Making Signs for a Parade or March

Jess
Silver Post Medal for All Time! 267 Posts

Making Signs for a Parade or March It's easy to make inexpensive signs to carry during events. We used printed images that we downloaded from the internet but you can use any image, or just write on the blank sign with a marking pen. Paint stirrers are free from most home improvement stores and our dollar store has foam core so the bulk of the cost was for the color copies.

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 1 sign

Supplies:

1 foam core presentation board (20x30 inch)
1 long paint stirrer
2 color prints (11x17 inch)
spray tac
glue
heavy duty staple gun

We originally tried to only use glue to adhere the paint stirrers to the signs but it wasn't strong enough so we reinforced with staples. This seems to be very sturdy.

Steps:

Cut the white margins off the color prints.

Cutting out the borders of the digital print.

Using an X-acto knife or box cutter, cut the foam core in half, to make 2 (20x30) inch pieces.

Cutting the foam core in half with an X-acto knife.

Adhere color print with spray tac to the center of both pieces of foam core, leaving a margin around the image.

Spraying the back of the print with glue to adhere it onto the foam core.

Glue paint stirrer in the bottom center of the foam core's blank back, leaving the handle part sticking out.

Gluing on the paint stirrer to the center back of the foam core.

Add glue to the exposed side of the paint stirrer and sandwich the other foam core on top, being sure to line up the corners. A second person can be helpful here.

Gluing the second side of the paint stirrer.

Using a heavy duty staple gun, place a few staples through the bottom center of the foam core, being sure to hit the wooden paint stirrer. Carefully flip the sign over and staple the other side.

Placing staples through the foam core, attaching to the paint stirrer below.

Close up of staples on the bottom of the foam core.

You can decorate the margins with marking pens, stickers or anything else you wish. We also made some signs with black foam core instead of white, with help from a furry friend.

A grey cat lying on a piece of foam core.

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Luann DeLuca

January 30, 20170 found this helpful

Dear Jess, Great article on sign making. Having been at the Women's March in Wash, DC. on 1/21, the creative signage was amazing. Thank you for sharing this tip.

Jess
Silver Post Medal for All Time! 267 Posts

January 30, 20170 found this helpful

Thanks, Luana. I was at the local Women's March that day, in Portland, OR. The signs held up very well in rainy conditions and we received many compliments.

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