This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.

Hey friends! The weather has finally improved a bit after weeks of pretty consistent rain and crazy winds, so I started to work on my porch a little. Sadly, our Spring is so bi-polar here in Northern Utah, that I don’t really get to decorate my porch for Spring. Being that it’s already the first of May, I decided to just jump to Summer decorations. Yesterday I threw together this DIY Hello Summer Wooden Board just using some scrap wood, a little vinyl, my Cricut and a little paint!

DIY Hello Summer Wooden Board Supplies:

26×26″ 1/4″ Plywood

1″ x 3″ x 9′ Trim or wood (I believe you can buy it in 8′ or 10′ pieces)

Wood Glue

Nails and Nail Gun

Circular Saw and Miter Saw (or Hand Saw)

Paint – whatever color you choose

3/4″ Screws

Vinyl Stencils made using my Cricut Explore Air 2

Command Strips 

Directions:

Cut a 26×26″ Square:

We had some extra 1/4″ plywood in the garage leftover from when I made my Floating Shelves, so that is what I used for my base square. I knew that I wanted to hang my end result with command strips, so I was looking for lightweight materials. I then took my hand Ryobi circular saw and cut a 26×26″ square. You’ll want to measure the area you want to hang the sign and adjust your cuts accordingly. 

Cut and Create Frame:

We had some leftover trim in the garage from when we finished our basement. So, that is what I used. I had a few 1″ x 3″ x 8′ pre-primed boards. You could really use so many different materials for your frame though. Thin fence posts, stakes (I love using stakes), or trim of any width. Just figure out the look you want and go for it!

I put my miter saw on a 45° angle and cut pieces 27″ from the outside corner to corner. You will need to rotate your wood pieces as you make the cuts, to ensure that the pieces will butt up together correctly. So, as you are making your cuts, make sure they are being done at the right angle. Once the 4 pieces are cut, attach using wood glue and then nail together on the corners using your nail gun. If you love making simple projects like this and don’t already own a Ryobi Cordless AirStrike Brad Nailer, then I suggest you add that to your shopping cart! It comes in sooo handy! This frame will just sit on top of the square wood piece. 

Paint wood square and frame:

I wanted a very classic and simple look. So, I decided to go with a metal look for the frame. I am OBSESSED with all the new metallic paint lines that are coming out. A few weeks ago at SNAP Conference, I got some samples of FolkArt Brushed Metal Paint and DecorArt’s new Extreme Sheen Metallic Paints and so I decided to use them.

I started by painting the frame using FolkArt Brushed Metal in 5166 Brushed Black Paint. I painted two light coats on the frame. For the final coat I mixed DecoArt Extreme Sheen Metallic Paint in Tin and a tiny bit of the DecorArt Extreme Sheen Metallic Paint in Pearl and rough painted it on.

I then painted the wood square with a basic white paint. After is dried, I put one thing coat of DecoArt Extreme Sheen Metallic Paint in Pearl on top of the white paint. I loved the little shimmer it gave the board and I feel like it helped tie into the metal look of the frame. In the picture above, the right side has the Pearl painted on it and the left side doesn’t!

Allow the paint on the wood square and frame to dry really well. 

Cut Vinyl Stencil using Cricut Explore Air 2:

First up, get your Cricut Explore Air 2 or other Cricut machine ready! You are welcome to make your own file (with your own words) or you are welcome to use the file I created HERE. Keep in mind that if you are adjusting the size of your overall wooden sign, then you will want to adjust the size of your fonts. 

Because I use the cut file as a stencil, I always just use a piece of a scrap vinyl or a color that I have a lot of. 

After cutting your file, weed your letter out and add transfer tape to your vinyl stencil! looking for tips on using Transfer Tape? Check out this great post by Pretty Providence on the Cricut Blog. Applying transfer tape will help you place the stencil onto your wooden board.

Apply Stencils and Paint:

I decided to wait and actually attach the frame AFTER I painted the words on using the stencils. However, I did have it sitting in place to help with my lining up my words. 

Just eye where you would like the stencils placed. I ended up applying and painting my words one at a time. It just worked easiest and allowed me to make sure they lined up like I wanted. I painted the word Summer using FolkArt Brushed Metal in 5166 Brushed Black Paint. And then I painted the word Hello in my mixture of DecoArt Extreme Sheen Metallic Paint in Tin and a tiny bit of the DecorArt Extreme Sheen Metallic Paint in Pearl!

Attach frame to Back:

Double check that your frame is lined parallel with the bottom of the world Summer. To double check this I measured from the bottom of the “S” to the frame and then the bottom of the ‘R’ to the frame. Then carefully flip over your board and frame.

I used 4 – 3/4″ screws to attach the square board to the frame. 

And that’s it! WOOHOO!! 

I put it on my porch (one of my favorite places to decorate)!!

One of my favorite ways to hang signs on my porch is to use Outdoor Command Strips! My tip is to apply them to your house first, then push your board (or whatever you’re hanging) onto the command strips. You will want to make sure the surface is flat too.

For this sign, I applied 3 command strips to the top row of strips and then 3 command strips to the lower row.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.