DIY Fourth of July Rustic Mantel Sign

After a busy week with the Fourth of July holiday, I'm back to share what I have been up to these past few weeks along with photos of my latest DIY project! The heat is on here in Michigan, and this week we celebrated the Fourth with temps in the nineties and plenty of sun. I don't have any decorations for this holiday, and since we hosted a BBQ this year for family, I spent some time figuring out what I could make with the materials I had around the house with the help of my Silhouette Cameo.

I created this rustic style "Let Freedom Ring" sign using a piece of remnant wood my husband had in his workshop, some extra contact paper, and basic paint. The sign is about two feet long and a couple of inches tall and thick, making it a quick project for an hour one afternoon. I decided on a traditional font and cut out the phrase onto contact paper which I then stuck to the block of wood, after putting a base layer of red paint.  My husband spray-painted the enter wood block white using extra spray paint we had on hand. After it dried, I peeled off the stencil, leaving the red letters on a white background. I finished it by painting very light and imperfect strokes of blue paint, finishing off the American color scheme.



I like how it turned out, and it is small enough that I can find somewhere to store it for the remaining 11 months of the year. If you follow Lina and Vi on Facebook, you may know that this wasn't the only DIY I attempted this past week for the holiday.  I made my daughter a Fourth of July themed onesie using printable iron-on paper and a free Silhouette Studio image I found on a blog. It was super simple to make, and she was looking cute on Wednesday! Stop by the Facebook page to see pictures of how it turned out, and what you can make with some imagination!

I love projects that use materials that I have on hand, but I am finding now more than ever that I need projects that will be relatively quick. With a baby ready to be on the move, my time and attention is focused on her most of the day. You may see me share more DIY projects that are doable in 1-2 hours, which are perfect for a typical afternoon nap for a toddler.

I still love creating things, and while I may not be at my sewing machine as much as I used to be, I find myself still managing small projects that allow me to still be creative, just in different ways.

I hope that this DIY inspires you to create something this next week. Enjoy!