Hocus Pocus Sign
Hey ghouls and creeps! If you’re like me and you love a good flip, I have a feeling you’re going to love this week’s project! I saw the sign that inspired this project on Kirkland’s website during the Halloween season, and immediately fell in love! Unfortunately, we don’t have Kirlands in Oregon so I knew that this would be going in the future content folder for later use. The canvas size for this piece is 12″X36″, not including the frame which adds an inch and a half to the length and width. Resize the provided file to fit your wall decor. Let’s get started!
I rated the Hocus Pocus Sign as having moderate difficulty. My Cricut cuts are restricted to a 12″X12″ format, which meant that I had to split my template up into four pieces. It does get a little tricky lining up your templates so that the perimeter line is straight and your image is centered on the canvas front, but you can do it! Skills and techniques covered in this project include canvas painting, template creation on a die cutter, applying the template to the canvas surface, and then painting your sign text.
Step 1: Canvas Prep: Begin by applying painter’s tape or masking tape to your frame. Then paint your canvas front with black acrylic paint until thoroughly covered. Set your canvas aside while the paint dries, and move on to step two!
Step 2: Making the Template: Use the SVG and JPEG files below to cut your templates. Important side note: there should be a total of four templates!
SVG file: https://bjdiycutfiles.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2-6-22+sign+template.svg
Using the dimensions of each template, cut your stencil vinyl to size, and send it through your die-cut machine of choice. After the cut is complete, weed away the negative pieces leaving letter interiors.
Once finished, cut a piece of Quick Cover contact paper to the appropriate size and begin peeling away the paper backing from the top. Stick the adhesive side of the contact paper to the top of the template and continue peeling away the paper and sticking it to the template’s front. Use your scraper tool or gift card to eliminate any air bubbles.
Take your template and cut the excess off the sides that will later be matched up with the other templates. You don’t want there to be template material in between your templates because this will interfere with the paint getting on the canvas’ surface. Repeat these steps for all four templates.
Step 3: Painting Sign Text: Before you go to stick your templates to the front of your sign, begin by first laying out your templates to get an idea of how they should be spaced out.
With my particular canvas, I determined that the outside edge of the perimeter line should be 1/2″ from the top and bottom and 3/4″ from the sides. To make it easy to place my templates after peeling off the paper, I made lightly drawn reference lines 3/4″ from the sides. I also cut my templates so that there was a 1/2″ of template material that extended past the bottom edge of the perimeter line. By doing this you can line up the bottom of your template to the bottom of the canvas. Now that we’ve planned out our template placement strategy, it’s time to get started!
Starting from left to right, peel the paper backing off your template and stick to your canvas front using reference marks. Use a scraper or gift card to get your template to really stick to your canvas. Pro-tip: Flip your canvas over to really press down as you scrape!
Continue adding your templates to your canvas following the above steps, while also matching up text and lines seamlessly.
Now that all your templates are on your canvas, it’s time to remove the contact paper! Gently and firmly peel away the contact paper using your scraper to help keep your template on your canvas. Remove all contact paper from all four templates, and then tape off any gaps in the template film.
Using a 1″ foam brush apply your white acrylic paint. Be sure to not brush so much as to dab your paint on to avoid as many leaks.
Keep applying coats of paint until your paint is opaque enough to your standards. After your paint is dry, remove your template and make any necessary touch-ups.
Congrats! You’re finished! Hang your new hocus pocus apothecary sign up and appreciate the work you did to make this stunning and spooky piece to adorn your home!
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Ready for your next project? Here are some tutorials on the blog I think you’ll like! Frame Flip tutorial: https://britnijade.com/frame-flip/, Macrame Wall Hanging: https://britnijade.com/macrame-wall-hanging-w-bones/, or the Spider Web Macrame: https://britnijade.com/spider-web-macrame/. Enjoy!
