Reversible Fall & Winter Front Door Sign

This time of year, one of my favorite things to do is decorate the house for fall, both indoors and outdoors. One of the things that means is replacing my “hello” front door sign with something more seasonal. Recently, I saw an idea floating around social media to create a reversible sign that works for both fall and winter, and I liked it so much I decided to get some supplies and create my own version. I absolutely love how it turned out!

You only need a few simple supplies to create this project.

You’ll need:

Apple Barrel ® Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Paint 16 Color Set
FolkArt Paintbrushes
Unfinished Wood Cutout
Jute or Twine
Ribbon of your choice: I used burlap
Scissors

I used seven different paint colors for my sign, and you could use even more, depending on how you choose to decorate your snowman. Rather than trying to order or buy a bunch of individual colors, I used the Apple Barrel ® Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Paint 16 Color Set. It includes 2 oz. bottles of acrylic craft paint in the following colors: White, Paradise Pink, Candy Apple, Outrageous Orange, Lemon, True Green, Mountain Forest, Acapulco, Summer Sky, Primary Blue, Wisteria, Classic Caramel, Chocolate Sprinkles, Timeless Gray, Dark Granite, and Black…everything you need for just about any basic paint project you want to tackle. It provides the same results as the Original Apple Barrel Paint, plus now it has multi-surface coverage, so you can paint on things like tin, terracotta, paper mache, canvas, wood, plaster, rigid plastic, fabric, concrete, glass, and ceramics. Apple Barrel Multi-Surface Satin Acrylic Paint is indoor/outdoor and dishwasher-safe, so it’s a great choice for a sign that goes on the front door.

Painting Your Pumpkins

Step 1: Using Outrageous Orange and White, paint a base coat on each of the three pumpkin shapes.

I used Outrageous Orange for the bottom pumpkin, White for the center, and then mixed the two colors together to get a slightly lighter shade of orange for the top shape.

Step 2: Add accents.

For the bottom pumpkin, I used the same color mixture I created for base coating the top shape to do the accents. I painted three sets of slightly curving lines that resemble parentheses. Then, I used that same color to fill in the center of each area, which gives the appearance of highlights and dimension.

For the top pumpkin, I added a bit more white to the mix to make the shade even lighter, then repeated the same process; three sets of parentheses and lightly painted areas in between. I also painted a line near the bottom of the pumpkin to accent the shape.

To accent the white pumpkin, I mixed White and Classic Caramel to get a very light tan. I used this color to do the same kind of accenting.

Step 3: Add your message!

Because I love hand lettering, that’s how I chose to write mine. You can use White and Chocolate Sprinkle paints with a script liner brush, or you can opt for a paint pen. For a super-easy step by step tutorial on basic hand lettering {I promise you can do it!!}, check out my faux calligraphy post. Other options are to use stencils or to cut out the words from adhesive vinyl and apply them to your sign.

Step 4: Add a jute hanger and a bow.

First, I cut a piece of jute, threaded it through the hole at the top of the wooden shape and tied it twice; once just above the shape and once at the very top. Then, I tied my burlap ribbon around it, forming a bow. You can use any style and color of ribbon you like best.

That’s all there is to it…on the fall side, at least! Your project is ready to welcome the season.

Painting Your Snowman

Step 1: Paint the entire surface with White Apple Barrel paint.

Step 2: Create a face with Black, White, and Outrageous Orange.

I used black ovals for eyes with little white highlights, an orange triangle for a carrot nose, and black dots for a smile. I like to use the bottom end of a paintbrush to make the dots.

Step 3: Give your snowman a scarf and buttons using Candy Apple and True Green.

If you’d rather use colors that will last all winter long instead of looking more Christmas themed, you could go with dark and light blues, like Summer Sky and Primary Blue. If you like glitter, you can easily add a coat of Mod Podge Sparkle when the paint is dry.

Feel free to add any other details you like to give your snowman a personality! You could also letter a phrase like, “Let it Snow” rather than adding buttons, but since I actually hate snow {at least when we get copious amounts of it!}, I didn’t do that on mine. All that’s left to do is flip the burlap bow around, or you can remove it and use a different ribbon if you prefer.

That’s all there is to it! Your Apple Barrel Paint Kit, plus the wood cutout and a few brushes are really all you need to make one of these adorable signs for your own front door! Right now, you can use coupon code PROMOABMS1 to get the 16 color set for just $19.99 – 25% off of retail! Limited availability and offer expires when the kit is sold out or by 10/31/17. Plus get FREE ground shipping when you buy 2 or more! See site for exclusions and details.

What do you think? Which side is your favorite? How would you personalize your own seasonal sign?