So I have a kind of weird confession: I have a soft spot in my heart for Wal-Mart. Growing up in a town of 7,000 people, Wal-Mart was our only department store. The closest legit shopping mall was 1.5 hours away, and it was usually more convenient to go to Wal-Mart for groceries than one of the other grocery stores in town. I went to the same Wal-Mart almost every week for the first 18 years of my life. I have a lot of fond memories grocery shopping with my mom and walking around there with friends – yes, that’s what you do for fun when you’re 16, living in a town of 7,000 people, and it’s -20 degrees outside.
Now that I live in Arizona and there are a million other shopping options besides Wal-Mart, I STILL choose to go to Wal-Mart for everyday stuff. It feels so familiar and IÂ do feel like I’m getting the best prices. So earlier this week I decided to browse through the craft section (which I’ll admit, is usually pretty crappy). I was pleasantly surprised at the supplies and was inspired to make a fall-inspired front door hanging! Plus, the whole thing cost me just $10.86!!!
Materials for the Door Hanging
HOME Letters – 4 x $0.98 = $3.92
Chalkboard – $1.97
Twine – $1.97
Foliage – $3.00
Total: $10.86
Other Tools: Hot glue gun, chalkboard marker, scissors/wire cutters, Command strip hook
If you prefer to buy your supplies online, I’ve listed links from Amazon for the materials and tools at the bottom of this post!
Step 1: Cut Apart the Foliage & Glue to the Chalkboard
There were a ton of foliage options at Wal-Mart and most of them were only $3 per bouquet! I chose one that had a lot of variety in it – this one had a pumpkin, pinecones, cattails, leaves, grasses, etc. It gave me some different options when I was arranging them around the chalkboard.
I cut off two of the bigger stems and glued them to the back of the chalkboard so they’d fill around the sides.
Then, I chose a couple different types of foliage for along the top and glued those to the back also. Make sure to leave space for the hanger! To add depth, I picked out a few pretty leaves to glue to the bottom front.
I could see the hot glue glob beneath the pinecone, so I made a little twine bow to cover it up! PS – Here’s a super quick video on how to tie the perfect bow.
Step 2: Glue the Letters
I was so excited to find the rustic white wood letters at Wal-Mart for just 98 cents each! A serious steal. First, I glued them all together (on the backs!) with little pieces of twine so they would hold their spacing.
Next, I cut longer pieces of twine and glued them from the tops of each letter onto the chalkboard. I made sure that each letter was hanging at about the same height so “HOME” would hang straight. I left about one inch between the top of the letter and the bottom of the chalkboard.
Make sure to let the glue DRY THOROUGHLY before holding up the door hanging – at least 10 minutes!
Step 3: Lettering the Chalkboard
Okay, real talk: I am not the best at hand lettering, so here are my tips. First, I found a font that I liked for “The Risslers.” I have a ton of downloaded fonts on my computer already, but you can go to www.dafont.com, browse through fonts until you find one you like, then type your text in the “Preview” and use that for inspiration.
Before you start writing, wipe off your chalkboard with a damp paper towel to remove the smudges! You can also clean it up a bit afterward around the edges.
Next, I freehand all the letters as best as I can, watching the top and bottom of each letter so they’re the right size. Then I start tracing over it, making some lines thicker to match the font I picked and smoothing out all the bumps from my first attempt. My cousin also just taught me that the upstrokes should be thin while the downstrokes are thicker. So here’s what it looks like:
It’s definitely not perfect, but from a few feet away I’d say it’s passable! 🙂
Step 4: Hang it Up & Enjoy Your Handiwork!
I used a Command strip hook to hang it on the front door, but you could use a wreath hanger or a nail if you prefer!
Materials from Amazon for the DIY Fall Door Hanging
(affiliate links):
Chalkboard (4 pack):Â https://amzn.to/2y604qA
Fall Bouquet:Â https://amzn.to/2gfPvrd
Twine:Â https://amzn.to/2xnqb8F
HOME Letters:Â https://amzn.to/2gi9pSo
Chalkboard Marker:Â https://amzn.to/2ghZKLX
Hot glue gun:Â https://amzn.to/2yuB6lF
Command Hook:Â https://amzn.to/2y0CJEY
Pingback: 30+ Spring Wreath Ideas To Adorn Your Front Door This Season