Welcome the New Year: DIY Welcome Sign Craft

Categories: DIY Craft


Celebrating the new year can bring about the desire to start fresh, to say goodbye to the old and to say hello to the new. If you’re like me, you might not know how to decorate your home after Christmas. A great way to transition out of Christmas decor is to focus on a small project that will put a new spin on your home and that will stand out and “welcome” you into the new year. I thought a welcome sign for my front porch would do just that.

A crafting setup featuring a white wooden plaque with the word "WELCOME" in copper-colored letters, arranged on a white surface, ready to be assembled.

Here’s an easy DIY copper “welcome” sign that anyone can do. At first, I didn’t know if I wanted the sign to say “welcome” or “Williams”, which is my last name. I chose “welcome” because I actually didn’t want to put my last name on our front porch… call me quirky!

Here is what you’ll need:

  • a piece of wood that you can hang
  • letters
  • paint
  • paint brush
  • glue

At my local craft store, I was able to find a piece of wood that was already painted and ready to hang. Score!

A crafting setup featuring a blank white wooden plaque, black and white wooden letters spelling "WILLIAMS WELCOME," and a paintbrush, all arranged on a light gray surface.

I tried four different copper acrylic paints and ended up with DecorArt Dazzling Metallics Copper.  It’s probably the most realistic copper paint color I’ve seen.

A bottle of DecoArt Dazzling Metallics acrylic paint in a copper shade, placed on a white surface with blurred background elements.

Once you pick your copper paint color, use a small paint brush and paint the sides and the tops of each letter.  If you put some butcher paper down, you won’t have any need to watch your mess.  Because my letters were originally black, I had to apply three coats of paint. If you’re able to find letters in a natural wood finish, you may only need two coats. Did I mention that I am a messy painter? Well, see for yourself.

Wooden letters being painted with copper metallic paint, with a paintbrush resting on a white surface, surrounded by copper-colored paint smudges.

After the paint dries, it’s time to glue the letters to the piece of wood.  You could use all sorts of different types of glue, but I chose hot glue because of how quickly it dries.

A crafting setup featuring a white wooden plaque with the word "WELCOME" in copper-colored letters, arranged on a white surface, ready to be assembled.

Here it is all glued and ready to be hung.

A wooden sign with the word "WELCOME" painted in copper letters on a distressed white background.

An easy way to style your new copper “welcome” sign is to place it in front of a wreath.  I didn’t have a green wreath that didn’t look Christmasy, so I improvised, because that’s what DIYing is all about, right?  This is actually a garland that I wrapped around to look like a wreath. The color of this garland complements the copper beautifully.

As much as I loved the wreath look, I knew I wanted to hang the sign on my ladder. I used the same garland I used for the wreaths and wrapped it around the ladder.

What styling do you like better?  The wreath or the ladder?

A "WELCOME" sign with copper-colored letters on a white wooden background, hanging within a leafy green wreath against a gray wall.

Either way you style it, this is the perfect porch decor to welcome in the new year!

A "WELCOME" sign with copper letters on a white wooden background, hanging on a rustic wooden ladder decorated with greenery, placed against a gray wall.

Remember, you did it yourself and it will probably show. Embrace the DIY life.

A rustic porch setup featuring a "WELCOME" sign on a wooden ladder adorned with greenery, accompanied by a distressed white chair frame, a metal watering can, and a potted plant, all placed against a gray wall.


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