Happy Christmas Camper Sign

Happy Christmas Camper Sign

Posted by DecoArt on Nov 13th 2017

Hi there, it’s Lydi back again from Lydi Out Loud.  If you hang out with me on my blog then you know how excited I am about this month’s project… DecoArt and Cricut have partnered up to bring you a bunch of fun holiday inspiration! I love my Cricut Maker and I have been so excited to get my holiday creating on with it; this partnership makes my heart happy!

Speaking of happy, the adorable little vintage happy camper has become an iconic pop culture symbol as of late and I couldn’t resist the urge to dress one up in its Christmas best. I love all of the different textures and levels that the Happy Christmas Camper sign has which combine some of my favorite Cricut and DecoArt products. The Cricut Maker can even cut balsa wood and felt in case you didn’t know! 

Because I’m sure you’d love to make one for your favorite happy camper, let’s walk through how easy this is!

Items Needed:

  • DecoArt Extreme Sheen 2oz - Pearl (DPM01-30)
  • Sign Surface (I Used An MDF Sign I Found At Dollar Tree And Painted It)
  • Cricut Maker
  • Deep Cut Blade
  • Rotary Blade
  • Cricut Strong Grip Mat
  • Cricut Fabric Mat
  • Balsa Wood
  • Red And Black Vinyl; Red, Blue And Purple Foil Vinyl
  • Cricut Transfer Tape
  • Green Felt
  • Green Cardstock
  • Painters Tape
  • Assorted Brushes
  • Clear Drying Glue
  • Mounting Squares

Instructions:

Apply 2 coats of Extreme Sheen in Pearl, one coat horizontal and one coat vertical to create a subtle plaid pattern. If you need to paint over an existing design, paint a couple of coats of Americana Multi-surface satin paint in Cotton Ball first. Set aside to dry.

Instruction Image #1

Open the Christmas Happy Camper project here. (A downloadable image and a cut file in Cricut Design Space).

Instruction Image #2

Place the balsa wood onto a strong grip mat and click the “Make it” button. I used the custom setting shown below for the material. The Maker will remind you to insert the deep cut blade. Cut.

Instruction Image #3

Cut the vinyl for the sign lettering (red), light strand (black) and light bulbs (red, blue and purple foil) with the standard cutting blade and cutting mat. Weed the lettering and images with the weeder tool. With transfer tape, apply the words onto the sign surface.

Instruction Image #4

Cut the felt for the Christmas tree. When you select felt as your material, the Maker will remind you to install the rotary cutting blade.

Instruction Image #5

To make the wreath, cut out 4 of the wreaths in Design Space (I used a light green and a dark green cardstock to give the wreath more realistic dimension). Apply a few drops of glue in between each of the wreaths to stack them together. 

Instruction Image #6

Now it’s time to paint the happy camper! 

Instruction Image #7

Place 2 pieces of transfer tape where the door and window will be on the Christmas Happy Camper to avoid painting in those areas. Place a piece of painter's tape a little lower than halfway down the camper. Apply Americana Multi-surface Satin Paint in Dolphin above the tape with a foam brush. I liked the look of the wood grain showing through a little so I only applied 1 coat. Also paint the trailer part of the camper with Dolphin. Peel back tape immediately after painting then allow to dry (it will dry in minutes).

 

Place a piece of painter's tape about halfway down the camper. I wanted to leave a stripe of the wood visible so I placed the tape accordingly. Paint below the tape with 2 coats of Americana Multi-surface Satin Paint in Apple Green. Peel back painters tape and both pieces of transfer tape immediately after completing the 2nd coat. Allow to dry.

Instruction Image #8

Fill in the door, window and wheel with Americana Multi-surface Satin Paint in Cotton Ball. Allow to dry. Paint around the door, window and along the bottom of the top half of the camper with Americana Multi-surface Satin Paint in Black Tie. Also paint the outer portion of the wheel with Black Tie. Paint a circle with Americana Multi-surface Satin Paint in Dolphin in the center of the tire. Tip: Use the tip of the handle on a paint brush dipped in paint to get a perfect circle! Allow to dry. Paint curtains in the window with Americana Multi-surface Satin Paint in Red Hot.

Instruction Image #9

Apply the black vinyl light strands with transfer tape onto the camper and position the bulbs on the light sockets using tweezers or the weeder tool.

Instruction Image #10

Affix large mounting squares on the back of the Happy Christmas Camper and press it onto the sign. Add the Christmas tree using more mounting squares and glue the wreath to the door.

Instruction Image #11

I made this with a gift recipient in mind, but is it bad if I keep it? It’s just so cute and cheery! 

 

I hope you enjoyed it. Happy Holidays!

Instruction Image #12

See more DecoArt and Cricut holiday creations and enter to win some fantastic prizes (including the NEW Cricut Maker) all month long on the DecoArt Blog!

Instruction Image #13