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DIY Welcome Signs

As an extra special welcome, I created these welcome/do not disturb signs to be included in the OOT baskets. The signs went with the slightly French vintage theme of the event – one side “Bienvenue a la Maison” welcomes people into the room and the other “Ne Pas Deranger” asks for a little bit of peace and quiet.

diy do not disturb sign
{Image courtesy of Jenna}

Bar none, this was my favorite DIY project. It wasn’t necessarily the easiest and perhaps not the most perfect, but I am so pleased with the results!

diy welcome signs
{Author’s personal collection}

I have to warn you, these are not for the faint of heart but if you are in the mood to DIY them, I’ll give you all of the instructions here.

You’ll need:

  • Blank wood door hangers (can be purchased at most craft stores)
  • Delta Ceramcoat (or another brand) Sealer
  • Acrylic Paint
  • Grafix Rub-onz Transfer Paper
  • Delta Ceramcoat (or another brand) Satin Varnish
  • Sandpaper or a sanding block
  • Painters tape
  • Natural bristle brushes (medium and small)

Instructions:

  • Thoroughly sand each door hanger. You cannot over-sand.
  • Apply painters tape to one side of the doorknob opening. Turn over, and using your medium natural bristle brush, thoroughly cover with sealer. The painters tape is so that the sealer does not bleed through and dry on the other side of the opening causing a bubble or raised area. When dry, remove the painters tape, reapply on the reverse side and seal. Note: the sealant dries extremely fast.
  • Repeat the entire sand and seal process.
  • Now that you have a prepped sign, it’s time to paint (you can choose to forego this option if natural wood suits your fancy). Using the same technique as the sealing, carefully paint each side. Depending on your paint, you may need two coats. Let dry thoroughly.
  • Using Photoshop, Illustrator, freehand drawing, or some other method, create your design and print onto the Grafix Rub-onz Transfer Paper. Don’t forget to print in mirror image!
  • Carefully cut out and place your design onto the sign. Use the included popsicle stick to smooth any bubbles. If any remain, use a thumbtack or other sharp object to poke a hole in the bubble, then smooth with the stick. This should leave a smooth surface.
  • With the same technique as the sealing, apply the Satin Varnish. Two coats on each side and voila!

diy do not disturb signs
{Author’s personal collection}

Total cost (for 30): $30 – wood blanks, $10 – acrylic paint, $0 – brushes, sanding block (already owned), $7 – sealer, $7 – varnish = $54
Time spent: Estimated 30 man hours. The sanding took by far the longest, but the painting wasn’t too fun either!

As you can see, this wasn’t an expensive project in terms of budget, but it did take up two full weekends of my time. However, I’m so glad I made them as it was the first thing welcoming my guests when they reached their hotels and really gave them a feel for what they could expect from the event.

E.

PS – The Grafix Rub-onz Transfer Paper is God’s gift to crafters. You must get some. Seriously.