You are going to love these DIY Halloween entryway ideas! It was so fun creating these projects and putting it all together! I can’t believe it’s already October 8th. My birthday was this past weekend and I’m way behind on everything. But hey, that’s just how life is right now.
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It’s a little late, but I still wanted to get some Halloween Decorations up! My youngest son was so excited when he came home from school. He’s been asking me to decorate for Halloween for a few weeks now. Maybe you’re a little behind, too. That’s O.K. It’s never to late to add some fun to your home! Even if it’s the day before, I say go for it!
SUPPLIES FOR TRICK OR TREAT SIGN
- 1 x 12 x 6 FOOT COMMON BOARD (I used a piece of 1/2″ MDF from another project)
- PRIMER
- BLACK PAINT
- FOAM ROLLER
- SANDING SPONGE
- VINYL
- SILHOUETTE CUTTING MACHINE
- BLUE SHOP TOWELS
- SMALL SCRAP BOARD – (optional) for “out of candy” sign
SUPPLIES FOR BROOMSTICK
SUPPLIES FOR WALL ART
- TARGET DOLLAR SPOT HALLOWEEN TOWELS
- WINDOW FRAME
- DECONSTRUCTED CANVAS FRAME
- GRAY & WHITE PAINT SAMPLE
- SCREW EYES
DIY TRICK OR TREAT SIGN WITH FREE PRINTABLE
PRIME THE BOARD
If you are using a common board, you will want to sand it smooth. Then wipe it clean. For my sign, I used a 1/2″ MDF board I had left over from another project.
Using a small foam roller, cover your board with two coats of white primer. I used an exterior primer I had from another project. Lightly sand the board in between each coat of primer for a smooth finish.
DOWNLOAD AND CUT THE IMAGE
Download the Trick or Treat Sign from my free Library. The instructions are at the bottom of this page. I saved it as JPEG, PDF and Silhouette file. It’s also saved in 12 X 12 sections for Silhouette users.
You can cut it as one large sign, without using a mat, or in smaller 12 X 12 sections. Then using transfer paper, place your image on your primed board.
If you need more information on how to use your Silhouette to cut vinyl, this is a good tutorial.
SEAL YOUR VINYL & PAINT
Important Tip: Once you press your vinyl in place on the board, go back over it with your roller and the same white primer. I off-loaded the paint on a blue shop towel. Then roll on the white in all directions over the letters. This step seals in the letters and will prevent the black from bleeding under the vinyl later.
Add your first coat of black paint. Again, offload the paint for your first coat. After the first coat dries, you can paint directly over the image.
REMOVE THE VINYL
Once it is dry to the touch. Begin to peel up your vinyl.
Here is a close up of the letters. You can see how crisp and clean the lines are with this technique.
If you plan to use your sign outdoors, choose an exterior paint. Then cover it with three coats of Minwax Helmsman to protect it. Please be aware that MDF doesn’t hold up well to moisture. I would keep this sign under a covered porch or awning.
Note: If you want to leave the vinyl on the sign for your letters, instead of painting them, you will need to put the protective top coat on the sign before the letters. Be sure to use a permanent outdoor vinyl, so your letters don’t bubble up. My preference is to paint and remove the vinyl.
DIY BROOMSTICK
Cut a small bunch of branches to a uniform size. Then cut a large stick for the handle. I used a broom I had as a guide for measuring.
Place a thick rubber band at one end of the handle, about 2-3 inches from the end. Then take your thickest branches and place them under the rubber band to hold them in place. Finally, place your smaller branches to fill in the broom end.
Now wrap your twine around the rubber band to hide it. Continue wrapping the twine until you get the look you want. I added a little foil to bridge the gap between the broom handle and the sticks, covering it with twine. Then I went back with some small cut pieces of twine to fill in any gaps with hot glue.
DIY WALL ART
I purchased the wooden window pane at Walmart a few years ago. The dimensions are 16″ X 20″. The other frame is from a 16 X 20 stretched canvas. I flipped it over and removed all the staples. This left me with a rustic wood frame to match my window pane. Honestly, I liked the natural wood, but for my project, I needed to match the paint.
I covered the natural frame with a gray wash. This is just a mix of gray latex paint with water. It makes the paint more like a stain.
Once the paint was dry, I used a dry brush technique. To do this, Dab the tip of a dry brush in white paint and offload it on a shop towel. Then lightly brush it on the frame in the direction of the wood. This gives the wood a more weathered appearance.
To hang my wall art, I used self tapping screw eyes from a picture hanging kit. I measured 1.5″ from each edge of the top of the frames and screwed them into the wood. Measure and cut two pieces of twine to the same length and attach them to the eyelets.
Next, attach your Target dollar spot towels to the back of the frames with an open stapler. Then fold over the extra fabric and use a glue gun to secure it behind the frames.
BONUS: “OUT OF CANDY” & “SORRY WE MISSED YOU” PRINTABLES
Many of you will not have time to create a DIY project this year and I didn’t forget about you! I’ve included free cut files for the signs below and three free 8.5″ X 11″ printables!
To make the reversible sign below, follow the same steps as the above Trick or Treat sign. Add self tapping screw eyes to the top, attach twine and hang it on your door.
HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR PRINTABLES AND CUT FILES
For access to my library of free printables & cut files, including six new Halloween files, just subscribe at the bottom of this page. You’ll receive a welcome letter and regular updates on my blog posts, along with the password to my FREE PRINTABLES AND CUT FILES LIBRARY.
Do you like learning budget friendly ways to spruce up your home? Follow me on PINTEREST. Did you know that you can hover over the images below, click on the red Pinterest circle and save this idea for later? Give it a try below and save these ideas to your Fall Crafts or Halloween board on Pinterest.
I hope you enjoy these DIY Halloween decorations. Thanks for stopping by!
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