DIY Wooden Pumpkin Sign

     Hi all!  We are in the midst of our CRAZY month of September.  My husband is currently in France on business. I'm home alone with the kids, keeping them alive, mostly happy (although the twins were really mad about the early bedtime I enacted last night), and trying to pack for my own trip to the city of lights.  Well not so much packing as whining about the limited selection of makeup I'm forced to bring, intermingled with panic attacks of flying solo across a massive body of water.

     So I needed something to keep my overactive mind occupied.  Time for a craft project!  And this little fall pumpkin sign has been perfect.  The steps are quick with quite a bit of downtime in between, so find a place to set it up where it can just stay put for a few days and tackle whenever you have a few minutes to yourself (nap times, right after bedtime, etc).

What You Will Need:

• Scrap wood - various widths and heights (one piece per letter) - I used craft wood as our scrap pile is gone now that we've recently moved. 
• Wood letters  
• Wooden Leaves - I found these in the Autumn section of Hobby Lobby. 
• 1 Dowel rod cut down into 4 pieces for "stems" 
• Fine grit sandpaper
• Wood Glue
• Acrylic Paint 
• Americana Decor Creme Wax - Deep Brown (optional)
• Sawtooth picture hangers (not shown)

Step 1: Cut and Sand as Needed

     The two "l" pieces of wood I selected were originally the same length.  To add some variety I trimmed one of them down.  I also cut a dowel rod into 4 pieces for the stems.  I quickly ran a piece of sandpaper over all the edges to make sure they were smooth.  I also attempted to sand the wood letters as best as I could since the edges were pretty ragged. 

Step 2: Glue the Pumpkins Together

     Run a small line of wood glue along both edges of the "a" pumpkin and the left edge of the last "l" pumpkin.  I used a finger to thin and smooth the glue into a wider strip.  Layer the "a" pumpkin on top of  the "F" and the first "l" pumpkins.  Layer the left side of the final "l" pumpkin over the right edge of the first "l" pumpkin.  I tucked a paper towel under the right edge of the last pumpkin to keep it level while it dried.  Set the pumpkins aside and let them dry overnight. 

Step 3: Paint the Leaves and Letters

     While the glue on the pumpkins was drying, I painted the leaves and letters with acrylic paint. I didn't prime anything, and two coats of a standard craft acrylic paint was enough for full coverage. Set aside and let dry overnight. 

Step 4: Paint the Pumpkins

     Once the glue has fully dried, paint the pumpkins.  I used a 2" foam brush and two coats of a craft acrylic paint - the name of which was actually pumpkin!  I did not prime the wood, and the paint coats are a bit thin to let some of the wood grain texture show through.  Set aside to dry. 

Step 5 (optional): "Age" the Pumpkins

     The pumpkin orange paint I selected was a little bright for my taste, so I decided to darken it up by "aging" the sign using creme wax.  I used a old washcloth to liberally apply the creme wax over the entire painted surface, making sure I got wax in all the nooks and crannies of the pumpkins.  Then I used a clean portion of the washcloth to wipe off all the excess wax, wiping in strokes that went with the grain of the wood.  Wax that was deposited in the crevices of the wood will remain behind providing the darker, aged (dirty) look.  I continued to add wax until I was happy with the look, then set aside to dry. 

Here's a close-up view of how the wax settles in the wood grain to give a more aged look. 

Step 6: Glue the Letters, Leaves, & Stems 

     Again I used my finger to smooth the glue out over the backside of the leaves and letters.  Wipe away any excess with a paper towel.  The wood glue will not dry clear, but it can be painted. It's easiest to just wipe away than it is to paint it later though. Set aside to dry overnight. 

Step 7: Attatch the Sawtooth Picture Hangers

     Sorry I do not have a picture of this step as I still need to get some. But I can show you that they look like this:

They are easily found at any craft store or home improvement store (I usually find them sold for less at the home improvement locations).  I plan on attaching two, one to the back of the "F" pumpkin and another to the back of the first "l" pumpkin.  Use a ruler or a level to make sure that they are level with each other. 

Step 8: Hang Up & Do a Dance!

Seriously.  Another fun project for the house complete!  You are a domestic goddess (god) and should be treated as such :)

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DIY: Festive Fall Wreath With Monogram

      In my opinion there is nothing more welcoming than a nice wreath on the front door.  This is true for all seasons, but in the fall there's something about the colors that just makes it more cozy and friendly.   Pre-made wreaths however can be pricey, especially if you want a full one with lots of fall foliage. Fortunately wreaths are easy to make - I promise even the most crafty-challenged person can take this on.  And with some ad watching, making a wreath can be ridiculously affordable.  Included below are the instructions to copy the look I have created above. 

What You'll Need:

1. 20" Grapevine wreath 

2. Wooden letter or saying

3. Acrylic paint - 1 tube 

4. Burlap ribbon - 1 Spool should be more than enough.

5. Twine

6. Mod Podge

7. Glitter

8. Scissors

9. Paint brushes

10. Floral stems - I used 4 leaves, 2 pumpkins and 4 "berries"

Step 1: Paint Your Monogram

     I used a foam brush for this to keep the brush strokes to a minimum as I was using a metallic gold paint. I also let it dry overnight. The paint I used is from DecoArt (I picked it up at Hobby Lobby) and is a paint that I already had at home and have used in many different crafts.  You could easily use spray paint on this if you were so inclined, I just wanted to keep costs to a minimum and use paint I already had. 

Step 2: Glitter Your Pumpkins

     Go insane, go insane! Throw some glitter make it rain!  OK I'm done singing Ke$ha (maybe). Anyway, if you wanted to make this easier on yourself you could buy the floral stems that had pumpkins with glitter already applied.  I wasn't fond of my color selection, these non-sparkly pumpkins were a pretty dark orange-red.  So I very lightly brushed some Mod Podge on the tops and dusted them with a fine-grit glitter.  Then set them aside to dry with the monogram. 

Step 3: Make a Bow

     I followed the directions from this lovely site: http://www.thistlewoodfarms.com/how-to-make-a-burlap-bow.  Bow making is not my strong suit. If I were to do this again, I might use some burlap that is a smaller width and maybe wired. Alas this is what I had hanging around the house, left over from another craft so I figured I would use it here.  Also since the burlap is kind of deconstructed I felt that the the lop-lopsidedness wouldn't be too obvious. 

Step 4: Attach the Bow to the Wreath

     Figure out the general layout of the wreath and place the bow first.  This will be the anchor element of the wreath and all the other pieces will fan out from this central point.   I used a piece of twine to tie the ribbon to the wreath, but you could also use wire or even a hot glue gun.  The twine ties in nicely with the burlap and again it was something I had on hand.

A backside view of the attached bow.  I used a simple knot. 

Step 5:  Add in Pumpkins and Start Filling

     The HARDEST part of this project was figuring out where I was going to put the pumpkins.  Originally I thought the bow would be more in line with the wreath, and I was planning on doing pumpkins on top and bottom in a more symmetrical pattern.  I quickly realized that A: that looked really odd with only two pumpkins and B: my bow didn't want to lay straight.  So instead I let the bow sit however it wanted to and decided to do a more asymmetrical look.  I put the pumpkins on the top and the majority of the leaves on the bottom.  

     The great thing about the grapevine wreaths is that by their nature they catch on to everything.  For this step I just had to shove the floral stem wires deep into the vines and they stayed put. I shook the wreath around a bit to make sure they wouldn't fall out, which they did not.  If yours do you can secure them with some floral wire, twine, or even some glue from a hot glue gun. 

Step 6: Attach Your Monogram 

     I wanted our "N" to be in the middle of the wreath so I threaded some twine through the vines and tied each end to the letter.  If you wanted to you could use the twine (or any of the above mentioned methods) to attach it directly to the wreath.  

Step 7: Hang It Up: Bask in the Revelation That You Are a Crafting Genius. 

     This is the most important step - especially the second part.  When someone compliments your wreath (and they will) say "Thanks I made it myself!"  They will think you are amazing.  When your husband comes home and complains that you have spent more money on house decor - whip out the receipt and show him the savings - make sure to show him the prices of a pre-made wreath first! 

The Bottom Line:  How Much Did this REALLY Cost?

   These are the prices of the materials I did NOT have on hand, and had to buy.  I purchased everything from Hobby Lobby when it was 50% off.  If something you want isn't on sale at Hobby Lobby, wait a week.  Chances are next week it will be as they rotate departments every week. 

Grapevine wreath - $3.50

Wooden Letter - $1.75

Floral Stems "leaves" - $3.00 (4 at $0.75)

Pumpkin Stems - $1.50 (2 at $0.75)

Floral Stems "berries" - $4.00 (4 at $1.00)

TOTAL = $13.75

   I was able to save some by using materials I already had at home, the burlap ribbon, the glitter and the paint.  However all these materials are relatively cheap and can also be found at 50% off.  The most expensive item if you had to buy everything would probably be the Mod Podge and I think that can run around $11.00 at full price. 

 

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