Stake out your territory with this spiffy copper-foil garden sign.
| Prep Time: About 2 to 3 hours | |
| What you need: | |
| One 8- by 11-inch cardboard sheet, about 1/8 inch thick
Pencil Scissors Letter stencils, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches high (optional) Wooden board for a sign Wood glue Medium-weight copper sheeting Duct tape Sandpaper Craft stick One 1- by 2-inch wooden stake, at least 3 feet long Two 1 1/2-inch (number 6) wood screws Handsaw, Tacks or staple gun (optional), Drill, Screwdriver | |
| Seasons: Year round | |
| Materials: paints | |
| Instructions: | |
| 1. | Decide on a message for your sign. Cut the letters out of
the cardboard with scissors. Position your letters across the
board, leaving about 1/4 inch between each letter. Glue the
letters in place using small dabs so the glue doesn't bleed
beyond the letters. If it does, wipe it away with a cotton swab.
Allow the glue to dry.
|
| 2. | With the scissors, cut a piece from the copper sheeting that's 6 inches wider and longer than your sign. Center the sign, letter side down, on top of the copper sheet. Bend the sheet snugly but not too tightly around the wood. |
| 3. | Attach the copper sheet to the back of the sign with duct tape (or tacks or staples) and turn over the sign. |
| 4. | Sand the edges of the craft stick slightly to reduce any
chance of tearing the metal. Rub the tip of the stick around the
edges of each letter, then slide the flat edge of the stick over
the surface of the sign and the letters, until you can see the
letters "pop up" behind the metal.
|
| 5. | Using the handsaw, trim one tip of the stake at a diagonal, so that the sign will tilt up slightly when attached |
| 6. | Mark 2 spots for the screws, one about an inch down from the higher side of the stake and one about 2 inches down. Place the board on a flat surface, then center the top of the stake against the board. Drill through the stake and into the board (go slowly and be careful not to go through the front of the sign), then screw the two together. Repeat for the second screw |
| 7. | To plant your sign in the garden, dig a hole at least 6 inches deep, insert the stake, and firmly pack the area around it with soil. |
© FamilyFun. All rights reserved.
