It’s almost time to break out the mistletoe and put up your tree. I think we can both agree that nothing makes a home feel more like Christmas than having a chic Christmas countdown sign in your living room or foyer! Don’t worry – this is one craft project you can do without breaking the bank.
Christmas Countdown Sign
Can you believe it? It doesn’t seem possible, but sure enough, it is. It is almost Christmas. I swear every year it seems to come upon us so much faster than the year before. I am always amazed at how I tell myself at the end of each Christmas season, “I will be more prepared next year.” But then I always still feel shocked that 11 months have passed by so quickly. Where does the time go?
Since I clearly can’t control time or manage to get a hold on being prepared for it, I will focus on something I can do. I can make cute crafts, like this one and the adorable Christmas Deer Door Hanger! This DIY countdown sign, inspired by a sled in the Target Dollar Spot, might be the thing I need to motivate me to prepare for the upcoming Christmas Season. It is only 47 days away!!!!!
SUPPLIES NEEDED TO MAKE YOUR DIY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN SIGN:
- Wooden Sled from Target Dollar Spot
- Wooden Paint Sticks from Amazon
- Letter Stamps from Amazon
- Folk Art Home Decor Chalk Paint – color white*
- Decoart Black*
- Silver/Gray Acrylic Paint
- Chip Paint Brush
- White Chalk
- Realeather Craft Lace from Michaels
- Pine Leaf greenery
- Holly Berries
- Black ink
- Ink Pad
- Heat gun
- Puppy pads
STEPS:
1 – To begin, let’s prep your wooden sled. Wipe it down to remove any debris. Cut off the jute/string for hanging the sign. Remove price tags and stickers.
2 – Next determine, the color scheme you want to use for your cute sled. I went with the traditional black and white look, but you can be as creative as you want. This would be so cute with red and green!
3 – Grab your chip paintbrush and Folk Art White paint. Give your mainboard of the wooden sled a coat of white paint. Don’t forget to get the sides of that wooden board.Tip* – I prefer the Folk Art paint for this project because it is not as thick as some other acrylic paints out there. But really, use whatever white you have.
4 – With your heat gun, dry to speed up the process.
5 – Grab your black paint (preferably chalk base), a clean chip brush, and your 2 rectangular wood pieces from your woodpile bag. Apply 1 thin layer making sure to get all of the 2 boards covered. Add that same black on your details of the sled. Set aside to dry.
6 – Grab your 2 paint sticks and begin to determine the lengths you will need for your sign. I do not have an exact measurement for the lengths of my sticks for my board, because I am not an exact type of person. However I do know that I needed 3 spots for my words to rest on, so I eyeballed it. I cut my wood and sanded the edges so they were smooth. Tip* – If you need to measure it out, you do you.
7 – Once paint sticks are cut, begin to paint the pieces. Now, remember to get those sides of the board because they will be seen. Set aside to dry.
8 – Going back to your sled, apply a thin layer of silver/grey acrylic paint to the sled blades. Tip* Spruce it up any way you want. Think about adding gold overlay if you are feeling extra fancy.
9 – To add some fun to your sled, be creative. I decided to add some black polka dots, using a makeup sponge of all things. Add stripes, patterns, paint on gift boxes, etc.
10 – Let’s add our letters to our cut paint sticks. I like the look of handmade crafts, so I placed my letters on there using black ink and a stamp pad. My letter placement was not perfect, and I like it that way. Stamp out the words, “Days Til Christmas”. Tip* – If you need to be more precise, that is fine. If you would prefer to hand paint the words on, use Cricut letters, etc, that works too.
11 – Add embellishment and detail to your sled board with a white chalk
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10 – Grab your Real Leather Craft lace and pull off a section to add back to your board. Retie it back through the holes so your sled can be hung once finished.
11 – Before we commit to gluing our pieces onto the board, play with placement. I like to have a visual plan to begin. Add hot glue to the backs of your wooden pieces and place directly on the sled.
12 – Add some sprigs of greenery and a few holly berries up top with hot glue to create that Christmas vibe we are going for.
I just love how simple and festive this Christmas craft is! And all of that was accomplished for less than $10. You gotta love that. Do you like the black and white look or did you try something different? I would love to see your work!. One question for you… are you ready for Christmas? This little sign will be a constant reminder for you if you are, or you aren’t!
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