Get your home ready for Valentine's Day with this DIY Kissing Booth Sign on display!
This is my newest pieces of Valentine's Day decor, and I'm so in love it with it. The colors, the hearts, and everything about this wood Kissing Booth Sign is just so sweet. Even better, it's so simple to make using and Ikonart kit! The stencils are layered on this project to add different colors, patterns, and designs that when combined create such an adorable piece of decor. Even better, I'm sharing the FREE design so you can make your own Kissing Booth Sign to display in your own home for Valentine's Day!
To make your own Kissing Booth Sign, you will need these supplies:
- Kissing Booth Design (for personal use only)
- Ikonart Custom Stencil Kit
- Scissors
- 8"x8" Wood Panel
- Sandpaper
- Acrylic Paint - white, pink, black
- Chalk Paint Powder
- Paint Brush
- Squeegee
- Detail Brush (optional)
Printables, designs, 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 Kissing Booth design and size them to fit the wood canvas. 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 next step in the stencil-making process is to washout, or rinse, the stencil to reveal the image on the film. Clip the exposed stencil film to the Ikonart clipboard with the shiny side (carrier sheet) touching the clipboard. Use a kitchen sink sprayer to rinse the stencil film with warm water until the design shows through and becomes completely clear. The washout process usually takes no 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 completely dry, you shouldn't see any water spots or discoloration.
Once the stencils are completely dry, place the them back on the exposure stand and expose again for at least 2 minutes without the clear cover sheet. This extra exposure time will increase the durability of the stencils so you can get as much use out of them as possible.
Use a permanent marker and write the word "back" on the carrier sheets (shiny side) on the back of the stencils. This comes in handy later when pairing the carrier sheet and stencil together after washing the paint off.
The best time to paint the wood panel is while waiting for the stencils to dry. Sand the wood, if necessary, to make the surface as smooth as possible. Cover the entire panel with white acrylic paint. The center may need more than one coat for full coverage. Let the paint dry completely, then paint the "frame" of the panel with pink acrylic paint.
*I painted just the front and outsides of the frame and kept the entire inside of the panel white.
Make sure that the paint is COMPLETELY dry before moving on to this step!! If it's not, your stencil could stick to the wood permanently, ruining your project. Remove the clear backing from the kiss/heart pattern stencil and center the design on the panel. I folded the corners of the stencil in, and ran a fingernail over the stencil along the inner edges of the panel to make sure everything was sealed.
To keep from painting outside of the stencil, you can place some painters tape around the edges of the stencil.
Thicker paints, like chalk paint, is best to use with stencils. Acrylic paint is a thinner consistency than chalk paint, so it's more likely to have bleeds under the stencils. To thicken the paint, mix in a little bit of chalk paint powder. This works with any brand or type of acrylic paint!
Pour some paint out on a palette or into a disposable cup and then add a little bit of powder. Stir it together with a craft stick until combined. Add a little more powder at a time until you get the consistency you want.
*If you're not sure what to kind of paint to use on your projects, Ikonart has a helpful list of paint and ink selections to help you out!
This first stencil is a background design, so I wanted the color to be a bit more subtle. I mixed a little bit of the same pink as the frame with white paint to lighten it up, and then added chalk powder to thicken it up.
FYI: Chalk paint is thicker, but it also dries a lot quicker than regular acrylic paint, so you need to move a little quicker than you usually would with regularly painted projects.
Pour some of the mixed paint on the top edge of the stencil and gently pull the squeegee down to cover the entire design. Scrape away the excess and put it back into the paint tray or cup.
Start at one corner and lift up the stencil to reveal the paint underneath. If you see any areas that you may have missed, carefully lay the stencil back down and scrape a little more paint over the area.
Let the paint dry completely, and wash the stencil well following the instructions below.
Washing Stencils:
For best results, wash stencils while the paint is still wet. 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.
**Make sure to give the paint plenty of time to dry before moving on to the next step!
Peel the backing off of the kissing booth stencil, and center it on the sign over the painted background. Once the stencil is in place, press it down well to remove any air bubbles.
Add thickened black acrylic paint or chalk paint toward the top of the stencil and gently pull the squeegee down to cover the entire design. Scrape away the excess and put it back onto the paint tray or bottle.
Use the same color of pink paint as the frame, but thicken it up if necessary with the chalk powder. Add a small amount of paint on the stencil, and use the squeegee to cover the open area. Since these stencils are much smaller than the others, be VERY careful not to get paint outside of the stencil! Scrape the excess paint off of the stencil.
Slowly pull the stencil away to reveal the design underneath. As you peel the stencil, look carefully for any missed areas. If you see any, carefully lay the stencil back down and add a little more paint over the area. Once you get to the opposite end and see that all areas have been covered, peel the stencil away from the wood.
If you notice any missed spots or bleeds after removing the stencil, grab a small detail paint brush and add a light coat of paint over the area(s).
Now it's time for the last layer of stencils! I have four different heart stencils to add to the sign, but using the same paint for all of them. I find it easier to place them all on one at a time, but you can paint over multiple stencils at a time if you're feeling up to it.
Peel the stencil away to reveal the hearts underneath, and re-apply paint if necessary and/or use the detail brush to fix any mistakes.
Repeat the process with the rest of the little heart stencils for the dots on the "i"s, and to pair with the arrow at the bottom of the design.
Wash the stencils out well using the directions above, and give the paint plenty of time to dry.
Layering stencils might seem daunting, but I promise you can do it! I had SO much fun creating this Kissing Booth Sign and LOVE how it turned out!! This sign is such a sweet piece of Valentine's Day decor, and I hope you get inspired to try it out for yourself. You can even make multiples of this sign for friends and family - which is easy to do with Ikonart reusable stencils.
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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