This post is sponsored by Expressions Vinyl and contains affiliate links. Hey, y'all! I am so happy that spring is here, the weather is warmer and the sun is shining more often these days! When I think of spring, I think of beautiful flowers and, of course, Easter, and I'm so excited to be sharing a fun Easter project with you today that I made using a unfinished wood cross, my Silhouette, and some beautiful vinyl sent to me from Expressions Vinyl. I'm calling this project my DIY Hand-Lettered Easter Cross Art, and because I love you, I'm sharing the free hand-lettered cut file that I created so you can make your own. And if that wasn't enough, there's an awesome giveaway from Expressions Vinyl at the end of the post.
This project is a pretty quick make, and it will look great on your mantel or your front door! Let's get to the tutorial.
Step One: Paint the cross the color of your choosing. I decided to use a color called plaster, which is a beige color, so that my colorful polkadots would pop.
Step Two: Distress the edges of the cross using fine grit (220) sandpaper. Of course, you can skip this step, but I think it adds dimension to the final piece.
Step Three: Further the distress the cross by rubbing stain over the unfinished edges. You can skip the stain if you're wanting a more polished look. Once the cross looks the way you want it to, seal it with a varnish. I used a matte varnish because I definitely did not want the cross to be shiny after I did all the work distressing it.
Step Four: While the varnish is drying, it's time to start on the vinyl designs. First, cut 2" circles from different colors of vinyl using your Silhouette Cameo.
Step Five: Download and open the FREE hand-lettered "Happy Easter" cut file with Silhouette Studio. Download the FREE Silhouette cut file HERE. Download the FREE SVG cut file HERE.
Step Six: Cut the phrase from vinyl using your Silhouette.
Step Seven: Weed the vinyl phrase. I LOVE to use the weeding tool from Expressions Vinyl. It's so handy! Once the phrase is weeded, cover it with transfer tape.
Step Eight: Once the varnish is dry, apply the vinyl polka dots to the cross. I just peeled the circles off of the paper backing and applied them to my cross in somewhat of a pattern.
Step Nine: Using transfer tape, apply the hand-lettered phrase to the middle of the cross. Then use a craft knife to remove the excess vinyl from the circles hanging off the edges of the cross. Once you complete this step, you're done!
Isn't this such a colorful, fun, and festive piece of art?!
I love the way the cross looks on my apple green door.
But it looks just as good on my mantel. I'm not sure where it looks best!
Of course if you like this post, I hope you'll share in on FB or Pinterest and maybe even check out a few of my other projects. And please make sure you enter the awesome giveaway from Expressions Vinyl below!
I received product and payment from Expressions Vinyl in exchange for today's post, but as always, all opinions are 100% mine.