"Better Not Pout" Christmas Sign

Santa Claus is Coming to Town! This "Better Not Pout" Christmas Sign is a colorful reminder to be on your best behavior this holiday season!

Please don't tell me I'm the only one who has to remind the kids (and myself) that they "better not pout" throughout November and December... To make things a little easier on us all this year, I decided to make a sign to hang near the tree that I can just point to instead! With some help from my Cricut machine, this project was easier than ever to put together and will look amazing with my other Christmas decor.

To make your own "Better Not Pout" Christmas Sign, you'll need these supplies:

• Blank Wooden Plaque (I found this 18"x5" one at Michael's)
• Acrylic Paint
• Cricut Maker machine
• "Better Not Pout" Design Space File (for personal use only)
• Cricut Maker Knife Blade
• Cricut Chipboard 2mm
• Glitter Iron-On Vinyl
• 6"x7" EasyPress 2
• EasyPress Mat
• Weeding Tools

Start by painting the plaque. I painted the main part of the sign in white FolkArt Multi-Surface Paint, then painted the trim with silver FolkArt Glitterific paint for extra sparkle!

Instead of applying vinyl directly to the board, I decided to try something new with Cricut Chipboard. Since it is a thicker material, you need to use the Cricut Knife Blade, which is the newest tool to use with the Cricut Maker machine. This blade is similar to a craft knife, and allows your machine to cut through thicker materials like chipboard with precision.

To ensure you get a successful cut, you need to take a few precautions before getting started. First, you need the StrongGrip Mat (purple). This is the stickiest mat there is to keep materials like this in place. Place the Cricut Chipboard in the top left corner of the mat, and use a brayer to press it on well. The Knife Blade will cut in multiple passes (like you would with a craft knife), so I recommend using some masking tape around the edges of the chipboard to make sure nothing shifts during the cutting process.

Open the "Better Not Pout" cut file in Design Space. Click "Customize" to adjust the image size, or click "Make It" to go straight to cutting the design. Change the material setting to Chipboard 2mm and load the mat into the Maker.

As you can see in the image above, you'll need a little bit of time for this part of the cut because of the multiple passes. Make sure you have a strong bluetooth connection, or connect directly to your machine by cord if needed. Also make sure that your computer doesn't "sleep" during the cutting process. If you lose connection, you'll have to start over.

The machine defaults to 20 passes, but you can pause the cut (do NOT unload the mat) and check the chipboard to see if it has cut through before then. I noticed mine was finished cutting through at about 10 or 11 passes.

Once the letters have been cut through, unload the mat and carefully remove the chipboard letters. If for some reason you have unloaded the mat and the letters aren't cut through, you can use a TrueControl Knife and finish it by hand.

*If you're using the Cricut Explore or Cricut Maker machines, you can subscribe to Cricut Access to get instant access to over 50,000 images, fonts, and projects for endless possibilities! That subscription also gives you 50% off digital fonts, images, and cartridges in Design Space and 10% off all physical purchases on the Cricut website!

Replace the Knife Blade with the Fine Point Blade and cut the words again out of Glitter Iron-On Vinyl with your Cricut machine.

When cutting your iron-on vinyl, make sure to mirror the image and place the vinyl face-down on the mat. If you don't, your design will be backwards when you put it on your sign. To do this, click on each mat thumbnail before cutting and click the "Mirror" toggle to reverse the image on the mat.

"Weed" the excess vinyl by removing all of the parts that don't belong in the design. I usually start with the outer edges first by peeling away at the corner and working my way around the design. Then I use a weeding tool to remove smaller pieces of the design, like the insides of letters.

Instead of painting the letters or covering them in glitter by hand, I found a quicker hack for you! Apply the Glitter Iron-On Vinyl directly to the chipboard letters to get the same look without all the work or drying time! Since they are the same file cut with the Cricut, they are exactly the same size!

The 6"x7" EasyPress 2 is the perfect size for this job! Plug in the EasyPress 2 and power it on. Adjust the heat and time setting* to 315º for 30 seconds. Once the light turns green and the machine beeps, it's ready to use.

*Each kind of iron-on vinyl has a different heat/time setting for different materials, so be sure to check the recommended EasyPress settings for best results.

Once the EasyPress is up to temperature, place the chipboard on the EasyPress Mat. Line the iron-on vinyl on top of the chipboard. Carefully set the EasyPress over the vinyl and press the green "C" button. Hold firmly in place while the timer counts down. Peel the carrier sheet away while the vinyl is still warm.

Repeat the process with the rest of the letters until they are all covered in vinyl. I used green, gold, and pink Glitter Iron-On Vinyl for this project.

Apply some strong craft adhesive to the back of each letter and place it on the painted plaque. Keep the sign somewhere it won't be disturbed while the glue dries.

I can't wait to hang up this sparkly (mess-free) new piece of Christmas decor! It's sure to do it's job to remind us all to have a holly jolly Christmas season as we count down the days until Santa comes to town!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.