staining the front and sides so that any drips or touch ups are on the back. When staining the back, be careful around the edges to minimize the amount of stain that seeps under the board onto the front. When you are wiping off the excess, run your rag under the board as well so that any stain that does seep under doesn’t pool. Once your boards are stained, make sure you leave enough time for them to dry completely before stenciling – we wait overnight which is probably aggressive, but better safe than sorry!

In the meantime, get familiar with the design software on your Silhouette Cameo or Cricut. I watched a ton of You Tube videos to get tips and tricks for the Silhouette Cameo. Here are some big ones:
– Tip #1: When using script fonts, it’s helpful to weld the letters together before printing, shown in the image below on the left – it makes it easier to weed the lettering out of the stencil in one piece.
– Tip #2: Make sure to leave enough blank space around the edge of your design page so that your vinyl doesn’t slip during your cut.
– Tip #3: In the Design tab, you can select whether or not you are using a cutting mat, shown in the image on the right. I typically send my vinyl through without a cutting mat because I’ve found that it’s easier to keep the vinyl straight in the machine, but test it out to see what works best for you.

Once your design is welded and ready to go, select ‘Print’ in the right-hand corner of the image below on the left. On the print page, make sure that the type of vinyl you are using is selected (stencil vinyl typically has a matte finish). The default speed and force that populates will typically do the trick, but I always load vinyl into the machine to test my blade before printing an entire design. The test button will create a small triangle in the left-hand corner of your vinyl, and you can use this to double check that the blade is cutting through the vinyl but not the backing (seriously, I do this before EVERY print job). After your test, make sure your vinyl is loaded back into the machine, and send to print!

While your stencil is printing, it may be hard to tell whether it’s actually cutting your vinyl – be patient! When your print job is complete, unload the vinyl and cut out your stencil, leaving some room around the lettering. Then, weed out the letters in your printed design. Make sure that any standalone pieces (such as the centers of ‘a’s and ‘e’s) do not lift up with the vinyl.

Once you’ve weeded all of your lettering, apply transfer tape to your entire design (try to cover in one piece if possible) and press down firmly to push out any bubbles. At this point, I always lay out my design on the wood and mark where I’ll position it so that it’s centered. It can be difficult to peel up and re-position your vinyl once you place it down, so it’s worth the extra checks and measurements. 🙂

Carefully peel off the backing off of your vinyl, making sure those standalone pieces stay stuck to your transfer paper, and place the vinyl design on your wood board. Use your scraper or any straight edge to make sure that there are no bubbles in your vinyl and that the entire design adheres fully to the board.

Once your design is placed, peel up the transfer tape to unveil the stencil! Tip: If your vinyl starts to come up with the transfer tape, lay the transfer tape back down and firmly press on the design so that it adheres to the board. When you’ve removed your transfer tape, double-check that all edges are stuck and that there are no bubbles (this is the key to crisp lines!). I line the edge of my vinyl stencil with painter’s tape for an extra buffer to keep paint from venturing outside the stencil lines.

Using a foam brush or a paint brush, apply a thin layer of Mod Podge onto your design, making sure that it’s applied within all of the crevices. This step can be optional, but it creates another barrier to keep paint from seeping under your stencil. You will be able to tell when the Mod Podge is dry because it will turn clear.

Finally, time to paint! I used a small stencil paintbrush for this tutorial, but a foam brush works as well. When painting your signs, make sure that your coats are VERY thin – it should look like you’ve barely painted after your first coat (shown on the left). Thin paint coats will protect against 1) paint pooling and seeping under the vinyl and 2) paint sticking to your vinyl and peeling up when you remove your stencil. These are lessons learned from LOTS of trial and error – you’re welcome! I wait about 20 minutes between paint coats and typically apply three coats (shown below on the right). Honestly, I think that two would probably do the trick and one would create a more rustic/worn look.

After your third coat, wait 30 minutes before peeling off your stencil. You guys – this is my favorite part! Carefully and slowly peel up your stencil to uncover your crisp paint lines and beautiful lettering! I find that following the direction of the lettering when peeling up the vinyl helps to create clean lines, shown below on the left. It can also help to cut off chunks of the vinyl as you peel so that it doesn’t get unwieldy. For standalone pieces, such as the loop in the ‘g’ below, use a stencil weeding tool or a pin to pick up the edge without chipping your paint.

If you will be using your signs for home decor or if they will be outside, we recommend finishing them with a couple coats or polyurethane, or a polyurethane spray, to protect both the lettering and the stain.

Tip: If you are looking to use a mirror or acrylic as your sign material, simply follow the steps above to create and print your design and weed out the vinyl around the design versus the lettering itself. This creates a sticker, as shown below. Use transfer tape to give structure to your sticker, peel off the backing, and place on your mirror or piece of clear acrylic for a pretty sign without the paint!

No-Sew Throw Blanket

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How to Make a No-Sew Throw Blanket

What you will need: Two pieces of fleece fabric (3 yards each), rotary cutter, scissors, measuring tape (Optional: Extra fleece to create appliqué, sewing machine, exacto knife, painter’s tape)

At any fabric store, you will find rows upon rows of fleece fabric bolts in all colors and designs. Choose two that fit the style of your home, or represent your favorite team, and create an easy no-sew throw blanket to accent any living area or bedroom. Of course, there is always the chance (or likelihood, in my case) that these countless options won’t quite fit what you are looking for, but you can customize this throw even further by creating and attaching your own appliqués. For the blanket shown throughout this post, I used two different fleece designs with similar stretch, and sewed a homemade University of Wisconsin logo to one side for my favorite Badger. Follow the steps below to make your own no-sew, no tie fleece blanket and a custom fleece logo should you wish to add that as well!

To begin, I cut a piece of fleece from each bolt, trimming the sides with a rotary cutter to create clean edges while also maximizing the width of the blanket. For reference, the blanket used in these instructions measures approximately 60″ x 80″, the size of a queen mattress.

Once I cut both pieces of fleece, I created a Wisconsin Badger logo that I sewed to the solid red side of the blanket. Refer to the bottom of this post for instructions on how to make your own fleece appliqué! After attaching this logo, I made sure the fleece pieces were perfectly matched (right sides facing out) and began to create fringe for the blanket. I first cut 4″x4″ squares out of each corner, and proceeded to create fringe pieces that were 4″ long and 1.5″ wide, along each side of the blanket. To speed up this process, I placed a piece of blue painter’s tape in a parallel straight line 4″ from each edge of the blanket, and cut through both layers of fleece at once with a rotary cutter.

As I cut sections of fringe, I created slits through both pieces of fabric in the middle of each 1.5″ piece, at the very top, with an exacto knife. I would recommend creating very small horizontal slits, just wide enough to pull the fabric through, as this will keep your blanket from coming undone and create a uniform border around one side of your blanket, as shown in the picture below. Note that the border is created with whichever fleece pattern is on the bottom, in this case the solid red fleece.

As I created these slits, I looped both layers of fleece through the the top, as shown below, and pulled the fleece gently through each slit to create a border around the edge. It actually helped to complete the blanket in sections as it kept the fabric pieces lined up (and I was also far too antsy to wait until everything was cut to see how it would look).

Before I knew it, I had created a custom throw blanket, perfect for fall weather. Create blankets in different patterns and designs for different rooms of the house or for gifts, and if you are feeling really ambitious, follow these instructions to make matching pillows as well!

BADGER LOGO

To create the logo shown above, I used extra red fleece (NOT the piece I had cut for the blanket) and a yard of both black and white fleece. To start, I printed and traced the logo I wanted to recreate on a fresh sheet of paper, and measured the length and width at multiple points of the logo to create accurate proportions. I multiplied these dimensions by four to create a logo that was approximately 2′ x 2′, and carefully cut out the design from the red fleece with a rotary cutter.

Once I had cut the red ‘W’, I placed it on top of the black fleece to cut the same shape, and then pinned them so that the black fleece created a shadow effect. I pinned these to the white background to make the logo pop, and started to sew! Because fleece is stretchy, I used a lot of pins to make sure the logo kept its shape. As shown below, I sewed very close to the edge around the red ‘W’ to create a clean outline, and then sewed the visible black sections to the white background. I also made sure to change the thread color in my sewing machine with each section to match the logo color.

Once the logo was finished, I attached it to my pre-cut piece of red fleece fabric by sewing along the edge of the white background. Create an appliqué of any shape or size to customize and add texture to your next throw blanket!

Ribbon Board

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How to make a ribbon board:

What you need: Painting canvas, quilt batting, fabric, buttons (small), ribbon (~40 yards), decorative beads (with a flat backing and larger than the buttons), needle and thread, glue gun, staple gun

A ribbon board can be a great gift for any occasion, and you can choose materials to accent any décor. Glue the board into an open frame to add a decorative finish around the edge! Make one for a friend, or make one for your own room or office to display your favorite pictures, invitations, notes, etc – get creative!

Before purchasing your materials, decide on the canvas size that will look best in your space. Once you have done this and have an idea of the color scheme you want to work with, head to your nearest craft store! I would recommend buying your canvas and fabric first so that you can then coordinate the accent décor.

For the ribbon board shown throughout the post, I used a light lavender fabric (kudos to my coworker for knowing his wife’s favorite color!) as the base. To add contrast, I chose dark brown, thin ribbon and flat brown and white disc-shaped beads to attach at the intersection points of the ribbon.

I started by covering the canvas with three layers of batting (use two if you have thicker batting), and securing it to the wooden frame of the canvas using a staple gun. Make sure to pull the batting taut around the edges to create an even surface.

After ironing the fabric, I again used the staple gun to attach one end to the back of the canvas, and pulled it taut over the batting so that the surface was slightly cushioned but smooth and even. I folded the fabric in at the corners, similar to how you would wrap a present, to create clean edges. Make sure to staple the fabric as flat as possible to the back of the canvas and cut off any excess so that your board can lie flush against a wall.

Once the base was complete, I started attaching the ribbons. To ensure that each ribbon diamond was uniform in size, I first decided on even increments that fit the size of the canvas. For my 22” x 28” canvas, I measured four increments of 5.5” on the 22” side and five increments of 5.6” on the 28” side, making light pencil marks on the edge of the board to mark these points. I would recommend making your marks between 5″ and 6″ apart so that the board can easily hold pictures, but it’s up to you!

Once the board was marked, I attached each ribbon piece to the back of the board, starting in one corner and making my way to the opposite end. I only used one (large) dot of glue on the back of the canvas to attach each ribbon, and then moved to the other corner to attach ribbons perpendicular to the previous set, creating diamonds. Make sure to buy enough ribbon – you will use more than you expect, as learned from personal experience.

Before buttoning down the points of intersection, I measured the diamonds to make sure they were the correct size and held them in place using them using sewing pins. Then, I used a needle and thread to attach buttons at each point of intersection through all layers of the board, creating tufts and giving the board texture.

Once all buttons were secure, my coworker chose a great pattern using brown and white beads, and we glued them directly on top of the buttons. They were the perfect finishing touch to the chic and polished accent piece!

To hang the board currently displaying all of my favorite pictures and invites in my room, I hammered three thumb tacks into the wall and placed the board on the tacks using the wooden frame of the canvas. I had to add more staples to the back to flatten the batting and fabric, but it’s been on my wall for over a year now, so I must have done something right! Have fun!

Wine Cork Board

How to make a cork board out of old wine corks:

What you need: Wine corks (~250 halves for a 22″x28″ board), cork roll, frame, wood glue, sharp razor, steamer (optional, if you want to cut your corks in half)

Have a collection of old wine corks that you just can’t seem to throw away? Don’t worry if you don’t, you can buy them at any craft store… or drink up! Wine cork boards can be a great accent piece for any type of décor – use a wooden frame for a rustic chic look, a white decorative frame to make it more shabby chic, or even a black or metal frame for a more modern look. If you plan to put the cork board in a bar area (you are using wine corks, after all), it could also be fun to glue beer bottle caps around the frame, too!

Before I even touched the wine corks, I prepped my frame by taking the glass out and reattaching the back. Then, I cut a piece of cork out of the roll and glued it into the frame using the wood glue, creating a base. This glue takes a while to set, so I used a few books to hold it in place until it bonded (overnight, if possible). In hindsight, I probably didn’t need to line the frame with cork, but it did add an extra layer of depth to the board, and the wood glue worked well on the porous surface.

While the glue was drying, I cleaned the corks in a mixture of warm water and dishwashing detergent (use gloves!!) to get rid of any residual wine and also the wine smell. I gently scrubbed each cork in the mixture and rinsed them with cool water before setting them on paper towels to dry.

Because I wanted to make two cork boards, I had the bright idea to cut the corks in half to create more (after letting the cork dry for a couple of hours). WARNING: Corks are not easy to cut in half. I tried everything – a steak knife, a giant serrated knife, an mini electric saw contraption – you get the idea. But naturally, I was still set on finding a way to do it. After relentlessly searching online, I finally read that steaming the corks would help to soften them, and it worked! I steamed batches of 10 or so in a double broiler for 6 to 10 minutes, and it made the task much more manageable.

Well, it was more a combination of steaming them and calling in reinforcements (a.k.a. Randy Cramm), but since you probably won’t be able to convince him to cut 200 corks again, I would definitely recommend steaming them. Because I wanted the design of each cork to show on both sides, I created a slit where I wanted the cut to be and my dad used a scraper blade to slice through each cork (Crammily assembly line shown below).

If this sounds far too complicated, remember that you can make your board with full corks as well, and it will look just as great! If you do decide to use full corks, I would recommend using a shallow shadow box versus a frame so that the corks don’t protrude too much.

Once all of my corks were cut and dry, I started to assemble a pattern in the frame. I wanted to keep each pair of corks together, so I placed the first set of corks in the middle of the frame and worked off of that. For the board on the left, I set the corks at a 45 degree angle to contrast the lines of the frames, and followed the same pattern until I reached the edge of the board (there were a lot of gaps because of the angles). For the cork board on the right, my friend Sofia created a more linear pattern, and even used the tops of some of the corks to add some flare around the border!

Once the corks were set in the desired pattern, I started to glue them down. I picked them up in sets of four to six, put a pool of wood glue directly on the cork board base, and then set the corks back into the pattern. Use a generous amount of glue!

Once all corks were glued in place, I worked to fill in the gaps on the edges. I continued the same pattern used throughout the rest of the board, and marked in pen where the cork met with the border of the frame. Using the scraper, I cut each cork to fit like a puzzle (also one of my favorite things) into the frame. I was able to use some corks to create multiple pieces, but I did need to cut more corks to fit the crevices in the angled pattern than in the more linear pattern. Both turned out great!

Once the cork boards were finished, I put a couple of books on top of them to help bond the wood glue and let them sit overnight. Well, with the second one at least. I made the mistake of tilting the first one upright too soon, causing a lovely trail of wood glue to seep down the back of the frame. Rookie mistake!

If you want to get really fancy, you can even create your own tacks using decorative beads, a little super glue, and some plain tacks. Simply put a dot of glue on the bead and attach the tack to create decorative tacks in minutes!

Pin a couple of pictures and/or a monogrammed letter to the board to make the perfect personalized gift, or use the corks that you’ve been saving in a jar to create a great accent piece for your home! It can also make a great housewarming gift (especially if you use the new homeowners’ corks to make it… Thanks, Ed and Mal!). Try different patterns to find what works best for you, and enjoy!

Craft With TLC

Custom Designs For Every Occasion