Mr. and Mrs. Signs {and a vinyl giveaway}!

My friend Sara is getting married this October!  

Actually, I first met Sara when she was a 9th grade student in the English I class I was teaching {back in the pre-mama, pre-blogger days.}  We've kept in touch, and she's helped us out by babysitting LC from time to time.

But it makes me feel better and less old to just call her my friend, so we'll just use that, shall we?

Anyway, she saw some cute "Mr." and "Mrs." signs on Pinterest and asked me if I'd make her a pair to go on the chairs at the reception.  She chose the size for the signs and the font she wanted me to use, and told me her colors were red and silver.  Here's what I came up with:

Materials:

- 6x12 pieces of wood

- dark red adhesive vinyl {I used Oracal 631, provided by Expressions Vinyl}

- transfer tape {also from Expressions Vinyl}

- acrylic paint

- ribbon

- scissors, hot glue

- sandpaper

- Silhouette Cameo and Silhouette Studio {although you could also cut by hand}

STEP 1: Paint wood dark brown.  I know, if you want the signs to be ivory or white, it's counter-intuitive, but this is what will show through when you distress the wood.  Let it dry completely before moving on.  Trust me.

STEP 2: Paint over the brown with your desired color.  It took me 3 coats to completely cover the brown.  Just be patient even when it feels like the paint will never dry.

STEP 3: Cut your vinyl.  Sara chose the Scrap Calligraphy font, so I typed up the Mr. and Mrs. and sized them to the wood.

STEP 4: Use transfer tape to adhere vinyl to your signs.  All you do is peel off the backing of the transfer tape and put the sticky side onto your vinyl.  When you peel it away, the cut vinyl will come with it.  Then you can use the lines to help you get your words/images straight and properly positioned onto the wood.  Rub firmly, then peel the transfer tape away and the vinyl will be adhered in place.  The photos below are a sneak peek from another project I'm making for Sara's wedding, but they show you the process of using the transfer tape.

STEP 5: Distress signs with sand paper. Rub lightly around the edges until the top coats of paint sand off and you can see the dark brown starting to show through.

STEP 6: Glue ribbon to the back of each sign.

Sara and Michael both loved the finished product {whew!}.  Now, they just have to wait until October to use them!  Isn't she the cutest bride-to-be?  Congratulations, Sara, and thanks for letting me help you make your special day extra-special.

Meanwhile, I have to note that the Oracal 631 vinyl as well as the transfer tape from Expressions Vinyl were so easy to work with and made such a great-looking finished product.  Plus, my order arrived very quickly, which allowed me to get right to work.  {This is important when you're an impatient creator like me!} If you're looking for high-quality, affordable vinyl, I definitely recommend Expressions Vinyl as a place to buy it.  Not only do they have the kind I used, they also have glossy, permanent outdoor, and specialty vinyls, including iron on and t-shirt vinyl.  There are a variety of sizes available and a huge variety of colors.

And today, they're offering one lucky reader $25 credit to their online store!  Rafflecopter will walk you through the entry process; good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway