Is anybody else besides me freaked out by how late in November Thanksgiving is? I feel like I will have no. time. at. all. between Thanksgiving and Christmas--which is why I decided that I needed to double up on decorations! This little sign is double sided--one side Thanksgiving themed, the other, Christmas themed! So now all I have to do is flip the sign and I'm already one step closer to being decorated for Christmas!
Here's how I made this project.
I took a piece of wood lying around our garage. It used to be part of some makeshift stairs at our workbench. It was never planed smooth, and has seen some better days. This was perfect for my plans, since I didn't have to do much "antiquing" to the plank.
I painted the wood a bright red--just a couple of coats with a sample I had on hand.
Then I took my dremel and the steel wool and sanding attachments and antiqued the finish. This translates to "make the wood look like it came out of an old barn," as my husband called it.
Then I applied a coat of clear paste wax to the whole board, and after it was dry I buffed it to a nice gloss. I did this for a few reasons. One was to make sure there was a uniform surface for the vinyl. Another reason was to deepen the color of the board and give it all a little shine. But mostly, I wanted to experiment with the paste wax on a smaller project before applying it to a larger project I'm in the middle of.
Then, I started working on the Silhouette software. I selected a font I liked--intrigue script. I typed out my text: "jingle bells" and "be thankful." To make each word basically all one smooth piece of vinyl, I selected each word, then right clicked and selected "weld"
To make the leaves, I just used a recent leaf shape that was the freebie of the week. If you're thinking of getting a Silhouette Cameo or Portrait, go ahead and follow their blog--every week they have a free shape!
The jingle bell I created on my own. I made a circle and a oval shape and welded them.
To create the loop on top, I made a smaller circle, offset it, and then moved both of them to the bell shape. I welded each circle in turn to make the loop.
After I cut out the vinyl, I painted the Thanksgiving side with some gold accents in craft paint. I did the same with the Christmas side, only with silver.
That's all I needed to do to make my quick change decor for Thanksgiving and Christmas!!
This project is also a part of the Silhouette Challenge! I am super excited to be challenged and inspired to be more creative with my Silhouette Portrait!
Want to Check Out More Silhouette Projects?
My Silhouette Challenge buddies are all sharing projects today on their blogs, so peruse the links below for a blog-hopping good time.
DIY Ironing Board Hanger by The Turquoise Home
Silhouette Challenge: Time Zone Bathroom Art by Nearly Handmade
Santa's Christmas Countdown by Tried & True
Nautical Anchor Pillow Tutorial by The Thinking Closet
Christmas Card Ornament with Free Cut File by unOriginalMom
Itching to Etch by Get Silvered
Snowman Tag ~ Silhouette Challenge by Whats Next Ma
Thanksgiving Sign by Chicken Scratch NY
DIY Horse Silhouette Pillow by Rain on a Tin Roof
Sketching on Fabric by The Sensory Emporium
Paper Leaf Garland by Lil' Mrs. Tori
DIY Blessing Board - Silhouette Challenge by One Tough Mother
Christmas Pillow by Create & Babble
Glass Painting with Reverse Stencils by Givemeapaintbrush
Chalkboard Thankful Tree by Cutesy Crafts
Bottoms Up! MYO Wine Tag by From Wine to Whine
'Happy Holly-days' Tags for the Swap by An Elegant Touch...
Thank You for Dinner (Card) by Everyday Paper
Advent Star Christmas Countdown by My Favorite Finds
Geometric Fabric Bowls by Please Excuse My Craftermath...
Paper Carnival by Home At Eight
Silhouette Cameo Tutorial: Dual Sided Business Cards by Black and White Obsession
In Case of Emergency Baby Bag Tags by Tossed Salad Life
Christmas On My Mind by Creative Turn
Jingle all the Way!by My Paper Craze
Christmas Lights Garland by Making Home Base
We Are Thankful by 4 You With Love
Seattle Skyline Silhouette by Sowdering About in Seattle
DIY Stenciled Mug sby Coley's Corner
Do you have a Silhouette machine?
Looking for Silhouette inspiration, support, trouble-shooting? Interested in joining us for our group posting event next month? Then, we'd love to have you join our Silhouette Challenge Facebook group. To join, simply fill out the new member request form, and Lauren from The Thinking Closet will get you squared away.
I love to party! Sometimes I link up my posts to Organizing Junkie, Tidy Mom and these link parties! You should come party with me and check out some awesome new bloggers!