Have you ever used a stencil of cut vinyl only to have the paint bleed through and ruin what should have been crisp lines? Well I've figured out how to fix this issue and thought I'd share an easy fix to this problem as I go over how I created a porch leaning Welcome sign.
I bought a porch leaning sign from Hobby Lobby after Easter at 75% off, so with only $6 invested I was fine with how it looked since it had ‘Welcome’ on one side and ‘Happy Easter’ on the other. I displayed the ‘Welcome’ side over the summer but with fall right around the corner I wanted something that could change with the seasons and be less country and more my style. I found a black and white sign on Pinterest which served as the inspiration for changing up what I had and turning it into what I envisioned. I wanted to share my process in case you too are interested in creating a sign that can be used year-round.
As I stated, I used a prefabricated leaning sign. It measures 60” tall by 9” wide. You could easily and cheaply cut a piece of inexpensive lumber to size which could be used for this project. If so, make sure you sand before painting.
First off, I cleaned my sign since it had been outside and had some dirt on it. Next, I painted the entire front black using a small paint roller. I had a sample quart of SW Tricorn (black) left over from another project so this is what I used. I applied 3 coats allowing a couple hours of drying time between each coat. If you’re not painting over a preprinted sign, 1 to 2 coats is probably sufficient.
Once the black is good and dry, I waited 24 hours between the final coat of paint and applying the vinyl stencil. I cut out my stencil using my Cricut Explore 2. For this project is cut out 2 laurel leaves, ‘Welcome to Our’, ‘H’, ‘M’, ‘E’, and stripes.
I applied the stencil to the sign and taped around the stencil to cover any exposed areas that could accidentally get painted. In order to get crisp edges when using vinyl as a stencil, you want to apply a coat of Mod Podge to the stenciled area prior to painting. I use a foam brush to apply the Mod Podge. Allow the Mod Podge to dry completely, then paint in your stenciled area. **This coat of Mod Podge is the secret to getting crisp lines when using vinyl stencil, so do not forget this step.**
I used a foam brush to dab the paint onto the stencil. I used acrylic craft paint for both the white and green applying two coats of each color allowing the paint to dry for a couple of hours between each coat. Once the final coat is dry gently removed your vinyl stencils. Finally, apply a coat of Mod Podge to the entire sign.
Your sign is done but now it’s time to create a mini seasonal sign to represent the ‘O’ in ‘HOME’. Since fall is right around the corner, I decided to go with a pumpkin. Using a 10” wood round which can be found here, I drew out the shape based on the size of the open area on the sign which happens to be around 8.5” x 8.5”. I painted the sign before cutting it out. Next time I will sketch my shape, cut out, and then paint. I used a jigsaw to cut out the pumpkin but since the wood I used is thin it split and splintered into areas that I’d painted. I sanded the shape to smooth it all out, then repainted the areas that had splintered.
I applied Command Velcro strips to the back of the pumpkin then applied it to my sign. All I’ll have to do for my next seasonal mini sign is affix new Command strips to the large sign and press the mini sign into place. This should make it easy to add new signs as well as reuse old ones.
I really enjoyed creating this sign and I’m looking forward to making new mini signs for it as the seasons change. Let me know if you have any questions and please share your projects with me if you decide to make your own seasonal porch sign. I’d love to see them!
Happy crafting,
Jessica
