Be Of Good Cheer

I had a very special relationship with my grandmother that lived closest to me growing up. After my grandfather passed away, I would head to my grandmother’s house after dinner and spend the evenings with her playing games and watching the news. Then I would wake up and have breakfast with her before heading home to get ready for school. I did this for 18 months, every night. Because of this, we formed a very special relationship.

My grandparent’s built a cabin up at “the lake” that we still enjoy vacationing to all summer. This year we had planned to head up to the cabin and I felt I should make something special before we headed up there. I wanted to make something that would help all those who visited the cabin see something that would help them remember my grandmother.

My grandmother always parted ways with saying, be of good cheer. She would write it on all birthday cards, christmas gifts and later when I was in college the weekly letter that she would mail me. All my cousin remember her saying this as well, so I thought it was a perfect addition to the cabin.

Supplies:

1/4″ MDF
1″ x 2″ Pine Board
Wood Stain, Early American
White Paint (I prefer Behr Alkyd Semi-Gloss White Enamel)
Vinyl (download template below)
Gorilla Glue, clear-no foam
Nail Gun, optional

Step 1: Cut Wood

FINISHED SIGN will be 10″ x 10″.

For this project, I used a 1/4″ thick MDF board.

Now I cut the MDF into a 8-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ rectangle.

Cut two 8-1/2″ frame pieces and two 10″ frame pieces. I also cut a few 1-1/2″ long pieces out of my left over 1″ x 2″ pine board. These are used as supports in the corners when attaching the frame.

Step 2: Stain Wood

I stained the pine board frame with a coat of Early American wood stain.

Step 3: Paint MDF

I paint my MDF board with TWO coats of the white behr paint and allow it to fully dry.

Step 4: Adhere Frame

You use the same technique here as I did in my Joy Farmhouse Sign, except I have been adding the “supports” to the corners of my MDF board when it’s a smaller sign.

I stain my “supports” just like I do the frame, even though they will not be seen. It’s just the OCD in me that wants them all to match.

Now glue the “supports” on to the corners of the frame and glue the frame corners together. I also use a nail gun to nail the “supports” and the frame together. The gorilla glue is strong enough that nails aren’t required though.

I then put some glue on top of the supports to adhere the MDF board to.

Step 5: Vinyl/Printable

Download the zip file below. It includes an SVG file and several PDF files. (The colored PDF files can easily just be printed out and put into a frame. You could also just print it out and mod podge it onto a board as I did for my Farm Fresh Christmas Tree Sign.) I cut my vinyl 7.5″ x 7″.