I’m was recently one of a few lucky bloggers who was invited to participate in the Elmer’s Looks for Less Challenge — my challenge was to create my own project inspired by a decor item found in catalog. I knew right away what I would do! I’ve always been a fan of Pottery Barn items and had recently seen a sign on their website that I would love to have in my home. You can see the product that inspired me here.
Elmer’s sent me an assortment of items to get started on my craft project: Foam Boards, CraftBond Glue Sticks, X-ACTO Designer, Series Gripster Knife, Painters Paint Markers, and even a $25 VISA gift card. I knew these items would help me create a fabulous sign for my kitchen!
I needed a few others things (or so I thought), I went to Michaels Craft Store – you can see my shopping experience here: Elmer’s Looks for Less Challenge: Kitchen Sign.
Okay, so let’s get started on how to make your kitchen sign!
Here’s what you need:
- Elmer’s Black 20×30 Foam Board
- Elmer’s CraftBond Repositionable Glue Stick
- Elmer’s CraftBond Extra-Strength Glue Stick
- X-ACTO Designer Series Gripster Knife
- Painters Calligraphy Set (Metallic Gold & Red Paint Marker)
- Ruler, Pencil, Home Computer, Printer, Paper
If you need to buy all the items for this craft project (excluding computer & printer), it will cost $26.00 or less!
The first thing to do is to create the letters you will need for tracing on your foam board. I used the “Georgia” font, at a size of 450 and typed out my word in my usual word processing program (Open Office). This is a BIG size, but that’s the size you’ll need to do the sign the way I have made it. If you make your sign differently, you’ll want to adjust the size to what will work best for you.
Print out the word and start arranging the sheets of paper together so that they spell the word. You’ll want to pay careful attention to the spacing of the letters. You may find it necessary to trim one edge of the paper to allow everything to line up evenly.
Using the Elmer’s CraftBond Repositionable Glue Stick, start gluing the sheet together. I recommend using this particular glue stick because it allows you to keep moving the papers until you have achieved the correct spacing.
Take your Elmer’s Black 20×30 Foam Board and lay it sideways (longest sides should be on the top and bottom). With the ruler, measure up 8.5″ and with your pencil, draw a even line from the left to the right. The line should lay 8.5″ from the bottom of the foam board. Now, rotate the foam board so that you have the other long end closest to you. Repeat this step in the same way. Your goal is to have two pieces that are 8.5×30″.
Place your foam board on a surface that won’t get damaged by cutting. With the X-ACTO Designer Series Gripster Knife, very carefully cut through the top part of the foam board on the lines you just create. After you make the first cut through the top fo the foam board, repeat the cut, but this time press down all the way through the foam board so that you fully cut it.
Now you will glue the two pieces of foam board together. With the two pieces laying flat, apply a generous amount of Elmer’s CraftBond Extra-Strength Glue Stick to one side of each piece of foam board.
Press the two glued sides together, taking great care to make sure all the edges are lined up evenly. Lay your foam board on a flat surface and a few magazines or books on top to keep it pressed together until it dries.
After the two pieces of foam have dried together, lay the sign you pieced together earlier on top of the foam board. Secure it with a temporary tape, straight pins, or you can do like I did, which is used giant paper clips.
With a ball point pen, begin tracing the letters, making sure to depress the pen into the foam board slight so that it will leave an indention.
Trace all the letters and when you are done, remove the sign. You should see an outline of all the letters you just traced.
Take the Metallic Gold Paint Marker from the Painters Calligraphy Set and begin tracing inside of each letter and coloring in each letter.
Here’s what it will look like after you have finished filling in all the letters. Allow them to dry completely before moving onto the next step.
After the letters are completely dried, you can add the red border. To do this, use your pencil and ruler to make the lines where you will draw the red border. I placed the lines 1″ from the top and 1″ from the bottom. I placed the lines for the sides about 1/3″ in from the left and also from the right side.
Using a plastic ruler, place it right on the pencil line you drew and use it as a guide for your red Painters Calligraphy Paint Pen. After you draw 12″, carefully lift your ruler up and then wipe it completely clean before laying it back down again on the next portion. Note: I found I had to go over the lines twice.
And like that, your Kitchen Sign is done! Wasn’t that easy? And would you believe this project only costs
GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!
Are you ready for the giveaway?? Elmer’s will be providing two prize packs for my readers to create their own Looks for Less.
Each prize pack includes:
• Black 20×30 Foam Board
• White 20×30 Foam Board
• CraftBond All-Purpose Glue Stick
• CraftBond Repositionable Glue Stick
• CraftBond Extra-Strength Glue Stick
• X-ACTO Designer Series Gripster Knife
• Painters Assorted Colors Set
To enter: Just leave a comment below about how you would use the Elmer’s prize pack if you win or let me know what you think of my project!
Important Info:
- Giveaway will end on Sunday, December 11 @ 11:59 pm PST
- Must be a US resident to enter
- One entry per person
- Winners will be chosen at random via random.org and will be notified via email provided
- Winners have 72 hours to respond to winning email to claim prize; if I don’t hear from you, I will choose an alternate winner
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Savaran says
It looks fabulous, hope i win this to make something similar.
Hemanth says
I will use this to make a birthday banner for my little daughter!
Roopa says
I love your project! I might make something similar for my little ones’ art wall:)
[email protected]
Heather H says
I love your project, I can’t believe how amazing, and professional, it looks with the Elmer’s products you used. The sign looks like something you would buy at the store. I would love to use these products to give to my niece to make herself a “room” sign.
hendymartin1 at yahoo dot com
Zaz says
What an awesome project! Was it really that easy? I have a a beam between my kitchen and dining room that is screaming for signage. 😀
heather loftus says
I think your project is awesome! I would like to try the same thing if i won!
Amanda Odair @beeacutie2 says
I want to make a shadow box! @beeacutie2
Wehaf says
I’d use this to make some baby shower decor.
Amber says
I love your project! It looks amazing!
Carolyn West says
This is really incredible. I’m a huge sign fanatic and have tons of them around my house. Never thought to make my own but I have the Elmer’s Painting Markers so I’m going to try this myself.
Linette says
I would love to stencil snowflakes on a wrapped canvas for a winter wall decoration in my home.
Carrie says
That looks amazing! The letters are perfect, you did a really good job on it.
Ariadna says
This is wonderful, Brandie! I love the sign, it looks very professional!!!
Elizabeth Taylor says
Love your sign. We are decorating Madison’s bedroom in a princess theme! Would love to have the prize pack to get us started on some awesome princess projects!
Theresa says
So clever! And so easy! I’d love one!
Kathy Murphy says
That turned out so good. I love the project.
Rebecca E. Parsons says
love this brandi!!! great job!!!
Crystal Martin says
You did a really great job replicating the sign! I like that you changed the saying and had yours say Kitchen. It looks fantastic!!!
Renee G says
I would like to make a Welcome sign.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com
Amy @ The Mom Hood says
That is seriously the smartest work-around for not having a stencil that I’ve ever seen! And I love that it’s super-frugal 🙂
Tonia @ The Gunny Sack says
I would love to have this sign hanging in my kitchen! Great job, Brandie!