DIY Wall Art: "The Best Things in Life Aren't Things" Tutorial

I learned how to make this beautiful wall sign when I attended a craft night with women from my church.

I am an "easy crafts" only kinda gal, and this wall sign was perfectly suited to my lack of crafting know-how.  It also helped that the lady demonstrating the craft happened to be seated right next to me and I could ask her questions every step of the way. I loved making this decorative sign so much that I bought materials to make two more to give as gifts.

Following, is a list of materials you'll need, as well as detailed instructions to make your own inspirational wall sign:

What You'll Need:

~ A wooden board approx. 1" x 9" x 24"

~ Black acrylic paint

~ 2" or wider foam paintbrush

~ Mod-podge (I used Matte)

~ 60-grit sandpaper

~ 220-grit sandpaper

~ Cricut letters, "The Best Things in Life Aren't Things."

~ Hot glue gun

~ Wood glue

~ Spool of 3/8" red ribbon

~ 5 wood clothespins

~ Package large sawtooth picture hangers and nails (You can find these in packages of 5. For this project, you will use 2 of the picture hangers and 4 of the nails.)

~ Hammer

~2 medium sized nails (for hanging the sign)

~ 5 photos (black and white looks great!)

Step 1. Using the 220-grit sandpaper, smooth away any rough uneven areas on the board. After sanding, wipe down the entire board to get rid of wood dust.

Step 2. Put a generous amount of black paint on a paper plate. Using a foam paint brush, cover the entire board in black paint, allowing the front to dry before painting the back. (I cheated on one of my boards and never painted the back side.) Wash paint from paintbrush, and set aside for later use.

Step 3. To create a weathered look, rub the 60-grit sandpaper along the edges and corners of the board as shown below. Wipe off any remaining wood dust.

Step 4. Leaving enough space on the bottom of the board to attach the clothespins later, apply the adhesive side of the cricut words, "The best things in life aren't things." to the board.

*Be sure you have them exactly where you want them before attaching them to the board. They won't come off easily to be re-applied.

Step 5. Using the foam paintbrush, apply Mod-Podge in smooth sweeping strokes over the entire board. (It will look like you are applying white glue, but will eventually dry clear.) Allow to dry.

Step 6. While the Mod-Podge is drying, you can make your clothespins. Cut 5 12-inch long sections from the spool of ribbon. Tie the ribbon strips into bows. Using a hot glue gun, place a small dab of glue on the back of a bow, and attach it approx. 1 inch from the top of the clothespin. Repeat with remaining bows and clothespins.

Step. 7 Once the Mod-Podge has dried, use wood glue to attach the evenly spaced clothespins along the bottom 1-inch level of the board. The end clothespins will be about 2 1/4 inches from the outside edges of the board. The clothespins will be about 4 1/2 inches apart from each other. The wood glue will dry clear.

Step 8. Place the board words-down, with the clothespins hanging off the edge of the table. Using a hammer and the four small nails, attach the two sawtooth picture hangers to the back of the board. Make sure they are evenly spaced and level with each other.

Step 9. Hang photos from the clothespins, hang the finished board on your designated wall-space, stand back, do a victory dance, a few fist pumps in the air, and enjoy the finished product.

I'd love to hear from you. Let me know how your finished product turns out!

**If you're looking for another easy-to-follow craft tutorial, click over to my step-by step guide, "How to Paint a Decorative Plate Using Transfer Paper and Ceramic Paint."