DIY Storybook Art
Since sharing the big playroom reveal last week, some of y’all asked me about a tutorial for our DIY storybook art (which is basically the darn cutest project on this blog ever, I think).
I knew I wanted a pop of color on our playroom wall but nothing too wild and crazy. I wanted it to have sentimental meaning, and I wanted to make it for as inexpensively as possible. In the end, I made each sign for all of $28. Yay! You definitely can’t buy them for that.
So here’s the skinny.
Supplies Used: (Affiliate links are provided below for convenience. For more info, see my full disclosure here.)
- 1 sheet of 1/2″ 4’x8′ hardwood plywood (if you only want one sign, you can buy smaller pieces in the lumber aisle)
- 5 1″x2″x8′ boards (approximately 1 and 1/2 of these boards per sign)
- Circular saw
- Stain of your choice (I used General Finishes Gel Stain in Gray)
- 2 sponge brushes
- A couple of clean, dry rags
- 3 colored engineer prints (1 per sign… Captain Obvious over here.)
- Tape measure
- Approximately 30 1-5/8″ wood screws (10 per sign)
- Approximately 42 1-1/2″ finishing nails
- Old credit card / library card / old hotel key card
- Power drill
- Hammer
- Hanging kit
- JPG file of storybook page images
- A partner to help
You can download the printable files of the storybook page images here:
We’ve made a couple of these signs now, like our DIY Oversized Sheet Music Art and our DIY Irish Blessing Sign, and each time we make them, we get a little better at it. Practice has helped a good bit with this one.
For the main part of the sign, we measured 24″x36″ on our plywood piece and cut it with our circular saw.
You can get about 4 pieces of this size out of one standard sheet of plywood. You could make your signs bigger or smaller, depending on what size engineer print you buy.
Before I cut the 1″x2″s, I gave them a coat of General Finishes gray stain, rubbed off the excess with a clean rag, and let dry.
Then got hoppin’ on my engineer prints. I found out that Staples now has COLORED engineer prints, so these huge sheets cost less than $4! (I’m excited to try these babies out on more projects with color, but that’s a subject for a different day.)
I ended up designing the storybook text I wanted in Picmonkey, which is the easiest program to use if you want a large print since it exports in a high resolution. I used the font Caslon Antique, if you like that look.
To attach the engineer print to the plywood piece, it’s really important to have a patient partner helping you.
I like to line up the engineer print exactly as I want it on the plywood piece, lift up one end of the engineer print, and use a sponge brush to apply a little Mod Podge on one edge of the plywood, a strip of glue 2-3 inches wide.
I carefully lay the edge of the engineer print down and press and smooth it in place with a plastic card to act sort of like a squeegee. I work out the bubbles in the paper before moving further down to the next few inches on the print to apply more Mod Podge.
As I glue/press/squeegee my way down, Robert holds up the non-glued end of the engineer print so it doesn’t fold or crumple up as I work. Slow and steady wins the race on the gluing step.
I still ended up with a few tiny creases on the print, but it’s very hard to tell unless you’re really looking for them up close.
To frame the signs, Robert measured and cut the 1″x2″ boards I had stained earlier, attaching the top and bottom to the print / plywood piece for the frame first using wood screws to make them extra sturdy.
Then, he measured the sign on the sides with the newly added top and bottom frame pieces to cut the 1″x2″ sides. He attached the sides of the frame with finishing nails so they would be less visible. (We used wood screws only on the top and bottom because they’re not visible but they’re sturdier.)
After that, we just attached our hanging kit, placed it on the wall, added some whimsical pom pom garland on top, and we were done!
I chose these three excerpts from these children’s stories in particular because they each convey a unique message that I wanted Olivia to grow up knowing.
So that she will always know true beauty lies within from The Velveteen Rabbit.
So that she will always know she’ll be our baby, no matter how old she gets from Love You Forever.
So that she always feels empowered to conquer her dreams with a little hard work and determination from Oh, the Places You’ll Go.
Because even though this room is meant for coloring and playing with dolls and banging those noisy percussion instruments that make me wonder why I ever thought it was a good idea to buy them in the first place, I want this space to communicate so much more.
Sometimes it’s a scary world out there, but I want her to know the best way to change any of it is with love and compassion. To be real, to achieve great things, but to always appreciate her past that wrote her own story.
Whew! Did it get dusty in here all of a sudden? I’m all weepy over a sign tutorial. How did that happen?!
So I’m curious. If you were to make a storybook sign, which story would you choose? There are way too many good ones out there… says the book-wormy former English teacher. 😉
Love love love! Quick question on the mod podge. Do you apply it to the front of the print? Or just the back to adhere it to the plywood? Thank you so much!
Just the back. Do it slowly. It does take some practice so you don’t get wrinkles. It helps if you have two people. One to glue and smooth out wrinkles, and the other one to hold the remaining as you go along.
Hi! Did you ever make the pic monkey how-to post? If not, can you share if you purchased the premium version or not? Im guessing you need it to access the “design” feature? All I can see in the free version is pic editing. Thanks!
I did! Here’s the post about it: https://www.blesserhouse.com/2017/02/how-to-create-free-wall-art-and-home-decor-with-picmonkey.html I think you can still use the design feature on the free version, unless they JUST changed it and I don’t know about it. 🙁
Totally love Velveteen Rabbit. It became super popular and so my Mom read my girls’ children’s version. My Mom finally understood why we still wanted our old dolls after we got new ones. She’d get rid of them. But I’d never felt bruised for life over her eliminating toys so I told her not to worry about it!! But she’d never felt that attached to toys I suppose. Her horse with glass blue eyes? Yes!!!
Then the Ill love you forever page!!! Oh my. Tear jerker story for sure!!! I’d read it again to my students and get all teary eyed too.
If I were young and starting out I’d probably want a page from The Little Red Hen (good lessons in that story!!) and Peter Rabbit as well. He did not mind his mother!!!
Have a pleasant weekend!! I enjoy your ideas!!! I do use a graphic artist for doing this type of thing and she’s pretty reasonable. It might be an idea for those that don’t want to deal with getting paper, ink , picking fonts…I’m fortunate to have her!!!
is that link working to download the prints> I put my name and email down but no response for password. just curious if I still can! thanks
Beautiful! Wow!!! Thank you for all you fabulous ideas, designs and thoughts.
Love this! I tried printing at my Staples, but they wouldn’t print it because of the copyright issues. Did you order online? How did you get them to print it?
Oh no! My Staples was able to print mine without a problem. Maybe you could show them where you downloaded it from the URL on my blog with printing rights?
I love the blue pillow that is in this picture, can you tell me where I might find them?
Hi Hannah! I found all of the pillows at Target. 🙂
I’m trying to get the file of the story book pages but when I click the link nothing is there. Help!!
Hi Amanda! I’m so sorry! I was reorganizing my printable files into one library over the weekend, and you probably just clicked on it while I was working on the technical end of it. You can enter your email on this page to have a password sent to you to download it. Let me know if you still have trouble with it. 🙂 https://view.flodesk.com/pages/5e519b5cc9b50f0026c90a24
Hey I added my email but never got a password to get the downloads. Can I still get the download?
Oh my I’m in love. I don’t think I could decide what stories to use! Thanks for sharing at the Monday Funday Party. – Emily
Thank you, Emily!
Love this idea! So cute for a baby nursery. Thanks for the tutorial!
Thanks, Heidi!
I just love these. I want to make some now. I would most definitely use an exert from “On the Night You Were Born.” I still can’t read that to my 18 month old without tearing up. I would also probably do an exert from “Little Blue Truck.” I would probably use “Thanks little brother said the dump to Blue. You helped me and they helped you. And now I see a lot depends on a helping hand from a few good friends.”
Aww so sweet! Those are great ones to use!
Absolutely love this project! I will be trying it soon…and yes please to the PicMonkey tutorial!!
Putting it on my to-do list now! 🙂
I’m in the process of making nursery rhyme art for my shop….but I like your idea way more. So sweet!
Thanks, Kimberly!
Absolutely beautiful!! amazing idea! love it!
Thank you, Desiree!
So sweet!
Would you ever do a tutorial on how you made it in PicMonkey? I could use the step by step. 🙂
Love it! and the playroom is fabulous!
Lauren- Thank you so much for your inspiration! You have made me feel like I can try anything!! I also was wondering if it would be possible for you to share how to create this kind of text sign in PicMonkey. I would like to create a sign with the scripture that was used in my wedding (Ruth 1:16) to place above our bed. I just need the step by step on creating it in PicMonkey and then uploading to Staples for the engineer print. Thanks again for your wonderful blog! Your home is truly amazing!! God Bless!!
Absolutely! I plan on writing up a post about it as soon as the Christmas chaos dies down. 🙂 Thanks so much for the love!
Definitely! I’ll get on it!
Thanks for sharing the tutorial! I totally need to try this technique. I love how simple it is 🙂
Yes! Go for it!
I love this project so much! Thank you for sharing! I want to make something similar with a quote from a book that was read at my wedding! How did you create the storybook page to have printed? What program did you use?
-Rebecca
RandRathome.com
Thanks, Rebecca! I made it on Picmonkey.com I plan on writing a tutorial soon for how to do it, but it’s pretty simple. You might be able to figure it out on your own.
What a sweet post, Lauren. Why I think you have just inspired me to make some gifts for loved ones. My daughter had done something similar using lyrics of a friend’s favorite song.
Thank you, Mary! Yes! They would make the sweetest presents. 🙂
Oh, Lauren! These are just beautiful, and I love the excerpts you chose from each story. I have a feeling these will end up heirlooms that will be in her house some day. They are precious. 🙂
Thank you, April! I can’t even read that “Love You Forever” one. I tear up every time.
Oh my goodness–I am sitting here with tears coming down my cheeks after reading your sweet post. I absolutely love your art and your story behind it. My babies are all grown (20 , 22, 25 and 32yrs), but it still makes me tear up to read those sweet excerpts from stories that I read to them long ago. You did such a great job on this project–your playroom is so full of fun and love. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Beth! Honestly, I teared up writing it. There’s no love like a mama’s love.