Holiday Craft: Easy “Mary Did You Know?” Wooden Sign

by Brandi Morgan on December 17th, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Last Christmas my mom got me a beautiful nativity. I had been eying the Willow Tree Nativity for years but just pushed the thought of owning one out of my mind because, well, they are pretty pricey. I went shopping with my mom one day and she saw me looking at the display in the store. I think she made some comment about how pretty it was and we went on. Never in my dreams would I have imagined opening that box from her last year. I cried. I plan to add a new piece each year until my set is complete.

As I was setting my nativity up this year, I felt it looked a little sparse. I wanted to add something, but was not sure what. After being on Pinterest one night, I got a BRILLIANT idea! I saw some signs made out of pallets and thought that would be perfect to go behind the nativity. I was just stuck on what saying to put on the sign. Then, I heard my favorite Christmas song over the weekend and knew that was it! I decided to use material we already had, so I ended up making my sign out of left-over fence posts and some old paint.

How to Make a "Mary Did You Know?" Wooden Sign

Supplies

Wood pieces
Paint

Directions:

My hubby helped me figure out how big to make the sign, then it was time to cut. I decided I wanted each piece to be 20 inches long and I wanted the sign to be 4 boards tall. I marked my cutting spots on the board and began.

Next, I cut two smaller pieces of scrap wood to attach to the back for support and nailed them on. Hubby helped hold everything in place.

Now, it is time to paint! I made a simple white wash using equal parts of old white paint and water. You want to stir well. My youngest REALLY wanted to help, so I let her help with this step. She loved it.

Allow the white-wash to dry and then decorate! I have a Cricut but I don’t have cool font cartridges, nor do I have any vinyl. I KNOW, what kind of crafter am I? Well … cheap. HA! So, I just painted the saying on freehand. I used old grey paint and added a touch of black paint as well, the grey was too light on it's own.

I think it turned out great, and it was super easy, too! Now my nativity looks a bit more complete and I have a new sign to cherish for years to come.

You can see a few more pictures of the process in this Google+ Album I created.

Do you have a nativity in your home? Is it homemade or store bought?

Brandi is the creator of The Creative Princess. She is a stay-at-home mom of two beautiful girls, avid couponer, crafter and a Pinterest addict.You will find creative couponing tips, great recipes, craft ideas and product reviews on her blog, she also takes you down her crazy journey of life around her small Oklahoma town.