Since the back to school frenzy is almost over that means that Fall is just around the corner! So here is a fun and easy fall decor DIY project to start off the season. This DIY Rustic Wood Pumpkin Sign has a rustic charm to it that will go great with any other rustic or farmhouse fall decorations that you have.
I just recently got a Cricut Explore Air 2 on sale and this is my first project with it. I love it so much! It saves so much time and effort. If you are an avid crafter, I definitely recommend one. Even though it’s expensive, I think it’s going to save me money in the long run because I won’t have to buy stencils, vinyl letters or even cards (because now I can make them with Cricut). Just make sure to only get the vinyl, cardstock and accessories when they are on sale and/or use a coupon. You could even use Dollar Tree contact paper instead of the expensive vinyl for Cricut.
You DO NOT NEED a Cricut machine to make this project. As I mention down below, you can use stencils, pre-made vinyl letters or freehand it with a paint pen. If you choose any of the other options, your project won’t look exactly same as mine, but half the fun of making the project is creating your own design so I encourage you to express your creativity and make your own sign design.
Supplies for DIY Rustic Wood Pumpkin Sign:
- rustic orange spray paint
- 8×10 smooth craft wood
- I got mine at Michaels for $5, but here is a similar one on Amazon
- twig
- floral wire
- sharp scissors or wire cutters
- faux maple leaves
- glue gun and a glue stick
- Cricut Machine, white vinyl & My Design
- OR vinyl stickers
- OR stencils, white acrylic paint and foam brush to give this project an handmade touch
- OR if you have excellent penmanship, you could do this freehand with a paint pen.
- You can also make stencils with Cricut by removing the letters, placing the vinyl over the spray painted wood block after it has dried 24 hours, and running across the whole design with a scrapper (to make sure that it’s really stuck to the wood well and there’s no air bubbles). Then, brush across the letters with Mod Podge thoroughly and let it dry. Afterward, paint over the letters with white acrylic paint. Using the Mod Podge will prevent the white paint from bleeding through.
The floral wire and maple leaves you can get at Dollar Tree. The vinyl letter stickers you can make with a Cricut or just buy them at Walmart for $1 a pack. You may have to get the pumpkin stickers at Michaels though because I don’t think Walmart has those. If the stickers are the wrong color, you can always paint them white to match the letters and give them a rustic silhouette look.
Total Cost: $10
Time: 30 Minutes (not counting the time it takes the spray paint to dry)
Difficulty Level: Easy
DIY Rustic Wood Pumpkin Instructions
- Spray paint the wood block orange and let dry.
- Make my design on Cricut (or use stencils, pre-made vinyl stickers, or draw freehand with a paint pen). You will need Access to use the exact same images/fonts as me or substitute them for the free versions.
- Remove the letters from the vinyl cutout using a weeder and place them on the wood block. It is best to start with all the letters in the middle (the ‘i’ in pumpkin, the ‘&’ and then ‘i’ in everything and work your way across. Don’t push down the letters completely until you are sure the letters are where you want them.
If you are using stencils and white craft paint, here is an easy tutorial for how to do that on wood
- Go over the letters with a scrapper or credit card.
- Glue the twig to the top of the wood sign in the middle using a glue gun.
- Cut the floral wire to the length you want and twirl it around your finger to make it look like a curly tendril on a pumpkin
- Puncture the bottom of a faux leaf with the floral wire, loop around and folder over to hold the wire in place
- Glue the end of the floral wire to the other side of the pumpkin sign at the top.
This is a very versatile fall decor item because you can put it anywhere–on the mantel, on a shelf, on the wall, etc. It only took about 30 minutes to complete the project (not counting the time it took for the spray paint to dry) so it’s a very quick and easy DIY idea. I spray painted the wood the night before so that it would be ready for when I started the project.
Happy Fall!
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