DIY Stocking Hanger

Instructions

Begin to apply paint or stain to the wood plaque. If painting it is best to use a matte paint. However, this may require 2-3 coats. If staining, be sure to stain in a well ventilated area. Allow 24-48 hours for stain to completely dry and soak into the wood.

This step is for the staining option. Once stain is dry, add a layer of mod podge as a sealant to the front of the plaque where vinyl will later be applied. If there is no barrier between stain and vinyl, the oils in the stain will break down the adhesive on the vinyl and will also allow the paint for the stencil to bleed in the wood (we want crisp paint lines).

In design space being to prepare your design by using the text tool. Start off by creating the initial of the name in a plain, sans-serif font. I used Bakersville for the big letter “A”. Next, create and type out the name of the person you are creating it for. For “Amanda” I used the font Barley regular.

If you don’t have this font, you can use any thick, script font. Lastly, upload and adjust the holly design SVG. Align the initial, script font, and holly leaf in the middle or to your liking.

NOTE: Choose a thick script font, as we will be using this as a stencil and thin, intricate font may not work as well.

NOTE: If using a script font in design space, don’t forget to kern your letters (kern = connecting the letter to cut as one piece).

Font sizing for a 9 x 12 wood plaque:
Initial: 2 x 2.2”
Name: 4” wide
Holly: 3” wide

Once designed and sized accordingly, select make it in design space. Adjust the machines setting or material dial to custom, washi sheet with more pressure. The fonts have small, delicate cuts in the letters as this setting will help it cut smoothly.

Load the permanent vinyl to your machine on the blue light grip mat or green standard grip map and hit “go”.

When the cuts are complete begin to weed out the letters of the vinyl creating a stencil by using your weeding tool (looks like a dentist pick). Usually we would keep the vinyl for the letters and weed outside and around the letters, however, to create the stencil we want to weed out opposite of what is normally not removed (the initial, the letters of the name, the holly leaves and berries).

NOTE : Be sure to keep the small pieces inside the letters to block out any paint in the next steps.

After the designs are completely weeded, cut off a piece of transfer tape the size of the vinyl and apply the transfer tape using pressure with the scrapper tool. This is done in order to get the vinyl off its carrier sheet and onto the projects surface.

Turn the entire design face down and begin to gently apply pressure and pull the vinyl’s carrier sheet off and away from the transfer tape.

NOTE: Go slow and be sure not to forget the tiny pieces inside the letters.

Place the vinyl stencil with the transfer tape on top of the dried wood plaque.

Once enough pressure had been applied slowly remove the transfer tape and very carefully and slowly rolling it away and off the plaque. The vinyl will remain on your project.

After the stencil has been applied, using a small brush, sponge brush or sponge begin to stipple the paint onto the surface.

NOTE: DO NOT brush the paint. Tap and stipple in on in very thin layers. You will need to apply 3-4 coats to get the paint opaque. Applying in thin layers and tapping motion will help the paint dry in-between coats and prevent bleeding.

When paint is completely dry, remove the vinyl stencil and the inside pieces of the letters.

NOTE: DO NOT try to remove stencil before paint is completely dry.

Using pressure and force, screw a cup hook into the front of the plaque under design to hold each stocking.

Attach a picture hanger, command strips or other hanging option to the back of the holder to hang on the wall and display stockings.