Easy Holiday Gift: Holiday Chalkboard Sign Tutorial & Gift Roundup
Make this DIY double-sided holiday chalkboard sign (or choose one from our roundup) for a thoughtful gift that keeps giving throughout the holiday season
- What makes a good gift during the holidays?
- Who would love to receive this double-sided DIY chalkboard sign as a gift?
- How do I make a double-sided DIY chalkboard sign?
- What if I don’t want to make my own holiday chalkboard sign?
- AS ALWAYS – IF YOU NEED HELP BRAINSTORMING OR CREATING A CUSTOM GIFT, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME! I’D LOVE TO HELP!
- OTHER HOLIDAY PROJECTS YOU’LL LOVE:
What makes a good gift during the holidays?
The holidays are hectic. There, I said it. If you are scrambling for a festive gift to give last minute, look no further than this double-sided DIY chalkboard sign.
Why does it make a good gift? Well, to put it simply, it saves time during the holidays.
How many times do you find yourself rummaging through your Thanksgiving decorations the day after Halloween only to turn around to pull everything back out a month later on Black Friday when you start decorating for Christmas?
This chalkboard sign makes such a thoughtful gift because you set it out in November and can keep it up throughout the holiday season. It’s such a timesaver when adding a festive touch to any room – so give the gift of time.
This double-sided DIY chalkboard sign makes a great housewarming gift, teacher gift, hostess gift, Christmas gift, or a ‘just because‘ gift in the fall or winter!
This versitile yet festive DIY Holiday Chalkboard Sign is a decorator’s workhorse.
Plus: You could leave the sign up all year if you wanted – doesn’t everyone need a daily reminder to be thankful for something? And then just flip it around on Black Friday and start your Christmas count-down!
Who would love to receive this double-sided DIY chalkboard sign as a gift?
I love giving this double-sided DIY chalkboard sign as a gift in the fall and watching it in use all season long. It is especially great for younger school-aged kids who are starting to understand the meaning of thankfulness and appreciation.
It’s pretty hilarious to see some of the things they are thankful for. My 4-year-old son routinely asks me to write things like “monster trucks,” “applesauce” and “slides.” (I’m still waiting for him to say “baby sister!”)
And when you flip the sign around, the Christmas countdown is perfect for excited children waiting for Santa.
How do I make a double-sided DIY chalkboard sign?
This little chalkboard sign is fairly cheap and easy to make, given that you have a Cricut Explore Air 2.
Even if you like the concept of this gift, but you don’t have any way to make the vinyl decals yourself, I have included some similar versions of this chalkboard sign I’ve seen for sale on Etsy. Just scroll to the end of this post for those links!
This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I may receive a commission from a third party at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own, and I only share links to products I personally use, love and trust.
LET’S MAKE THIS DOUBLE-SIDED DIY HOLIDAY CHALKBOARD SIGN!
STEP 1: GATHER YOUR SUPPLIES
- White permanent vinyl
- Transfer tape
- Two-sided chalkboard sign (I found mine at Michaels at the time)
- Cricut Explore Air 2 and cutting mat
- Weeding tools
- additional font* (See Step 2)
- garland svg (See Step 3)
STEP 2: DOWNLOAD THE FONTS AND UPLOAD THEM TO CRICUT DESIGN SPACE
I fell in love with this font combination of Charlinda and Miglia found at dafont.com. If you’d like to use these fonts too, here’s how to add them to Cricut Design Space:
*Always double-check the licensing for the fonts you download. I am using these for personal use and will not be selling these signs for profit. However, there are plenty of completely free fonts on dafont.com.
DOWNLOAD DIRECTIONS:
- First, go to Dafont.com and search for the font names or click on the links above. Next, click on the gray “download” buttons to the right of the fonts.
- Once the zip files have downloaded to your computer, open the files and double-click on the TrueType font files to open them.
- Then hit the “install” button at the top of the document.
- Once the installs are complete, open Cricut Design Space and select your new fonts names from the font drop-down menu. (If you are already working in Design Space, you’ll want to refresh it or log out and back in so you can see the new font selection).
STEP 3: DOWNLOAD THE GARLAND SVG & UPLOAD IT TO CRICUT DESIGN SPACE
I knew I wanted a festive boarder where you would write the number of days until Christmas, but I didn’t want to make my own. I found this free monogram border svg on the Designs by Winther blog, and it immediately reminded me of Christmas garland, so I went for it.
To add this svg file to Design Space, you’ll need to:
- Go to DesignsbyWinther.com and download the FREE WINTER MONOGRAM FRAME SVG to your computer.
- Open Cricut Design Space and in a New Project, click on the “Upload” button on the left sidebar.
- Click on the “Upload Image” button and then the “Browse” button to navigate to where you’ve saved your image.
- Double click on the file
- Add an image name and tags and click “Save.”
- Now your image will be saved to Recently Uploaded Images under the Upload tab.
- Click on your image and hit the “Insert Images” button, which will take you back to your canvas for further manipulation.
STEP 4: ADJUST THE SIZING OF THE SVGS AND ADD YOUR TEXT
Once you have both the border svg and text uploaded to Design Space, play around with the sizing until you are satisfied with the overall look.
Click on the green “MAKE IT” button in the upper right of Design Space and cut your vinyl.
STEP 5: CUT, WEED & TRANSFER YOUR VINYL
My application process is to: 1) weed 2) barnish 3) remove the paper backing 4) place the text and border on the chalkboard 5) barnish again and 6) remove the plastic liner.
What if I don’t want to make my own holiday chalkboard sign?
I get it – not everyone wants to make their own gifts OR has the time OR has all of the tools and equipment listed above in my tutorial for this chalkboard sign.
If you’d prefer to purchase a cute sign, then check out some of my favorites on Etsy at the moment. If you purchase one, let me know which you chose and why!
- Custom Wood Sign from Shop the Painted Plank
3D Round Wood Sign from Buttercup and OakUnavailable shop and item as of 3/2021- Laser Engraved Wood Chalkboard Sign from Darling Wood You
- Days Until Sign from Crafts with a Side of You
- Sleeps Until Christmas Sign from James and Alice
- Christmas Countdown Sign from Arrow Town Designs
Days ’til Santa Countdown Sign from Piggs in ZenUnavailable shop and item as of 3/2021- Christmas Countdown Sign from Sarah Signs and Designs
AS ALWAYS – IF YOU NEED HELP BRAINSTORMING OR CREATING A CUSTOM GIFT, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME! I’D LOVE TO HELP!
More later! The craft room is calling, and I must go…
OTHER HOLIDAY PROJECTS YOU’LL LOVE:
