DIY Easy Valentine Pallet Sign

HERE’S WHAT YOU DO

STEP 1: DOWNLOAD THE FREE SVG FILE

The first thing you’ll need to do is get the free SVG file you’ll use for this project.  I keep all the SVG files I use for the projects I make in my SVG Library.  These SVG files work with Cricut and Silhouette machines, as well as many others.  This library is open to everyone and is free! You can access the library here. Look for the file called Heart with Daisy and Love. It will either be listed under the most recent projects/cut files or under the Valentine’s Day category.

STEP 2: PREPARE THE VINYL DESIGN

Open the design in your software program.  My pallet sign is 8″ x 10″ and I sized my design to about 8.5″ wide and kept the height proportional. Then, I added an 8″ x 10″ rectangle around the design to create a stencil.

Do you need more help with creating a vinyl stencil?  Check out these posts.

How to Make a Vinyl in Cricut Design Space.
How to Make a Vinyl Stencil in Silhouette Studio

I used Oracal 631 for the stencil, but you can also use Stencil Vinyl.

When everything is sized correctly, you can cut the stencil with your Cricut or Silhouette.  Once it has finished cutting, weed away the excess vinyl.

Cut a piece of transfer tape a little larger than the design.  Place the transfer tape on the vinyl.

Use an application tool to rub over the design.

Then, trim off the excess transfer tape.

Place the vinyl so it’s facing down, and then pull off the vinyl backing. I like to do it this way so the vinyl doesn’t curl.

STEP 3: APPLY VINYL TO THE WOOD SIGN

Normally, before I apply a vinyl stencil to a wood sign, I sand the wood down so it’s nice and smooth.  But, this wood sign already had a distressed finish that I didn’t want to mess up by sanding.  Instead, I used a damp paper towel to clean off any dust or loose paint, so the vinyl would stick better. Then, I waited until it was completely dry before putting on the vinyl stencil.

Place the vinyl on the pallet. Match up the straight edges of the stencil with the straight edge of the pallet sign.

Once it’s in place, use a scraper and rub over the entire design.

Carefully pull off the transfer tape. It might be a little tricky to get the vinyl to stick to the pallet sign, just go slow and use your fingers to help the vinyl to stay on the sign.

Rub over the design a few more times with a scraper. Push it down really good where the gaps are between the wood pieces

STEP 4: PAINT OVER THE STENCIL WITH MOD PODGE

Paint a generous layer of Mod Podge over the stencil.

Why do we do this? To help prevent bleeds.

Sometimes there are small gaps between the stencil and the wood.  Since Mod Podge dries clear, our hope is that the Mod Podge will fill in these gaps, instead of the paint.

STEP 5: FILL IN THE STENCIL

Once the Mod Podge is dry, fill in the stencil with paint.  I used red for the heart and black for the word love. You’ll probably need to do 2 coats of each color.

STEP 6: REMOVE THE VINYL STENCIL

Once the paint is dry to the touch, carefully pull off the stencil.

You can use a craft knife or weeding tool to pull out the daisy and the centers of the letters.  If there’s any bleeding, you can carefully scrape it off with a craft knife.

STEP 7: ADD TWINE AROUND THE TOP OF THE SIGN

Wrap a piece of twine around the pallet sign 3-4 times.

Tie the two ends together in a double knot and then tie a bow.

Trim the ends of the twine so they are even.

That’s it!  Your sign is finished! Isn’t it cute?

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Want to make your own? Get the free cut file for this project in the Resource Library.