Everyone knows that grandkids make life grand, and what grandparent wouldn’t want to show off their grandbabies to the world?!
That’s why I made this fun Grandkids Make Life Grand sign photo display for my mom.
Now she has the perfect spot to showcase cute photos of her grandkids.
It was so easy to make, too, and here I’ll show you how!
Grandkids Make Life Grand Sign: A Colorful DIY Photo Display
I always struggle with getting gifts for my parents and grandma.
They have everything, and whenever you ask them what they’d like, they always respond with “Nothing.”
Gee guys, thanks for the help. *eyeroll*
One of the many good things I’ve noticed though since becoming a mom is that personalized gifts from/about their grandkids are always a winner!
How convenient too since I am, ya know, kinda crafty. *wink*
That’s why I created this colorful Grandkids Make Life Grand sign for my mom last Christmas.
It’s not only a DIY gift from her favorite (and only) daughter, but more importantly, it also acts as a unique way to display all those photos of the adorable grandkids.
Needless to say, it was a big hit on Christmas morning!
I mean I love making my own DIY signs, reverse canvases, and wreaths/door hangers, so this project is right up my crafty alley.
Grandkids Make Life Grand Sign Supplies
I’ve seen variations of these signs floating all over the interwebs for quite a while.
I of course put my own spin on this one and designed it to go with the rest of my parents’ decor…with a little bit of colorful funkiness too, naturally.
Here’s what I used to make this colorful Grandkids Make Life Grand sign photo display:
- Wooden board
- Tan craft paint & foam brush
- Silhouette Cameo & cutting mat
- Vinyl
- Transfer tape
- Variety of colored mini clothespins
- Glue
Painting the Wooden Board
I first sanded a spare board that was kicking around our garage.
It’s the same kind of board I used for my ‘Making Spirits Bright’ Christmas sign.
My parents have a huge mantel above their fireplace where they like to display the grandkids’ photos, so a big board like this that can stand on its own would work perfectly…and hooray for not having to add a hanger!
I then gave the whole thing a couple light coats of some tan craft paint with a foam brush, not being too particular about coverage.
Cutting the Grandkids Make Life Grand Vinyl Decals
While the paint was drying, I got to cutting out the design in vinyl with my Silhouette Cameo.
Oh, how I love thee. ♥
Since my parents have a very neutral decorating style, I thought a dark brown vinyl would work well with the tan wood.
A nice POP of various brightly colored vinyl with the final ‘grand’ word that would coordinate nicely with the mini clothespins I’d be attaching in a bit would then complete the design.
Applying the Grandkids Make Life Grand Vinyl Decal
Once the vinyl words were cut, I added some transfer tape to the top of each piece and applied them to the board using the hinge method (which you can read more about here…it’s pretty amazing!).
I then glued a handful of some brightly colored mini clothespins to the top of the board.
These would make swapping out photos a breeze, while also jazzing up the design and room.
The Completed Grandkids Make Life Grand Sign
And with that, all that remained was adding some pics of two adorable tots!
I printed out some wallet-size photos of my son and niece, but you could certainly stick larger 4×6, 5×7, or really any other keepsake in these clips.
I love how easy it is to swap out pics as the kiddos grow!
If You Enjoyed This…
Make sure you check out my other sign tutorials, crafty creations, and freebies, including these fun Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Grandparents Day ideas!
Thanks so much for stopping by! Stay crafty!
Minimalist Mothers Day Gifts – arielraecooper
Thursday 10th of May 2018
[…] Find the tutorial here: https://www.wherethesmileshavebeen.com/grandkids-make-life-grand-wood-sign/ […]
Jocelyn Campbell
Tuesday 3rd of April 2018
Can you tell me where to get the Sherlock font? I love it.
Vicki Krambeck
Wednesday 6th of December 2017
I have been trying to locate the Sherlock font. Where can I find it?
Byrdwoman
Tuesday 10th of October 2017
What kind of glue did you use to attach the clothes pins? Such a great idea! I'm making a version for my father. Thanks!
Jessica
Saturday 13th of May 2017
I just made this for mothers day for my mom and mother in law. I don't have a Cricut, so I hand painted all the letters (my hand hurts so bad! Haha) . I used different colors and font, but the idea was the same. It came out amazing. Thank you!