Warming Welcome Sign

A warming decoration is what transforms a house into a home. Achieve this with this welcome sign that not only is it beautiful but it's not complicated to make. You can find old oil lanterns like this in garage sales or thrift stores.

White paper

Pencil

10x12 inches wood

Flexible thick wire

Long nose pliers

Cutting pliers

Gold spray paint

Silver spray paint

Black acrylic paint

Brush

Drill

Very thin flexible wire

Shelf bracket

4 Screws

Frame alligator hook

Old oil lantern

Starry lights string (battery operated)

Use the paper to draw an arch to define where your letters are going to be.

Draw your letters trying to keep the same size in all of them.

Use your pliers to shape your letters. Make a little loop at the beginning and end of some of them (except the L and the O).

Use your design to make it the right size. Once you've shaped it cut the wire.

With the letter E and M you can use your first E and W as a pattern.

Paint very light spots with the gold spray paint and also with the silver paint. Let it dry for 10 minutes.

Use your brush for this step. It must be a firm brush so you can make lines in your wood.

Put a little bit of paint in the tip of your brush and make a couple of brushstrokes in a napkin. Then make soft and long brushstrokes on top of your gold and silver paint. Repeat this until you are pleased with the tone.

Do the same in the edge all around the wood.

Let it dry perfectly.

Place the letters where they are going to be and mark little dots (two per letter) where you are going to put the thin wire to hold them in place.

Drill these dots using a very thin drill bit.

Use a very long piece of the thin wire and pass it through the first hole of the "W".

Pass it over the first loop of the "W" and introduce it in the same hole again. Pull and twist it with the end of the wire as shown in the picture #3.

You'll do this with all the holes and the letters. You may need another long piece of wire. Just imagine you are sewing something with a firmer thread (the wire)

Flip your wood and put your alligator hook in the upper part right in the middle. Use a hammer and the little nails that come with the alligator hooks.

Place the shelf bracket in the middle right under the welcome arch.

Mark the holes with a marker and drill them.

Put the screws using a screwdriver.

Add all the string lights inside the lantern and put the glass part back in its place. You can put the battery box with some tape under the lantern.

Now your sign is ready to be hung. You'll feel the warmth of your home when you see it and I love that it looks like you've trapped little fairies inside.

Enjoy!