DIY Wedding Welcome Sign Tutorial and Ideas

Wedding welcome signs, table signage, menus, and other wedding signage are a great way to really personalize your wedding day. They can help tie the overall look together, create a lasting impression on your guests, and of course provide information to guests so your day flows smoothly. Creating your own DIY welcome wedding sign is a great way to make your decor feel extra special from the moment guests arrive. And the bragging rights are pretty nice too.

I recently got married, and though it was definitely not a DIY wedding, I did decide to take on a few project of my own, including all my wedding signage. These big welcome signs were the biggest project I took on, and my favorite by far. I didn’t follow a tutorial, so I figured I should post my own so that anyone else out there wanting big impact on a budget can achieve the same look! In this post, I’ll show you exactly how I made my DIY wedding signs, how much it cost, and show you some alternative ideas too! Let’s get into it!

 

Should you DIY your wedding signs?

First off, let’s think about the basics. What’s your timeline and how much free time do you have to take on a DIY project? Wedding planning is stressful enough, so keep your timeline in mind when deciding how to get your wedding signs done. I had a vision for some epic wedding welcome signs, and I knew I had the time and ability to take on a DIY. But I did have a few conditions. If they sound reasonable enough to you, I think you should totally get on the DIY train for some of your wedding signs!

My DIY wedding project requirements:

• Materials that are easy to work with
• All or most of the project can be done inside (didn’t want my project time to be constrained by weather)
• No power tools (I can use them but wanted minimal hassle)
• Significantly cheaper than purchasing it ready-made 
• Safe to leave outdoors in case of rain on wedding day
• Easy to carry/move 

The inspiration for my wedding welcome sign DIY

 

This is ultimately why I chose to DIY. I saw this photo on Pinterest, and LOVED the look. It seemed like a great way to make a statement for either the ceremony, reception, or both. I decided it wasn’t worth the price to buy signs like this on Esty, but that maybe I could DIY them. I did some research, check all the boxes above, and got to work. And now I’ll share how I did it step by step!

 

My DIY wedding welcome sign project

I decided to make three signs- one small one for our names and wedding dates, a tall welcome sign for the ceremony, and a tall welcome sign for the reception. This way the smaller one could just be moved from one setting to the other.  This setup would allow me to make all three with just one sheet of foam insulation board. (See diagram below)

 

Helpful tip: creating a preview like this in Canva or with paper can be very helpful to get an idea of the final look and the dimensions you’ll need to work with for lettering.

Materials and cost:

• Foam Insulation Board – the pink type, photo below (I used 1.5”) – $31.84
• Spackle and spackling knife – $12.48
• Exacto knife / box cutter – already had one
• Sandpaper – already had some
• Primer (I used one qt of Kilz all purpose) – $12.98
• Paint – (I used one quart of the green, and one sample of the off-white color) – about $20
• Vinyl lettering (cheaper if you happen to have a cricut) about $60
• Optional- wood name cut outs (I splurged on this because I figured I could use them down there road on another project. Since they’re totally unnecessary, I’m not counting them toward the total cost, but let’s add an extra $30 for the additional lettering that would be required) – $30

Total Cost: $167.30

 

Cost comparison:

Lets use this wedding sign on Etsy as a comparison. It’s roughly the same size (5’x3’), made of foam, (and STUNNING, yes). But it’s listed at $279 for just one sign. I spent way less and got two 2’x6’ signs and one 2’x4’ sign. Sold? Cool. Here’s how to do it.

 

My DIY wedding welcome sign tutorial

First, gather/buy materials

The great thing about this project is it utilizes many things you may already have at home. But you most likely will need to go buy the foam insulation. When you pick your piece, look very closely for the one with the fewest flaws to minimize work down the road. Mine hade lots of tiny dents that I never noticed, and those were a lot harder to fill and disguise with spackle than cracks. You can’t see them here, but trust me, they’re there.

 

Step 1: Cut foam board to size

First, I measured out the dimensions for each of my signs on the foam board and marked some straight lines to guide my cuts. Be very careful here because a pencil can and will create indents into the foam. If you change your mind or measure incorrectly, you’ll have to fill those in later. 

 

PS- remember to do this over a large piece of cardboard or just be very careful not to scratch the floor below.

Step 2: Sand edges of the signs

Foam board does not cut very smoothly, especially if you’re cutting along the pre-made breaking points. This is an easy fix, though, as it sands down quite easily. Don’t worry about perfection here. Any pieces that crumble out or cracks that happen in the process can be filled in with sparkle in the next step.

 

Step 3: Smooth creases, cracks and dents with spackling paste

Look at every surface of the foam board for any spots that need to be filled in. The edges will probably need some help. I had a few pieces get caught while sanding that ended up taking little chunks of foam out, but they filled in very easily. 

 

As you can see, I did this before cutting the foam board, but I would recommend doing it after cutting and sanding because you’ll have to go back and fix any flaws afterward anyway.

Step 4: Prime and paint

Prime both sides of the board. This is a great last chance opportunity to find any flaws you missed in the last step and smooth them out before painting. After that, you get to paint your signs any color you want! 

 

Helpful tip- pick a matte paint color. Dents and other flaws are much easier to spot on shiny paint. 

Step 5: Apply lettering

Now you get to add the finishing touches and watch your masterpiece come together! Tape down your vinyl lettering before sticking it to the board (or have a friend hold them flat in place) so you can step back and get a good look at the final layout of your signs before sticking them on so you can be sure of your placement.

 

The final product!

Here’s how mine turned out! I absolutely love them. The one picture below is the reception welcome sign, so that’s why it doesn’t match the photo above.

 

And here’s the wedding welcome sign I used for my ceremony on the day of my wedding styled with some beautiful florals!

 

I am absolutely obsessed with how they looked on the day of. And guess what? They were nowhere near perfect. There were plenty of flaws in the paint and cracks in the foam, but it wasn’t noticeable at all. So don’t stress out over perfection and just have fun adding a little personal touch to your wedding or party or whatever you make these signs for!

Other DIY wedding sign ideas

There are so many ways to get good wedding welcome signs and other signage for your big day, DIY or not. If this seems like too big of a project, here are a few other options to consider:

Have your paper goods provider print them

Check with whoever supplied your invitations. Companies like Minted or Zazzle offer larger print products like signs as well. You can usually even find designs to match your invitation style if you picked one that has a set of other products available. 

 

Get a template and DIY the rest

If you’re looking to DIY a bit more than that, Etsy is a great option. Yes, you can get fully finished signs on Etsy too, but you can also search for wedding sign templates. Templates are a great way to pay for the design eye of a professional while doing a little extra work yourself to save some money.

 

Simply purchase a template, edit it in Canva then print it onto a foam posterboard with a local print shop or even Staples. Then, all you’ll need is an easel to display your sign. I got some at Michaels that are perfect for this purpose.

 

DIY wedding signs

And here we are at the last option- DIY. The sky is the limit here! Besides the creative freedom you get with a DIY project, it can also be a great way to save money. And it’s pretty easy to DIY a great looking wedding sign. Take a look at some of my favorite ideas I came across while researching for my own DIY wedding sign ideas.

 

DIY mirror wedding signs

There are so many great ideas for mirror wedding signs out there, and one very cool bonus to them- you have a useful piece of home decor to take home after the wedding! All you have to do is make sure to use a mirror you’d actually want or need in your home, then remove the lettering after the wedding. Here’s a great example I found on Pinterest by Jessica Lee.

 

DIY travertine table numbers

I wanted to use this idea so badly, but we didn’t end up having table numbers and did open seating instead. I love this as a way to incorporate a more natural element that counters the many softer materials you see in wedding decor. This photo is from a product on Etsy, but I think it’d be pretty straightforward to DIY.

 

If I were to DIY this look, I’d break the tile on asphalt, pick pieces with one smooth edge so they can stand upright to start, then purchase mailbox numbers at Home Depot or acrylic number/word cutouts from Etsy and super glue them on. So simple!

 

Acrylic DIY wedding welcome signs

Here’s a popular on that requires minimal crafting and DIY skills. Can you brush paint on? Can you trace lettering? Then you can make these! The photo below is an Etsy product again, but “Modern DIY Bride” has a great guide on multiple different ways to DIY the look!

 

Make a lasting impression with your DIY wedding welcome signs

If you were considering some DIY projects for you own wedding, I hope this encouraged you. DIY wedding signs are such a great way to add your own personal touch to your wedding day decor. For more ways to save money and personalize your big day, check out our post of DIY wedding project ideas! Embrace your creativity, save a bit of money, and create something amazing that you’ll cherish forever.

Looking for more wedding and DIY decor content? Check out our posts on rustic wedding decor for more inspiration or our post on DIY balloon arches for more DIY event decor ideas!

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