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Don’t Stop Believing Santa Christmas Sign

Santa Claus is coming to town, y’all!  To prep for Kris Kringle’s visit, I decided to create a playful little holiday sign that combined the man himself with an ode to the classic Journey song.  It’s a match made in heaven!

I’ve seen variations of this design all over the interwebs and always loved the chuckle-worthy pun, so now that it’s Christmastime again, I decided to make my own!

Don't Stop Believing Santa Christmas Sign | Where The Smiles Have Been

[There are affiliate links in this post, and many thanks for the awesome folks at The Hungry JPEG for sponsoring today’s fun!]

 

Don’t Stop Believing Santa Christmas Sign

Supplies

 

Design Elements

I created my design in Silhouette Studio since I would be cutting it out in vinyl with my Silhouette Cameo.  And since I know there will be lots of you wanting all the specifics (everybody loves the details!), here’s some info about the elements:

Santa Graphic: I have some Silhouette Design Store download credit just burning a hole in my digital pocket (it’s actually from a Christmas Silhouette gift card present last year!), so I purchased this adorable Santa face.  The image is also part of this free dingbat font, but the quality is much lower, especially around Santa’s cheeks.  Since I would be using a large Santa on this sign, I needed a high-quality cut file, so I gladly spent the .99.

Snowflakes:  You know I love my dingbats (check out my list of favorite chalkboard ones, and this for how to use them…they’re so easy and handy!).  I downloaded this free dingbat font that has a lot of cute snowflake designs that would be easy for my Silhouette to cut.

Font for ‘don’t stop believing’: You may also know that I love The Hungry JPEG!  They are a great site for incredible font bundles and other digital goodies, and I snag every one of their monthly bundles (you can see what I made with their September bundle here and October bundle here).  They’re such a great value AND they come with full commercial rights!

For the beautiful script font in this sign, I used a font from their November bundle called Snatchy….it’s such a fun scripty-but-not-too-formal handwritten font.

The Hungry JPEG's Fontabulous November Bundle! Save 20% with Code Smiles20!

The Hungry JPEG's Fontabulous November Bundle! Save 20% with Code Smiles20!

 

Here are all the amazing fonts that are part of The Hungry JPEG’s Fontabulous Font Bundle….over 70 of ’em!

The Hungry JPEG's Fontabulous November Bundle! Save 20% with Code Smiles20!

This amazing bundle is only $29, BUT you can get an additional 20% off by using the code Smiles 20!  Woot Woot! :)  You better hurry though because this bundle is only available in November and you don’t want to let it slip by!

The Hungry JPEG's Fontabulous November Bundle! Save 20% with Code Smiles20!

 

Prepping the Sign

Several months ago, I stopped at our local Salvation Army thrift store and snagged a set of four signs for $1 a piece.  They were in very good condition and could easily be redone, had cute beveled edges, and already had a slot cut out in the back so they were ready for hanging.  They were a steal!

They also had a sticker on the back saying they are limited edition prints, but a quick eBay search made me go forward with this project….they’re only worth a little more than what I paid for them.  Nuts!  I was hoping my husband would be able to retire but nope, no lottery find here.  But that just meant more crafting possibilities! ;)

Don't Stop Believing Santa Christmas Sign | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

I first gave one of the boards a quick hand sanding to remove any dirt and grime, then sprayed it down with some black spray paint.

Don't Stop Believing Santa Christmas Sign | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

Once it was dry, I taped off the beveled edges with some painter’s tape and then sprayed the center down with some white spray paint (and I apparently forgot to take a picture after this step….whoops!).

Don't Stop Believing Santa Christmas Sign | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

The Vinyl Pieces

I was also apparently a little too eager to get this project going because you’ll notice how the black edges look in the below picture: rough.  I must have not let the black paint dry enough before adding the painter’s tape and white paint.  When I removed the tape, some of the black paint came with it….yikes!

But like Bob Ross, I decided to view this as a happy little accident instead of a mistake.  Distressed is in after all!  And I actually really like the aged look of the frame now.  It’s pretty cool!

The next step was then cutting out my design elements in vinyl using my Silhouette Cameo: Santa was in red, the words were in black, and the snowflakes in silver.

Don't Stop Believing Santa Christmas Sign | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

I first applied Santa’s happy little face….

Don't Stop Believing Santa Christmas Sign | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

….followed by the words….

Don't Stop Believing Santa Christmas Sign | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

….then finished the sign by applying the snowflakes.

Don't Stop Believing Santa Christmas Sign | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

The Finished Don’t Stop Believing Santa Christmas Sign!

And here’s the jolly old elf himself!  I love, love, LOVE how this sign turned out!  It’s the perfect little whimsical, light-hearted piece of holiday decor….very much our style.  I can’t wait to display this with the rest of our Christmas decor!

Don't Stop Believing Santa Christmas Sign | Where The Smiles Have Been

Don't Stop Believing Santa Christmas Sign | Where The Smiles Have Been

Don't Stop Believing Santa Christmas Sign | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

If You Enjoyed This….

Make sure you check out my Project Gallery for lots of other crafty creations, including these!

DIY Thankful Chalkboard | Where The Smiles Have Been

What a great way to preserve a Christmas memory! 21 Christmas Keepsakes for Kids! | Where The Smiles Have Been

Home Sweet Home Sign with FREE Cut File! | Where The Smiles Have Been

Year-Round Happy Everything Wreath: A Coton Colors Knock Off! | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Merry Christmas!

Signature

 

Judi Johnson

Friday 6th of November 2020

I have read through this three times and I need to ask is there a SVG file I can download? One where I don't have to do all the work you mentioned you did. I loved this but do not want to piece a file together but one already ready. I looked through the Gallery and did not find anything there.

Christine

Monday 9th of November 2020

Nope, I'm sorry!

Rhonda Wells

Wednesday 3rd of August 2016

I don't see or can't access any of the free cut files you have posted..what am I missing or doing wrong?

Merry Monday Link Party--Taking a Break | The Kolb Corner

Monday 21st of December 2015

[…] Don’t Stop Believin’ Santa Christmas Sign | Where the Smiles Have Been […]

Jessica Daniels

Wednesday 9th of December 2015

This is awesome! I wish I would have read this post in November and saved 20% on the font bundle. I also love that you bought those cheap prints and repurposed them, I am stealing this idea for sure! Thanks for sharing it with us!

Juliann

Wednesday 2nd of December 2015

Beautiful sign! May I ask what size your picture is? Smiled at your Bob Ross reference. I love watching his reruns. They are so calming.