The I-could-make-that bug bit me too, but for me it was a DIY be our guest sign. With my friend’s help and mostly materials I already had, it turned out to be a pretty inexpensive art project!
It all started with this Be Our Guest pillow that I wanted, but not for $49. This lead to looking on etsy.com, but finding nothing comparable. Then I remembered how my friend made an adorable painted sign with her last name. I asked her a few questions and that’s when the I-could-make-that bug bit.
I sent her the size of the canvas, she sent me a bunch of different font options. I landed on one called Asterism. She sized it right so that I could print it out on regular office paper.
Once again, I used a canvas I already had. I like the brown/wood-looking frame on this one, but it proved a bit difficult to tape off. I gave it two coats of white and decided I liked that you could see the brush strokes.
The Stencil
If I get bit again, I’d invest the $5 in an X-ACTO knife to make cutting out the stencil much easier. Of course the font I chose had all sorts of thin lines that made cutting it out so fun. Not.
I let the two coats white paint dry a full 24 hours before painting the letters. Per my friend’s advice, I used a pencil to trace the letters. For the tiny lines I just drew a straight line.
The Painting
I used the same black acrylic paint from my bathroom art, but I invested in a smaller brush for those skinny lines. Can you tell I like to use what I have?
I almost missed the gap in the ‘r’, because I forgot to cut that part out of the stencil. At this point I was a little worried it looked like “lee our guest” more than “be our guest.”
Hopefully our guests don’t look too closely! Even with a new brush, those skinny lines were hard. Also, the spacing between the ‘e’ and ‘s’ is too big and the space between ‘s’ and ‘t’ is too small. But, for my first DIY stencil-paint project I’m pretty happy with it!
DIY Be Our Guest Sign in the Guest Bedroom
We hung the sign right above the bed, so it’s seen as soon as you walk into the guest bedroom. I love it! I need to do a full post about the guest bedroom that shows the rest of the room, but it’s still a WIP.
For instance, there are three windows that are three different sizes. The room is also massive and I’m struggling with the furniture layout! I purchased a luggage rack and my thoughtful friend Heidi gifted us the leaning rack. I’m also thinking maybe a small desk and chair would be helpful for visitors. I’d also like a different bed frame/headboard for the bed. Never ends.
