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You are here: Home / Holidays & Seasonal / DIY Direction Sign Post for the Holidays

DIY Direction Sign Post for the Holidays

December 6, 2017 By Karen Cooper 8 Comments

I’m sure that Santa has his own GPS for Christmas Eve. But just in case… I made this DIY direction sign post for the holidays!

DIY Holiday Direction Sign Post for the holidays to guide Santa and his reindeer! - thediybungalow.com

I mean, I would hate for Rudolph to get lost.

I have always loved these travel direction sign posts. I thought it’d be cute to make one for the holidays, using locations near and dear to our hearts. Here’s how to DIY one – it’s easy, inexpensive, and totally customizable to the locations you love (or just want to visit someday)!

Materials:

FYI: I’ve included affiliate links below so you can find all the materials you need in one spot. The links will take you to the product, cost you nothing, and I could earn a little commission to keep the blog in business. Also, thanks to Rockwell Tools for sending me the BladeRunner X2 to use for this project. As always, all creations, ideas, opinions, writing, photographs, and results are 100% my own.  Read my full disclosure policy here.

1/4-in. plywood – I bought a 48-inch-long piece of plywood from Home Depot. I made 5 signs/arrows (I messed the paint up on one, which is why there are only 4 on the post shown in the picture, above), each one 6 inches wide. I wanted some leftover plywood in case I messed up any of the arrows.

Wooden dowel for post – I bought the widest one they had at Home Depot, 2 inches wide. You could also use a wooden fence post.

Finial for top – I bought a pressure-treated finial that would normally go on top of a fence post. I would recommend against using a pressure-treated one, because you have to rinse it first so that paint will adhere to it. Next time, I would buy a non-pressure-treated finial, or find an old doorknob and repurpose it.

Tape measure

Pencil

Straight edge (for measuring, drawing arrows – see more on this below)

Rockwell Tools BladeRunner X2 using the smooth wood cutting blade. You could instead use a circular saw and/or a jigsaw for this project (see below).

Sandpaper – I used 120-grit.

Paint: I used this spray paint for the finial and post;  and this chalky-finish paint and black paint pen for the signs.

Stapler or nail gun to attach signs to post

Instructions:

First, I decided what size arrows I wanted and measured them out on the plywood.

First measure the arrows on the plywood to make the DIY direction sign post - thediybungalow.com

I wanted arrows 6 inches wide, so I drew a horizontal line every 6 inches. Then, for the first arrow, I drew the triangular cut-out for each side of the arrow by marking the half-way point (3 inches in) 3 inches up, and drawing lines to that point (that way, the sides were of equal length). See the above picture for how I drew it. I did this only for the first one because I knew I could use the first cut-out as a template for the other arrows.

Next, I cut the plywood into strips as measured and marked. I used the Rockwell Tools BladeRunner X2 for this, using the smooth wood cutting blade. (You could instead use a circular saw or a jigsaw.)

I used the Blade Runner X2 to make the DIY direction sign post - thediybungalow.com

The BladeRunner X2 is a cross between a table saw and a jigsaw. It’s a table saw because it sits flat on the table with the blade in the center. But it uses a jigsaw blade to cut. The BladeRunner X2 comes with 5 blades: metal cutting, aluminum cutting, smooth wood cutting, scroll wood cutting, and ceramic cutting.

For cutting the arrow shape, I used the smooth wood cutting blade. (Again, you could use a jigsaw for this.)

First arrow cut for the DIY direction sign post - thediybungalow.com

I did try using the scrolling wood cutting blade for the arrow cuts, but I found that the smooth cutting blade worked better, since I was cutting in a straight line. I did try the scrolling blade to cut out my first initial, but, well…

Clearly I need practice using the scrolling blade on BladeRunner X2 - thediybungalow.com

Let’s just say I need some practice with those cuts. Not ready for prime time yet.

Anyhoo, once I had cut out the first arrow, I used the cut-out as a template to draw the shapes for the other arrows. That way, all the cuts and shapes would be uniform.

Use cut out as template for arrows for the DIY direction sign post - thediybungalow.com

I had all five arrows cut in less than 20 minutes!

All arrows cut for the DIY direction sign post - thediybungalow.com

Next, I sanded the edges of the arrows until smooth. If the surface of the arrows is not already smooth, sand the surface, too. Then I wiped them down to get all the sanding dust off before painting.

Sand the edges of the signs when making the DIY direction sign post - thediybungalow.com

Time to paint!

A word of note: make sure you’ve chosen your locations BEFORE you paint. That way, you can paint the arrow so that it’s pointing in the right direction for that location. TRUST ME ON THIS – because I painted the Memphis sign completely and then realized, as I painted it, it would have to point east on the post, when it needed to point west!

I painted each arrow white, using chalky-finish paint. Then I outlined each arrow and wrote the location and mileage on each arrow, using a black paint pen.

You can find the mileage to each location from your home by Googling it!

Find the exact milage to your location for the DIY direction sign post - thediybungalow.com

I added some embellishments to the North Pole sign arrow using paint pens and Sharpies, just because I knew that Santa would like that.

I chose these locations because they are near and dear to Dear Husband and me: my hometown, his hometown, and where we both went to school.

I painted the dowel for the post and the finial with Rust-Oleum Universal Paint + Primer in Tranquil Blue. It’s an icy blue that I thought looked kind of like snow or frost.

Once the paint was dry, I attached the finial to the post (it screwed in; to make it easier, pre-drill a hole), and then attach the arrows to the dowel/post using a nailer or stapler. I used my cordless crown stapler and it worked beautifully.

Sign post stapled to dowel post to create the DIY direction sign post - thediybungalow.com

Make sure you staple the arrows in the right direction for where the location is!

DIY Holiday Direction Sign Post - thediybungalow.com

I added a red gingham ribbon and the sign post was ready to guide Santa and the reindeer!  I dug a small hole for the post and put it directly in the ground. You could also stand this in a planter or build a base for it to stand on its own.

Now we just need some snow!

Pin it for later, because you know you want to make one!

How to make a DIY holiday direction sign post - theDIYbungalow.com

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Filed Under: DIY, Holidays & Seasonal, Sponsored Posts and Giveaways 8 Comments

About Karen Cooper

Hi! I'm Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer” - I traded in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY adventures. Join me for DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organizing projects and tips as I transform a 1929 Tudor bungalow into our home. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.

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Comments

  1. Marty Walden says

    December 14, 2015 at 12:50 pm

    Girl, you are the real deal! My hubby doesn’t let me near blades…..or knives…..or any sharp objects really! I am allowed to use craft scissors so that’s good lol You rocked the project and I love it!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      December 15, 2015 at 4:11 pm

      HA! Thank you! I love me some power tools.

      Reply
  2. Christina in FL says

    December 14, 2015 at 2:10 pm

    Oh yeah Karen, I had no idea there was such a thing as the BladeRunner X2!!! WOW! You really knocked it out of the park with your signs! :)))) Wanna cut some tile and let us all know how it does? :))) It does look like the love child of a table saw and a jig saw. lol

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      December 15, 2015 at 4:11 pm

      Thank you, Christina! I would LOVE to cut some tile – I’m trying to figure out where I can put the tile, though! 😉 I’ll keep you posted!

      Reply
  3. Debbie @ Refresh Restyle says

    December 14, 2015 at 3:33 pm

    Love this Karen! Such a great project!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      December 15, 2015 at 4:10 pm

      Thank you, Debbie!!

      Reply
  4. SheilaG @ Plum Doodles says

    December 15, 2015 at 4:29 pm

    OH, man, that tool looks like just what I need! I had a scroll saw at one time, but sold it before one of our too-many moves. Big regret, and I haven’t been able to get used to a jigsaw. The signs are adorable.

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      December 18, 2015 at 4:43 pm

      Thanks, Sheila! I love it – it’s much easier to use than a jigsaw. Thanks!

      Reply

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Hi! I’m Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer,” because I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. This blog is all about DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organization. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.




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About Karen

A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home. Read More…

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