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Cost
$ $ $ $ $
Difficulty
• • • • •
Time
4h00

Light up your cocktail bar with a marquee letter bar sign.
I've made 3D letters by hand in the past, which took ages and looked a little shabby. Using the Silhouette Portrait cutting machine for this bar sign, speeded up the project, saving me hours and gave the lights a professional even finish. The letters are made from red card, mirrorboard and a set of RAMSTA diamond fairy lights from Ikea with the total cost was less than $20 (£15).

Posted by Cat Morley from London, United Kingdom • Published See Cat Morley's 1146 projects »
Downloads
  • 107921_2F2015-03-13-084228-B.studio3 86.1 KB [ Download ]
  • 107921_2F2015-03-13-084233-A.studio3 70.6 KB [ Download ]
  • 107921_2F2015-03-13-084507-R.studio3 69.3 KB [ Download ]
  • 107921_2F2015-03-13-084710-B_26R+Outline.studio3 74.3 KB [ Download ]
  • 107921_2F2015-03-13-084716-A+Outline.studio3 64.4 KB [ Download ]
PrintEmbed
  • How to make a letter. Marquee Bar Sign - Step 1
    Step 1

    Open the B, A and R template files (see attachments) in Silhouette Studio and cut on thick red card.

    Please note: You may need to cut some extra strips for the edges but you can use the cut strips to help you measure them.

  • How to make a letter. Marquee Bar Sign - Step 2
    Step 2

    Peel off the first letter.

  • How to make a letter. Marquee Bar Sign - Step 3
    Step 3

    Punch out the holes for the lights.

  • How to make a letter. Marquee Bar Sign - Step 4
    Step 4

    If you're using string lights that have a thicker light than will fit through the hole (and that don't pop off easily), snip a line from the outer edge to the hole.

  • How to make a letter. Marquee Bar Sign - Step 5
    Step 5

    Slip the lights through the holes.

  • How to make a letter. Marquee Bar Sign - Step 6
    Step 6

    Secure the lights so that they sit tightly in their holes. You can use hot glue but I just taped them with packing tape at the back.

  • How to make a letter. Marquee Bar Sign - Step 7
    Step 7

    Continue stringing the lights through each of your letters.

  • How to make a letter. Marquee Bar Sign - Step 8
    Step 8

    Now peel off the strips for the edges and glue mirror board to the reverse side. Pritt Stick worked well for this.

  • How to make a letter. Marquee Bar Sign - Step 9
    Step 9

    Work out how the strips will fit around the letters and bend in the correct places to give them a 3D shape.

  • How to make a letter. Marquee Bar Sign - Step 10
    Step 10

    Hot glue your strips around the edge of the letter.

  • How to make a letter. Marquee Bar Sign - Step 11
    Step 11

    This bit is the trickiest and takes the most time. Don't worry if it looks a little scrappy at first, we'll be putting an outlines on it which will make it look a lot nicer in a few steps.

  • How to make a letter. Marquee Bar Sign - Step 12
    Step 12

    Use packing tape to neaten up the wires from the lights at the back of your letters.

  • How to make a letter. Marquee Bar Sign - Step 13
    Step 13

    Open the B&R Outline and A Outline template files (see attachments) in Silhouette Studio and cut out on mirrorboard. Glue to the front of your letters.

  • How to make a letter. Marquee Bar Sign - Step 14
    Step 14

    Mount your bar sign, turn on and enjoy!

    To mount our side, we covered two strips of thin wood in mirrorboard and then hot glued the letters in place.

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Comments

BarryBelcher
BarryBelcher · Atlanta, Georgia, US · 54 projects
Wow, so clever! Love it
Cat Morley
Cat Morley · London, GB · 1432 projects
Thanks so much, super cheap to make too!
Reply
Eien
Eien · Conyers, Georgia, US · 3 projects
Love it. Can totally see making a name version or a sport team version.
Cat Morley
Cat Morley · London, GB · 1432 projects
Aww thanks Ellen. It was super easy to make!
Reply

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