FIRST DIY Bride: SIGNS Galore
Wood Signs
I use my Silhouette Cameo Vinyl Cutting Machine to design and cut the vinyl that transfers onto the wood. If you do not have a Silhouette (or Cricket), see if you can freehand paint your own signs with faux calligraphy! Every girl has a friend with great handwriting. Enlist her! This will save you money; personalized signs and wedding signs on Etsy are generally sold for a premium! But for a fraction of the cost, buying & staining wood and adding lettering is an amazing alternative. For serious crafters, a vinyl cutting machine is an amazing investment. I LOVE my Cameo.
Wood Photo Transfers
These are not only a great option because of the low cost of the supplies (essentially paper, wood, gel medium, and paint brush) but the fact that you don't have to pay for frames is an added bonus. I loved frame photos, but there is something very personal about having wood transfers.
Sidenote: I created a few wood transfers for a friend's wedding by obtaining HIGH RESOLUTION files from her fiancé, adding wording in photoshop (ex. Their last name or a scripture), and then transferring. Later I found out that the photographer who took the engagement photos saw the wood transfers displayed at their wedding and thought they were done by a professional. If that's not an endorsement that these can be super impressive, I don't know what is. It's worth a try-- give it a shot!
Table Number Frames
Watercolor Name Cards
Oversized Letters Tutorial
Supplies:
-Oversized letters printed on engineering paper (explained below)
-Cardboard Display boards (the type you use for school projects, you'll need one for each letter) or oversized moving boxes
-Double sided rolling tape (buy a value pack, you will need a lot!)
-Enough wrapping paper to cover the front of your letters (Mine was a Kate Spade floral print. Of course it is sold out now, but I found a few other sites with adorable prints: Papyrus and Paper Source)
-Box cutter
-Scissors
-Pen
-Paint (for back of letters)
-Foam paint brush
- Design (with help) and print your letters- Learn from my mistake: instead of designing your own letters, simply choose a FONT you like, and find a store that can help you design the letters to print on engineering paper (I went to OfficeMax). I originally designed my own and even with a design-savy husband, the files weren't large enough for how big I wanted them printed-- they were super pixelated. Luckily, the awesome employee at the printing service helped me recreate the letters using his software meant for large printing capability (for a small fee... maybe $2). Tell them what you want. Ex: "I am hoping to print an outline of the letters "l,o,v, and e" that are about 2 feet tall." People can better help you when they know what you are trying to do!
- Cut out each letter- Using regular scissors, cut around the letters, cutting out any interior sections as well. Ex. the inside of the "O". Be very careful when cutting to ensure you are creating the most accurate version of the letter.
- Trace your letters onto cardboard- Each of my letters fit into the middle portion of a three fold display board. I planned this on purpose to maximize the size of the final product. Again, trace your letters as accurately as possible. The success of your final product will be based on your attention to detail.
- Cut out the cardboard- Before cutting, I would suggest putting down some old boxes underneath your project. This will protect against cutting through to the surface you are working on. Using a box cutter, cut out your cardboard letters. This should be a very slow and precise method. If you are under 18, do not attempt using box cutters without an adult's supervision-- these are very dangerous and sharp tools. Use common sense and safety when cutting with box cutters-- cut away from your body at all times, and be sure to retract the blade immediately after use.
- Trace your cardboard cutouts onto wrapping paper- Picking out a wrapping paper was my favorite part-- this gives you so much creative freedom. I found a Kate Spade wrapping paper and bought 2 rolls because I wasn't sure how much I would need. I used 1.5 rolls, but this will depend on the size of the letters and the size of the roll. See the materials section for suggestions on where to purchase fun prints. To begin, take your wrapping paper, and place it PRINT SIDE DOWN on a hard, flat surface like a table or wood/tiled floor. I do not recommend tracing on carpet. Place your cardboard letter RIGHT SIDE DOWN on top of the wrapping paper. Trace around each letter. Then, remove the cardboard and cut your wrapping paper outlines with regular scissors. Use caution when moving your paper letters, as these will be flimsy and can wrinkle/tear easily.
- Paint the back of your cutout- I didn't want an ugly backside to my letters, so i used a cheap chalkboard paint found in the paint section at Hobbly Lobby (a small tube worked just fine for me). I applied two coats with a foam brush and gave it plenty of time to dry in between coats and after I was finished. The next step requires flipping the cardboard letters onto their backside, so do not rush the drying process-- it's not worth it.
- Tape the wrapping paper cutouts to the cardboard cutouts- You want to be very precise with this process! I used double sided rolling tape on small sections at a time for best accuracy. For example, start at the top of the letter and work your way down. There is little room to fix mistakes here, and the best advice I can give is to work slowly.
- Display your letters- You worked hard for this project, so make sure you keep it stored in a safe place until you are ready to display it for all to see!!
I'd love to see your finished project, so please feel free to send me a photo or tag me on Instagram (@graceunfiltered)!