DIY WORD ART SIGNS

how to make easy fall word art signs using vinyl and cricut design space file located in my resource library. These can also be made into greeting cards using card stock instead of vinyl.

How to make DIY word art signs

Table of Contents

Create an easy personalized DIY word art sign for your home or a gift for someone special. There are really so many ways to personalize art in this way. In addition, if you do not have any vinyl you could use good old card stock and glue it instead.

Let me say this is very familiar to the term Subway Art Signs. I actually made two signs and the second one I made is exactly a DIY subway art sign. I’ll show you the second one in a moment.

First, let me show you just how easy it is to make these beautiful signs.

Materials

Paper I used to apply vinyl onto for pictures –
Oracal 651 Vinyl Sheets
Cricut Transfer Tape
Cricut DS file found in my resource library: Free File
Cricut Explore Air or Cricut Maker
Cricut Weeding Tools

The Process

Designing

I created 3 files for you inside of Cricut Design Space. You will notice I created two color files with the colored words attached together. If you would rather transfer each word as one unit then you will need to detach each group after clicking on the file in Design Space.

I created a third design in one color (black) and welded it together. If you wanted all images the same color, you can change to your preferred color.

subway art cricut design space file found in my resource library where I share all my files for free

word art designed in cricut design space to make diy word art signs — Next, grab your paper

heavy weight paper to use to apply the vinyl for the diy word art and subway art signs — The link to this exact paper is in the materials list. It is #110 weight paper

Cutting

Lay your vinyl right side of (colored side up) (backing side down) onto a green mat. Push the load (arrow) button to load your mat into the machine.

When the button with a C on it starts flashing push it and it will proceed to cut your vinyl for you. So much easier than scissors right ?!?

Once the cutting is complete you will need to push the arrow button one more time to unload your mat.

Weeding

Weeding is the process of removing the excess material surrounding the design before putting the Vinyl on paper. When I weed, I typically start from a corner on the top side. I go very slowly, so I don’t tear my design. If desired, there are special weeding tools that make the process easier.

Apply

Next, we need to apply transfer tape to the top of each image or word (If you are saving material and doing each word separately)

If you keep the colors/words grouped together as I did in the Design Space file then you would put transfer paper over each section of colored words or images.

Often times I like to keep the colors/images grouped together as I never seem to mind all the scrap pieces of vinyl I get to stash for another smaller project. Always save your scraps!

If you are using the grouped method then you will want to take the backing off each colored piece of vinyl. Note: Since my video software crashed on me while filming the layering onto transfer tape method for grouped colors I wanted to share Mandy’s post from Sugar Bee Crafts as it’s the exact same method except instead of layering “on top” of vinyl you will be layering “next” to each colored section of vinyl onto the transfer tape so when you apply it to the paper you are applying the entire artwork in one motion. Mandy’s blog is awesome too! ♥

Then apply transfer tape to the entire piece of vinyl so you will be able to apply the whole sheet for each color as one unit.

I apologize for not having any pictures or videos of this grouped process. I made the video which I then gather pictures from and my recording software crashed and I lost everything! 😢 I will record another video of grouped layers with vinyl after the holidays, I promise!

I was able to get pictures of my second sign which I transferred as each separate word/image. Yay! 😁 I will include the video of that portion down below or you can click on it from the links above.

Method for transferring each word/image separately.

Weed excess vinyl from the vinyl piece
Cover the top of the word/image with clear transfer tape
Use a scraper or credit card to burnish the transfer tape firmly onto the vinyl
Turn the vinyl piece over and carefully peel away the vinyl backing so the vinyl word is now on the transfer tape.

Now turn the transfer tape over and press down your design where you’d like it to be.

Press down the image with your fingers or lightly use your scraper or credit card to help adhere the vinyl to the paper.

Then carefully pull back the transfer tape approx at a 45° angle. Sometimes I’m almost pulling it flat off of the vinyl. Always go slow to ensure a piece of the vinyl is not lifting with the transfer tape. If this does happen, no worries, just push back down and rub that piece of vinyl a bit more and pull the transfer tape again.

Before you know it, your masterpiece will be nearly done, just need a frame!

That’s It! This really is a very easy process. All I can say is the more you do it, you just get a feel for it and it just becomes second nature! You can do this! 🙌

Video of DIY Word Art Sign

Extra Ideas

Let me help spark some creative ideas from this type of Cricut project

allow me to start by saying Cricut currently has 100,000 + images and they constantly increase their database
pick and choose your own fonts and make your own sayings
nursery art
hostess gifts
t-shirts and sweatshirts
dish towels
gift wrap
add to placemats or table runner
man cave options!
work inspiration
goal inspiration
greeting cards
holiday cheer
pool signs
cabin signs
most importantly – HAVE FUN!