Easy Cardinal Christmas Sign

There is a saying, "When cardinals are near, angels are here." And, I believe it because every time I see one I think of my mother. Even if she's not here, the cardinals evoke sweet memories of her. She loved them so much. And, I don't know anyone who doesn't love a beautiful cardinal!

The beautiful red color of the male cardinal makes them perfect for Christmas decor. And, this sign is about as easy to make as they come.

I got this stained board from Michael's & the wooden letters from Hobby Lobby.

I wanted a rustic look for the sign, so I used a dry brush technique to paint the board. I used the color Sawmill Gravy from the Dixie Belle Paint Company & let some of the stain show through.

I'd love to be able to say that I hand painted the beautiful cardinal. But the cardinal, pinecones, greenery, & berries are one of the designs in the Evergreen & Holly transfer from Dixie Belle. The transfer contains 4 sheets with multiple designs on each sheet.

You simply remove the white backing, then rub over the design until it releases from the clear top sheet.

I used tacky glue to add the letters to the board. I chose to leave them natural, but they'd also be pretty painted red or green, or stained a darker color.

Wow! That was easy. And, quick!

Another easy project... I added a holly design from the evergreen & holly transfer sheets to a battery operated candle. A simple way to take a plain candle to festive decor.

Linking To:

Ginger Snap Crafts, Chic On a Shoestring,  Simply Sweet Home, The Cottage Market,  Funky Junk Interiors,  Sugar Bee Crafts, Flour Me With Love, The Answer Is Chocolate, Skip To My Lou, The Thrifty Home, Flutter Buster,,  Finding Silver Pennies, Our Hopeful Home, My Thrift Store Addiction, The Painted Hinge, Yesterday On Tuesday, Confessions Of A Plate Addict, My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia, Creatively Beth, My Hubbard Home, County Road 407, Pieced Pastimes, Southern Sunflowers

Bunny Trail Sign DIY

 Living in the country, there's no shortage of rabbit sightings. So, I don't need a sign to tell me where the bunny trail is, but I couldn't resist creating this cute sign for Easter.

I started with a wooden sign blank from Signopoly.

I wanted a vintage feel for the sign so I gave it a crackle finish. I wanted the cracks to be dark, so I first painted the sign with the color, Gravel Road, from the Dixie Belle Paint Company.

Once the paint was dry, I added a layer of Crackle medium. The crackle medium is very thick, so it needs to dry overnight.

The next day, I painted over the crackle with the color, Tea Rose. The cracking starts to happen pretty quickly, so the key to being successful with crackle is to not overwork it. If you go back and forth with the paintbrush, you will fill in the cracks as they begin to form. So, I load my brush & go as far as I can with one smooth stroke.

I created the design in Cricut Design Space. There was not an arrow that went well with the font I used so I created one by turning 3 I's & a V on their side & joined them together.

I made a stencil with my Cricut Maker by cutting my design out using adhesive backed vinyl. I placed the stencil on the sign, then used a makeup sponge to apply the color, Coffee Bean. I used a pouncing motion to apply the paint.

I used very little paint to ensure that the paint didn't bleed under the stencil. The first coat always looks bad...

It took 3 coats for perfect coverage...

It's time to be on the lookout for the Easter bunny to come hopping down the bunny trail!

Linking To:

Ginger Snap Crafts, Chic On a Shoestring,  Simply Sweet Home, The Cottage Market,  Funky Junk Interiors,  Sugar Bee Crafts, Flour Me With Love, The Answer Is Chocolate, Skip To My Lou, The Thrifty Home, Flutter Buster,,  Finding Silver Pennies, Our Hopeful Home, My Thrift Store Addiction, The Painted Hinge, Yesterday On Tuesday, Confessions Of A Plate Addict, My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia, Creatively Beth, My Hubbard Home, County Road 407