Everyone knows that weddings are expensive! I experienced this first hand when planning my wedding for last October. You really have to save money anywhere you can. You know I love crafting and saving money-so I got to work. I really wanted to have some rustic looking custom wood signs around the venue.

I decided to make our own signs to save on some money. I knew I could use this great DIY method to make my own awesome looking sign. This simple technique will give you professional looking results for a fraction of the cost! This sign for our wedding cost me less than $10 to make.

That being said… this isn’t the easiest DIY out there. I make DIYs all the time that I say anyone can do- but I don’t think ANYONE could do this one. I’m not trying to discourage you, just letting you know it will still take some fine motor skills. But if you’re up for the challenge, the results will absolutely make it worth it!

So let’s get to the technique!

Tools to make your DIY custom wood signs:

• Wood sign (I got mine at Michael’s, but here is a similar one and here is another)
• Printer (I love my brother printer!)
• Ballpoint pen
• Masking tape
• Paint (Here is a single white, but this is the set I have)
• Small paintbrush (this set looks nice)

Step One: Print your words in your desired font and size

This should be your easiest step (unless you take as much time to pick out fonts as me!). Just print out your words in the font, layout, and size you want them on your sign.

If you are a bit of a messier painter, try going with a brush script like Bakery or Freeland. Neater fonts are harder to fill in- mistakes will show more.

The fonts I used are Goodlife Script and Typnic Tilted.

If you want you can cut around the words to position them where you want them to be on the sign. Use masking tape to tape them onto the sign where you want them to go.

Step Two: Trace your letters with a pen

After taping your printed words where you want them to be, trace the edges with a ballpoint pen. You don’t need to press very hard, but you should use decent pressure. This will leave outlines for you to fill in.

Step Three: Fill in with paint

The last thing to do is paint! I did two or three coats.You can see in the picture below that your tracing will leave nice lines that you can just fill in. It’s easier than it sounds.

Step Four: Hang and enjoy!

And enjoy your wallet being just slightly heavier and your hands just slightly messier :)

I don’t know about you, but I love crafting. In the weeks leading up to our wedding it totally helped me de-stress. I just turn on a podcast and get to work. Focusing on the detail work is really meditative. There’s a reason adult coloring is so popular!

I did end up improvising and painting a bit out of the lines on some of the letters. I accidentally taped my words down on a slight angle, so I had to correct them to straighten them out. So really make sure your letters are straight before you start tracing!

The sign was wonderful at our wedding! Here it is on our dessert table.

There are so many different applications for this DIY! Wood signs also make a great gift or fun decor project for the house.

I actually used this technique a few weeks after our wedding to make a gift for my good friend who got married. I made them a sign with their new last name to hang in their new place. It has such a different look from the sign I made for our wedding, and it uses the same technique!

I’ve actually kept our wedding hashtag sign and I plan to hang it in our craft room/ office. That is if I ever get done unpacking in there! But that’s a topic for another day…

This technique is so reliable, and the applications are literally endless- so get out there and make yourself some custom wood signs!

Supplies Used In This Post

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Ah, fall. Inspiring creativity in all of us. What better season to make a festive craft? If you’re anything like me, you don’t like spending a lot of money on craft supplies. Well, lucky for you, Dollar Tree is having a fabulous event right now. The Dollar Tree Anniversary Celebration is happening until October 11th. During this event, Bonus Buys will be available in stores and online- meaning you will get more of your favorite Dollar Tree items- and everything is still $1 each. So this is the perfect opportunity to take advantage. You can make this awesome craft for under $10 using supplies from Dollar Tree!

I’m not so good at doing seasonal decorations around the apartment. But there is just something about fall. I don’t know if it is the honeycrisp apples talking, but I wanted to be festive this year. I thought it would be fun to make some fall-themed colorful vases. Well, because of Dollar Tree’s awesome event, it is the perfect time to make this craft. All you need are plain glass vases, sponges, and some craft paint.

And then you can sip your pumpkin-flavored drink while wearing a cozy sweater admiring your fall vases.

The supplies you will need are:

• Glass vases
• Scrub sponges
• Craft paint in various fall colors
• A marker
• Scissors
• Leaf shaped stencils (you can just print out leaf shapes and use them as stencils, or grab a real leaf from outside and trace it!)

Seriously, you want to take advantage of this event. You can get the same products you usually get at Dollar Tree, but during the event these Bonus Buys come in larger sizes, and they still only cost a dollar- that’s the beauty of Dollar Tree. Scrub Sponges will come in larger packs and the Glass Vases are even bigger. It’s the perfect time to make this craft. Quantities are limited, so don’t procrastinate (this is one of the few times when I won’t advocate for procrastination!).

So now on to how you make this awesome craft…

Step One: Cut Sponges into Leaf Shapes

You can use a stencil or you can draw leaves free-hand. I printed out pictures of leaves and used them as a stencil because I don’t trust myself to draw neatly. Simply trace the leaf shape onto the scrubby side of the sponge (which is great for writing) and then cut along the lines with sharp scissors.

Step Two: Sponge paint designs onto vases

I decided to go with three different designs: one all-green vine design, one multi-colored maple leaf design, and one colorful stripe designs. I knew they would compliment each other.

To sponge-paint, all you have to do is put your paint color on a paper plate, dip your sponge in it, and press the sponge onto the vase. And then just let them dry, and admire!

The maple leaf design is supposed to look like a pile of fallen leaves. I think it turned out pretty good. It’s my favorite of the three. But what I really like is how all three of the vases look together. To make the stripes, I used masking tape to keep a straight line and even spacing. Easy peasy.

Pretty cute and festive right? And one of the best parts about this craft is how hands on it is, so it will be fun to do with the kiddos. Everyone loves sponge painting right? Your hands get a little messy, but it’s just more fun than a paintbrush.

I am thinking that I will put candles in the vases. So I guess they are fabulous fall vases/ candle holders. Multi-purpose, yay! The designs and the flickering lights will go well together. And it will feel even more cozy.

Our apartment is much more fall-friendly now. And it barely cost me anything. You gotta love Dollar Tree crafts.

And now that you’re in the fall spirit- you better be ready for Halloween! I’m gonna be posting a pretty adorable Halloween post soon, so keep your eyes open. Do yourself a favor and get some Halloween treats when you are getting your craft supplies from Dollar Tree! And if you’re looking for some more craft inspiration- check out Dollar Tree’s Pinterest.

If you make some fall vases, send me a picture and I will post them on the blog!

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