Step-by-Step guide - How to create a wooden Halloween sign
This mixed media project is perfect for the spooky season or easily adaptable to suit any occasion.
Craft Products Used
- Wooden chopping board (or wooden sign can be used)
- Crafter's Companion Halloween Collection
- We R Makers 'The works' board
- Ribbon (wired)
- Bow maker
- Stencil Sentiment (Trick or treat)
- Cosmic shimmer flakes and glue
- Tattered Angels chalk mist
- Cosmic Shimmer Airless Mister
Basic essentails used
- Black, White and Orange Acrylic paint
- Pencil
- Paint brushes & pallette
- Glue
- White & black gelly pens
- Masking tape
- Glass mat
Step One
Mask a slopped area across the centre of the chopping board, add a few strips to create a wide protective area. Tear a strip of the masking tape down the centre with a gentle wiggling motion to create a raw edge - this will give a nice effective border when you peel it off after painting.
Step Two
Using black acrylic paint, cover the area between the masking tape, allow to dry and add a second coat - this should be enough, but if you feel it needs another coat, repeat the process.
Step Three
Place a Halloween stencil in the bottom corner and use masking tape to secure in place. We used the pumpkin stencil out of the Crafter's Companion Halloween collection.
Gently add paint using a stippling brush and motion, allow to dry and add a second coat. Whilst the second coat is still wet, use a thin paintbrush with white acrylic paint and add some stripes down the pumpkin to create dimension.
Step Four
Once dry, with an ultrafine paintbrush add some outline detail by mixing black and white to make a dark grey paint. By this point your black paint in the centre should be dry. Shake the cosmic shimmer airless mister and gently spray across the black area.
Step Five
We used the face stencil with black paint to create the features on the pumpkin. Once dry add the stalk with green paint.
Step Six
Once completely dry, remove masking tape from the central area - at this point you should see the effect the torn masking tape has created.
Step Seven
In the opposite top corner to the pumpkin at the bottom, place the witch stencil onto the wood and secure with masking tape. Paint black and allow to dry. Repeat the process and once fully dry, remove the stencil.
Step Eight
We created our own large 'Trick or Treat' sentiment stencil using a circuit and stencil vinyl. You can create your own or use a stencil of your choice. Place the stencil over the black painted central area and using a stencil brush and stipple effect cover with white paint. Repeat the process and once dry remove the stencil to reveal the sentiment. Use a black fine line pen to go around wording - this will make it pop.
Step Nine
We used the witch stencil sheet from the Halloween collection. Pencil draw a moon and stars around the witch and paint white. Add some cosmic shimmer glue and flakes to create a gold shimmer effect. You can also add some gold flakes and stars around the pumpkin too! You can place these anywhere - the choice is yours, let your creativity flow!
Step Ten
Add some sequins or gems for added dimension and sparkle.
Step Eleven
Create a bow with dimension by using wired ribbon.
Place your bow maker in front of you and cut a length of gold wired thread. Fold in half to create a loop and place into bow maker tucking the ends underneath to keep them out of the way until later. Cut 2 lengths of ribbon to create the ribbon legs (you can decide how long you need the ribbon legs depending on the size of your board or sign). Twist the top of them and tuck into bow maker leaving about 1-2 inches each side (this can be trimmed off at the end.) We have chosen to use 3 complimenting ribbons but you can do it all the same if you wish. There are no rules to how much you use. The more ribbon you add, the fuller the bow will be.
Having placed the ribbon legs into the bow maker, we now switch to a plain ribbon. Push this ribbon into centre of the bow maker, leaving a couple of inches to one side. Gently loop the ribbon and push into bow maker, loop over and twist slightly, push into centre and repeat this process working from side to side until you have your chosen amount of loops.
Our bow was made of ribbon legs using patterned ribbon, first bow two loops each side of plain ribbon, second layer patterned ribbon two loops each side then final layer with patterned ribbon slightly thinner two loops each side. Gently untuck and bring the wired thread up from underneath the bow maker. Bring the looped end all the way over and tuck the opposite end through then pull tight to create a slip knot. Be careful when lifting your bow off the maker as it is not yet fully secure, turn the bow over so it is face down and knot the wired thread several times to secure the bow. Fold the legs in half and cut diagonally at the bottom to create a dovetail.
Step Twelve
With the remaining length of wired ribbon, secure your bow to your chopping board by tying around the handle. You could hot glue gun or staple your bow down if you do not have a place to tie. Trim off all excess ribbon and raw edges, shape your loops to create desired bow finish. We used a hot glue gun to stick a flower and gem in the centre too.
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Happy Crafting!