Make a custom Vacation Fund Money Box to save for your next big trip!
Life has been hectic lately, and honestly, who doesn't need a relaxing vacation right about now? As a fun way for my family to save money for some travel, I decided to make a DIY Vacation Fund Money Box! Not only is it super cute, but seeing our spare change physically pile up through the glass is a pretty encouraging! If you want to make one of these for yourself, this is a quick and simple project for Ikonart beginners, and I'm sharing the design for FREE!
To make your own DIY Vacation Fund Money Box, you will need these supplies:
- "I Need a Vacation" Design (for personal use only)
- Ikonart Custom Stencil Kit
- 12"x5" Wood Shadow Box
- Dremel (optional)
- Multi-Surface Acrylic Paint
- Squeegee
- Unicorn SPiT Gel Stain
- Paint Brush
*Save 15% on Ikonart supplies when you shop with code AFM15
Printables and cut files from Artsy-Fartsy Mama are for personal use only. You may use these files for personal projects, but you may not sell them. If you'd like to share this project digitally, share a link to this post/website only. Do not share a direct link to the file.
To make a stencil, you need to start with a printed design. Download the "I Need a Vacation" Design (for personal use only) and print the design as dark as possible on either inkjet or laser Ikonart Printer Film.
The next step in the process is exposing the stencil film. Set up the exposure stand with UV LED Light by following the directions included in the kit. Ikonart Stencil Film is light sensitive, so be careful to keep it out of sunlight and bright lights before exposure. Cut a piece of the film the slightly larger than the design print.
Lay the piece of film down on the base of the stand with the textured side facing up. Place the printed design on top of the stencil film, making sure it's right-side up - meaning that you should be able to read the words printed on the design.
Lastly, place the clear exposure sheet (found in the stencil film pack) on top and press it down well to seal the design tight against the stencil film. Turn the exposure light on and expose the film for 35 seconds.
The final step in the stencil-making process is to washout, or rinse the stencil. Clip the exposed stencil film to the Ikonart clipboard with the shiny side (carrier sheet) touching the clipboard. Use the kitchen sink sprayer to rinse the stencil film with warm water until the design shows through and becomes completely clear. The washout process shouldn't take more than 3 minutes.
Gently blot the excess water from the stencil, and hang or lay the stencil flat to dry for about 45 minutes. When the stencil is dry, you shouldn't see any water spots or discoloration. Once the stencil is completely dried, place the it back on the exposure stand and expose it again for at least 2 minutes without the clear cover sheet. This extra exposure time will increase the durability of the stencil so you can get as much use out of it as possible. On the clear backing of your stencil, write the word "BACK" with a permanent marker.
Sometimes you can find shadow boxes or frame banks with a hole already cut in the top. This wood shadow box didn't have one, so I made one myself. I first drew a small rectangle at the center on top of the box using a pencil and ruler, and then cut it out using my Dremel. If you don't have one of these tools, there are a lot of other methods out there.
Remove the clear backing from the stencil and center the design on the front of the box. Once the stencil is in place, rub it down well.
Add a thin line of white multi-surface acrylic paint on one side of the stencil, and use the squeegee to lightly pull the paint over the stencil. Make sure all of the open mesh spaces of the stencil are covered evenly, and be careful to not go off the edges of the stencil. Scrape away any excess paint and put it back into the paint bottle.
*You can thicken acrylic paint with Chalk Paint Powder.
If notice that there was bleeding or mess-ups after removing the stencil, don't panic. Wet paint can be washed off immediately so that you can redo the stenciling. Wash the stencil (see below) before fixing the project so that the paint doesn't dry over the stencil mesh. If the paint dries on the stencil, it can make it hard to clean and reuse it.
To wash your stencil so that it can be used again and again, first get the clipboard wet so your stencil doesn't stick to it. Place the stencil on the clipboard with the textured side up, and lightly rub the stencil under cold running water to remove all the paint.
Do not rub or scrub the adhesive side of the stencil, and NEVER use anything other than water to wash the stencils. To prevent the stencil from breaking down, don't ever leave the stencils to soak.
Remove the stencil from the clipboard and lay it down with the adhesive side up. While the stencil is still wet, place the carrier sheet onto the stencil so that the word “BACK” is readable. Hang or lay the stencil flat to dry completely.
At this point, the Vacation Fund Money Box can be considered complete. However, I wanted to add a little more color to my project. The back of the box slides out, so I removed it and made sure it was clean (again). Next, I added lines of pink, orange, and yellow Unicorn SPiT Gel Stain and blended the edges of each color together with a paint brush to create an ombre effect. I love how it looks like a sunset - my favorite thing to watch whenever we go on vacation.
This DIY Vacation Fund Money Box is a quick and simple project that is great for Ikonart beginners. I love how this turned out, and my family is excited to physically see our savings build up for a future vacation. Of course, this would also be a fun gift idea to make for someone you know who NEEDS a vacation.
I'd love to hear what you think about this project, or if you want to know more about reusable stencils. If you've made your own stenciled projects, I would love to see your creations! Share them on Instagram, Facebook, or leave a comment/photo on the project pin on Pinterest! #AFMCrafts
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