This post is sponsored by Joann Fabric and Craft Stores. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep the lights on and the crafts coming!

 

Summer time, summer time, sum, sum, summer time! I am so excited the summer is here! To celebrate the warm days, cool nights, and all the trips to the pool, I decided it was time for a little summer mantel refresh with the help of Joann stores. I have been obsessed with the look of neon signs for a while now, but I haven’t been able to get over the price tag and actually buy one yet. So instead of buying a neon sign, I decided to make my own DIY faux neon sign art inspired by this neon sign from the Golden Girl Rum Club for my summer mantel. And it turned out SOOOO GOOOOD! One of the my biggest issues with neon signs is that they are super difficult to photograph, but this faux one is just perfect in photos!

If this mantel doesn’t scream summer, than I don’t know what does!

Materials:

-Neon or brightly colored polymer clay (I used 5 packs for this sign)
-Art (Either frame palm leaf fabric or use a piece of canvas artwork)
-Oven and baking sheets
–Hot Glue

Begin by rolling out your clay into 1/4″ to 1/3″ logs.

Then use the logs as your rope to spell out the words of your choice onto your baking sheet. When you come to the end of one piece, simply add the next roll and use your fingers to join the clay together.

Depending on the length of your words and size of your baking sheet, you may need to make each word in multiple pieces. Once your words are spelled out, bake your clay at 230F for 15-20 minutes. Let cool.

Next, lay your clay onto your canvas or framed fabric and use a hot glue gun to attach the clay to the art. Once the glue is dry, your sign is ready to hang.

To finish out my mantel, I used a few faux plants I found at Joann and upgraded the planters using a bit of spray paint. Then I added these adorable ceramic cacti also available at Joann.

I also used this gorgeous jute basket from Joann to house my new large banana leaf plant.

I love how the DIY faux neon sign art turned out! And all the palm leaves and plants are just so perfect for summer! I can’t help but be excited for all the adventures and activities this summer has in store.

Now tell me, what would your neon sign say if you could have it say anything?