Personalized Sign for Bedroom
Every child enjoys being able to identify their “space!” What better way to do this than to create a fun striped and polka dotted personalized sign!

Other Things You'll Need

  • 9" x 12" Canvas panel
  • Brush Basin or container for water
  • Paper towels
  • Foam plates for palette
  • ¾" Flat brush
  • No. 1 Liner brush
  • Tracing Paper
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Stencil tape

Instructions

  1. Begin by basecoating the 9” x 12” canvas panel White. Allow to dry.
  2. Create a name template. Lay a sheet of tracing paper onto the work surface. Position alphabet stencil, one letter at a time, over tracing paper. Using a pencil, trace within the cut area of each letter stencil. TIP: Be creative; names can be designed in many ways: in a straight line, slightly overlapped, alternate raised and lowered letters, and even in an arc.
  3. Fold the paper name template created in step 2 in half, then fold in half again. Draw an arch; then cut along the arc creating an oval shape when unfolded.
  4. Pencil the oval shape in the center of the canvas panel. Apply vertical tape lines across the canvas in desired pattern. TIP: Vertical stripes can be exact and measured or created more randomly allowing some to be wider than others. I created a pattern of alternating 1” and 2” widths using a ruler to measure.
  5. The 2” stripes are painted Leaf Green. Allow to dry and reapply Leaf Green for opaque coverage. When dry, remove tape.
  6. Create a ¼” vertical stripe in the center of the 1” White vertical stripe. Paint the ¼” stripe Cobalt Hue. Allow to dry and reapply for opaque coverage. Remove tape when dry.
  7. Paint a Cobalt Hue border around the oval. Allow to dry and reapply.
  8. Personalize within the White oval. TIP: Use tracing paper template to assist in spacing each stencil one at a time. Load a Spouncer with Khaki and lightly pounce up and down over the stencil to fill in the letter shape. While still wet, add a touch of White to the top of the letter and shade the lower half of the letter with Melted Chocolate. Lift to remove the stencil.
  9. Create a variety of various sized polka dots over the vertical stripes and around the personalized oval. Polka dots are painted, Khaki, Melted Chocolate, Cobalt Hue, and Leaf Green. TIP: Create interest - layer smaller polka dots over larger ones easily by using a variety of Spouncer sizes.
  10. Thin Melted Chocolate with a small amount of water. Load No. 1 Liner brush with thinned Melted Chocolate and paint a care-free wiggle line along the 1” vertical stripes as well as around the white of the oval shape.
  11. Still using the liner brush loaded with thinned Melted Chocolate, outline each letter.
  12. When completely dry, lightly spray seal FolkArt Clearcote Matte Sealer to seal and protect your project surface.

Project Tip: Switch up the color palette for boys or girls when personalizing a sign for your special little one!