DIY Back to School Sign

Back to School…..has it hit your house yet?  We started back to school a few weeks ago, and it has been in full swing ever since.  Looking back at the twins starting school, I didn’t do cutesy things like this DIY Back to School sign I made for our daughter.  I wish I had!  So now that our daughter is in school, I am taking every chance to make cute memories of her first day of school.  This DIY Back to School sign was SO easy, and it came together very quickly.  

You have inevitably seen those cute back to school signs all of social.  Every fall, signs start popping up, with littles sharing their hopes and dreams for their upcoming year.  Well, same here in our house! I love getting this sign out every year for our princess to fill out and share her upcoming details on her new school year.  I am excited to share this easy project with you, and hope that it will be a nice way to preserve your memories year after year.

Supplies for a DIY Back to School Sign:

Silhouette Cameo/craft cutting machine

Oracle 651 Vinyl

14×14 Framed Chalkboard {I found mine on Amazon}

Transfer tape

First, open a new design template on your Silhouette software.   You are working with the entire screen, in its 12×12 size. I found this was perfect for the chalkboard I had ordered.

Then, start inserting shapes in your design screen.  I added a banner at the top, and then the words “First Day of” to start.  Then, I worked my way down the screen, adding simple shapes and labels, as well as text.  I ended up with this:

Next, open up a new design template, and load some white Oracal 651 in your machine.  Copy and paste the banners and shapes onto the new design screen.  Since you are cutting them all in white, arrange them on there so you can fit as many as possible.  I could not fit all of them, which was fine.  To eliminate wasted vinyl, I just cut as many as I could, and then finished the rest on a new sheet of white.  Cut everything you need in white, and set it aside.

Next, in that same new design template, delete the shapes and copy and paste the text.   I wanted First Grade in a light shade of green, so I cut that first.  Then, I deleted those words and added “My teacher is”, AGE, DATE, and “When I grow up, I want to be:” to the design screen.  I cut those in purple.

Then, weed all the excess vinyl, separate the cut pieces, and apply transfer tape.

Finally, you are ready to start applying the vinyl. Starting at the top and apply your large banner shape.  From there, add “First Day of” and the rectangle below it. Continue working your way down the sign, until everything is in its place.

Did you know that glossy white Oracal 651 is naturally a dry erase surface?  So be sure to use that for your writing space.  Add your words, and you have cute photo prop for those first day of school photos!

I love this project for several reasons. First, it’s reusable, and I am excited to see how the responses, and the cute face, change over the years.  Second, it is so easy to make it for boys, girls, or a gender neutral one if you have boys and girls in your family.  Plus it is SO easy!  It is a great project for people who have used their machine a few times, and want to venture out to using a variety of fonts, colors, and shapes on a project.  How are you celebrating back to school?