Merry Christmas Banner

Hi there! Today I’m going to be doing a tutorial on this cute Merry Christmas banner. Hope you all enjoy and have a great holiday season!

Products and Tools:

10 – Wood Label Banners

Coordinating Paper, Paint, & Glitter

Wood Glue

I used these 4 colors of paint:

& BoBunny Mistletoe Coordinating Papers

Step 1: Trace Block Letters

•              Tools: a sharp pencil to trace your banners

•          Use the backside of the paper you want to display when tracing. 

•           Press and hold the wood with one hand so that your image doesn’t shift while tracing. With the other hand, trace around the image. Before moving the wood look to make sure that your trace has not shifted, otherwise when you cut it out, it will not fit correctly. Great Job! Tracing is one of the trickiest parts. You can relax a little and have some FUN now! 

•          Note: Always trace before painting! If you forget you'll have tracing marks around the wood and will need to go back and touch up. It creates an extra step and takes more time.

•           Also Note: When working with a large number of pieces it helps to number the wood and paper so that when you go to assemble the pieces they match as perfectly as when you traced them. There is usually some variation with the wood so this helps you to not be playing the matching game when trying to glue your paper to the wood. See picture below 

Step 2: Prep Wood

If your wood has any unsmooth surfaces you’ll want to sand your wood before painting. 

Step 3: Paint Wood

•              Tools: paint & sponge brush 

  

•              Paint ½ inch border around the front of the banners

•              Paint complete sides and backs of banners for a more completed project.

 Step 4: Cut Paper

•              Tools: a pair of scissors to cut your banners and to do any trimming. I find it easier to cut detailed areas, etc. with a smaller pair of scissors

•              Cut letters right on the line that you traced. Don’t worry if when you lay down your image on the wood if it is a little smaller or larger than the block. I'll teach you in a later step how to disguise your imperfections.

Step 5: Distress Paper

•              Tools: Everyone has there own technique and tools for distressing. I prefer to use what I call a cat eye.  It is a small inkpad that is in the shape of a cat eye. Color Box is the company that makes them. I usually recommend chalk only ink, pigment inks are a little too harsh when distressing. The only exceptions I make with this is if you really want the Black or Dark Brown to really be solid and pop, then use a pigment ink. We carrying these in The Wood Connection. If you need to distress with a color you don't have, you can use a technique called dry brushing. 

Distressing with ink pad

•               Take your cat eye or distress tool and flick around all the edges of the paper. Start very light and if you want more, you can add. It’s always better to have too little than too much.

Dry Brush Distressing

•             Wood Connection has an awesome tutorial on how to do this. For more information, you can click this link... Dry Brush Distressing.

Step 6: Glue Paper to Wood

•              Tools: you’ll need Darice Wood Glue and sponge brush for this portion of the project.  

•              Sponge wood glue on the front of one piece of wood at a time. ***Try to use it sparingly, a thin layer, not too much. It will cause your paper to bubble after you adhere it, if you put too much on. *** 

•              Once you put the glue on the wood, line up starting on one side and add your paper. Be sure to press firmly all along the surface to prevent bubbling. Repeat same steps on all of your wood.

•              As you’re adhering your paper to each piece of wood, continue to go back and put pressure on areas that may be starting to bubble on past wood. With pressure you can, in most cases, work out bubbles that seem to form. I have found that with less glue, fewer bubbles form.

Step 7: Glitter Letters

Wood Connection has an awesome tutorial on how to glitter wood, for more information click the link... Glittering Wood.

 Step 8: Glue Wood to Wood

Now you’ll want to glue your banners together to create a three-dimensional look.

Step 9: Create Christmas Banner

•           Tools: Banner Punches, Smooth cardstock, Stamps, Embossing Powder, Embossing Gun, Mini Hole Punch, Distressors, Ribbons, 3 Dimensional Adhesives, etc.

•            Note: If you have more questions about the "Christmas" banner portion of this project, you can email me at theartsyaddict@live.com.

  A BIG THANKS to the Wood Connection for allowing me the opportunity to guest post! A $25 gift certificate will be given when you enter the raffle on The Wood Connection Blog. 

 Until next time... Happy Crafting & Happy Holidays!