Silhouette Scrap Wood Wall Art

I recently shared the DIY coat rack we’re now utilizing in our sitting room above a vintage trunk used as a bench…

DIY pipe coat hooks @diyshowoff

See who loves to rest here? It’s a tiny little Italian greyhound named Rosie…

DIYShowOff Coat Rack and Sign

One more picture. She’s just so stinkin’ cute!

DIYShowOff Coat Rack and Sign

and I’m loving this scrap wood turned silhouette art placed above it. Rosie approves!DIYShowOff Wood Plank Wall Art

Materials I used:

  • scrap 1 x 6 pine boards 
  • RustOleum Ultimate Wood Care (kona)
  • RustOleum Ultimate Polyurethane
  • Gorilla wood glue
  • picture hanging hardware
  • vinyl decal (I used a greyhound shape)
  • white acrylic craft paint

What I did:

I cut my pine boards so that they all measured the same 30 inches long then sanded the edges. 

DIY wood plank sign tutorial DIY wood plank sign tutorial

Next I used wood glue and clamps to create a large wood plank canvas. Let dry. 

DIY wood plank sign tutorial

I applied my vinyl decal to the center of my wood canvas, burnishing the edges using my thumbnail. 

DIY wood plank sign tutorial

Then using a foam brush, I applied the stain in the same direction as the wood grain.

DIY wood plank sign tutorial

After a few minutes, I wiped away the excess stain, again in the direction of the wood grain, with an old rag. Let dry one hour.

DIY wood plank sign tutorial

Then I removed the vinyl decal. I was hoping that there wouldn’t be any seeping but there was. No problem! Change of plans. Sometimes DIY doesn’t always go according to plan. 

DIY wood plank sign tutorial

I used a small craft paint brush and white acrylic craft paint to fill in the unfinished portion of the greyhound stencil. Let dry.

DIY wood plank sign tutorial

I then applied a coat of the polyurethane over the stain, brushing on in the direction of the wood grain. Add picture hanging hardware to the back and hang to display.

DIYShowOff Wood Plank Wall Art

Perfect complimentary wall art for above the coat rack. 

Wood Plank Wall Art @diyshowoff

Wood Plank Wall Art @diyshowoff

DIY Window Vinyl Decal

I recently revealed our bathroom makeover

bathroom makeover after

and you may have noticed that the window is bare. 

Problem: I haven’t been able to decide on curtains…the length would be awkward with placement of the toilet. I like the natural light during the day since I use this space to get ready in the mornings. But I don’t like the lack of privacy even if it is on the second floor. Pictures of the window in the day time are tricky…but here goes!

DIY vinyl window decal tutorial at diyshowoff.com

Solution: I applied a lace contact paper {affiliate link} to the bottom window which is where someone from the outside looking up from a distance would be able to see someone standing in the bathroom with the light on at night. Then I created a fun decorative vinyl decal for the top window.

lace contact paper on bathroom window for privacy

Materials:

Tools:

  • Silhouette Cameo and Silhouette Studio Designer Software
  • Scissors
  • Credit/gift card for rubbing

What I did:

Using the Silhouette Studio Designer software, I created my design. I purchased a tree shape from the online Silhouette store and surrounded it with curved “Hotel & Spa” text since my new bathroom has a relaxing spa feel. 

bathroom window treatment

How to curve text: Click the circle shape on the left. Drag to size, shape and center on design. Next click the font button on the left and create your text. While the text box is surrounded with a green window, click the circle with a cross. Drag text to the inner or outer circle border. (You can also change the character spacing in the font tool.) 

Silhouette curved text tutorial

Next, select the circle again by clicking on it. Then click the scissors button in the right hand corner. Choose “no cut”. Now the text in the design will be cut but the circle won’t. (As you can see, I played around with rearranging my text too.)

Silhouette curved text

Load vinyl into the machine color/vinyl side up. Change blade and settings for adhesive vinyl cutting. Send design to cut. 

Happy Crafters vinyl tutorial

Silhouette vinyl window decal

Remove vinyl from the machine and trim to a more manageable size around the design.

Weed away the unused part of the vinyl design. 

vinyl weeding

Cover vinyl decal with transfer paper. Rub with a credit card.

adhesive vinyl tutorial

Clean window. 

Peel away paper backing, transferring the vinyl decal to the sticky transfer paper. 

transfer paper tutorial

Place design on window. Rub with a credit card and peel away transfer paper. 

bathroom window vinyl decal tutorial

DIY vinyl window decal

Ta-da! Now my window has some decorative type detail without curtains or a blind. I have privacy and natural light. What do you think?

day time

vinyl window decal tutorial

 

{It’s difficult to capture in a photo of a window in day light but it’s very visible in real life.}

bathroom window privacy idea

night time

vinyl window decal tutorial

*This post is sponsored by Happy Crafters. Tutorial, experience and opinion is my own.  I really love working with this vinyl. Check out all the supplies at Happy Crafters for inspiration for your next project. 

HClogopngsmall

Valentine’s Day Decorating {Vinyl Decal Glass Top Table Runner}

I’m not quite late in terms of sharing my Valentine decorating, am I? I don’t do much…just a little here and there, mostly in the dining room. 

Valentine dining room decor

More pictures after a little vinyl tutorial: Having a vinyl cutting machine is GREAT for last minute decorating! Our reclaimed barn wood dining table is protected by a beveled glass top. And a glass top table is the perfect spot for an adhesive vinyl table runner just in time for Valentine’s day!

Valentine glass top table vinyl decals

You’ll need:

  • Adhesive vinyl from Happy Crafters in pink and soft pink
  • Transfer paper

Tools I used:

  • Silhouette Cameo
  • Silhouette Design Studio software
  • scissors
  • credit card/gift card

Happy Crafters Adhesive Vinyl

Using the Silhouette Design Studio software, I used different fonts to create Valentine text along with a few shapes from the online store.  Because I wanted to have the text reading different directions, I used the rotate tool to flip some of the text and shapes. 

Silhouette Design Studio software

Before sending the design to cut, I uploaded the vinyl into my machine color side up then changed my setting to cut adhesive vinyl. 

When cutting was complete, I removed and trimmed my vinyl design. Then inserted another sheet of vinyl and cut the design again. I used two sets of vinyl decals to create my table runner. cutting adhesive vinyl

Next up is removing all of the negative part of the vinyl design. Simply remove all vinyl that’s not a letter or shape. 

weeding vinyl decals

Now it’s like a sheet of vinyl stickers. Not something you want to place letter by letter so apply a piece of transfer paper over top of the vinyl decals. 

Measure placement and alignment of where the vinyl decal table runner will go onto your glass top table. 

vinyl decal placement

Rub the vinyl decals with a gift card so that the adhesive vinyl transfer from the wax paper backing to the transfer paper. 

transfer paper

Remove wax paper backing. Sometimes I have to use my fingernail or thumbnail to help along the transfer. 

adhesive vinyl decal tutorial

Carefully align and place the vinyl decal with transfer paper onto the glass. 

glass top table vinyl decal

Rub with a gift card so that the vinyl transfers from the paper to the glass. 

transferring vinyl decal

Remove transfer paper. 

transfer paper vinyl decal

That’s it! Now the glass table top sports a sweet Valentine’s message!

adhesive vinyl Valentine centerpiece

Simply peel away the vinyl for easy removal.

Valentine table decor

More decorating around the DIYShowOff house: 

Valentine centerpiece

 

Valentine wreath

Valentine's day dining room decorating

Valentine Mantel

 

DIYShowOff Valentine Mantel

 

Valentine dining room decor

 

Valentine dining room decor

 

Valentine decor

 

See more Valentine’s crafts in the DIYShowOff project gallery

 

Valentine kitchen

 

Valentine decorating

*This post is sponsored by Happy Crafters. Tutorial, experience and opinion is my own.  I really love working with this vinyl. Check out all the supplies at Happy Crafters for inspiration for your next project. 

HClogopngsmall