Christmas Chaos Layout with DIY North Pole Signpost Embellishment

(This post is part of my Frosty Festivities 2015 Blog Event – see a list of all the posts HERE)

Good day to you! Today I’m sharing this ‘Christmas Chaos’ layout with a DIY North Pole signpost embellishment:

I got the idea to do the signpost because of the background paper I’d chosen (Shimelle Christmas Magic ‘Deliver’ paper) being a map. And I really wanted it to say ‘Noth Pole’ on one of the signs, but then I realised that it would drive me crazy, because according to the map paper the ‘North Pole’ sign would have to point straight upwards! So I decided to go with the words ‘Our House’, ‘Christmas’, ‘Chaos’, and ‘This Way’:

I’m going to try and make another one of these as a decoration, with ‘North Pole’ being one of the signs this time!

Here’s how I made the signpost…

Step 1: Find three craft sticks (I call them lolly sticks!) which are as flat as possible:

Step 2: Cut two of the craft sticks to be the sign parts, and sand off any rough edges where you cut them. I just used scissors to cut mine but if your craft sticks are thicker you might need something tougher. Also make sure you think about what words you want to add to the signs, and therefore how long each piece needs to be – I made sure the one which would say ‘Christmas’ was longer:

Step 3: Paint the sticks white. I used Martha Stewart Satin Craft Paint, which is similar to acrylic paint, and I only painted the front and sides, not the back as it would be stuck on a layout. I’d have to paint the back for a decoration. It only took one coat of paint:

Step 4: Paint some red diagonal stripes onto the tall ‘post’ stick, to give it a candy-cane effect. Ink the edges of the sign pieces with black ink (I used chalk ink) to give them some definition:

Step 5: Stamp or write your words onto the signs. I used an old mini-alpha stamp set and Stayz-On ink. Then glue the signs to the front of the post using hot glue or another strong adhesive:

Then you can add it to a layout, card, or other festive project! I used Glossy Accents to stick mine to my background paper.

The bottom of my post looks like it disappears, but that’s because it’s under a flap where I placed another photo, of my sister reading a new book to my daughter:

I used a mix of other embellishments to finish off the page, including some Pinkfresh Studio Christmas Wishes puffy stickers, some My Mind’s Eye Christmas On Market Street ephemera and enamel dots, and some cork-effect alpha stickers for the title:

I love the chaos of Christmas morning!

Be Inspired:

Make a North Pole Signpost as an embellishment or decoration

Use red and white candy-cane stripes somewhere on your next project

Make a flap for a hidden photo, journaling, or message

What do you think of my North Pole Signpost? What words would you have on the signs?

Remember that commenting on this post, and any post that goes live during November 2015, will count as another entry into the Grand Giveaway {NOW CLOSED}, but only if you’ve registered your interest in winning that prize right HERE!

I’ll see you again tomorrow for the next Frosty Festivities blog post!

Jennifer x