Amanda Anthony / House Digest
Transforming a house into a home requires all kinds of updates and personal touches. While the interior is a top priority, the exterior also impacts the overall aesthetics of the property. For me, the sore spot was always the door number sign. It consists of three common metal figures fixed to brick siding and is not very aesthetically pleasing. I’ve thought about changing that in the past, but it always feels like there are 100 other things to do in and out of the garden. This week I finally decided to make a change.
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I love working on decorating projects myself. This will help you feel more connected to your home. Before we started, we searched the internet for creative ways to display house numbers and found some inspiration. TikTok user @Lexi.DIY completed this project using a Cricut machine and materials from Dollar Tree to create a beautiful flower box with custom cut numbers (via TikTok). This idea appeals to the gardener in me, even if it involves using plastic plants. Although I have a vinyl cutter at home, I decided to try sourcing most of the materials from a local discount store. See how I DIYed this floral placard on a budget.
Preparation of consumables for easy assembly
Amanda Anthony / House Digest
If you’re looking to upgrade your home or garden on a budget, 100 yen stores are the place to go. To do this, I gathered a long, narrow wooden tray, a small wooden box to fit the tray, gold number stickers, acrylic paint and brushes, floral foam, and artificial flowers. A variety of crafter’s boxes can be found at Dollar Tree, along with foam floral blocks, die-cut foil numbers, and synthetic greenery. All prices are $1.25 each. If your local store doesn’t have trays, Dollar Tree’s wood plank hangers are a great alternative. You’ll also need a box cutter, tin or wire cutters, hot glue, and Mod Podge Outdoor, available at Michaels for $12.18. I spent a total of $18.69 on materials.
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To make assembly easier, we have prepared supplies in advance. There are some things you shouldn’t do after painting, such as cutting floral foam. It is very brittle and may leave marks on the paint. I measured it for the box I had chosen and used a box cutter to cut it to fit perfectly. Don’t forget to leave space at the back to slide the wooden placard in. Next, I divided the flowers. There was a metal wire inside, so I carefully cut it with tin scissors. I wanted the stem to be relatively short so that the numbers could be seen from the top of the stem. Finally, it’s ready for assembly.
Dolly Tree DIY Start a Party
Amanda Anthony / House Digest
For this DIY, I first painted the wooden box and tray espresso brown. I kept the interior in natural colors because I liked the contrast. If you’re using wood plank hangers instead of trays, you can use one solid color or try painter’s tape to create a trim. You can find painter’s taps at Dollar Tree for $1.25 per roll. Once everything was dry, I applied a metal number sticker to the front of the sign and used hot glue to secure it to the inside of the box. The whole thing was coated with Mod Podge Outdoor for waterproofing. Finally, it’s time to plant an artificial garden.
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Floral foam makes flower placement easier, but I admit it’s difficult to insert. I had to cut a little extra to fit around the edge of the tray. The wire-enclosed flower stem slipped beautifully into this base until it hit another snag. I cut the stem short, but the small flowers still poked out above the golden numbers. I grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the cutlery drawer and used the thin end to push everything in as far as it would go. This worked like a charm. It looked like a real planter and everything was visible. All that was left to do was hang a sign outside.
DIY completed successfully
Amanda Anthony / House Digest
This DIY flower sign from Dollar Tree turned out better than I expected. It’s one thing to see it done on TikTok, it’s another to try it yourself. Looking at the before and after photos, I’m still convinced that this all started with a pile of materials from a discount store. Overall, this is a simple craft that I would recommend regardless of your DIY experience level. Of course, it wasn’t without some flaws.
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One thing I would change if I were to try this again is the height of the sign. The box I chose was 2 inches tall and the tray was 12 inches tall. This created a problem where the space for the numbers was minimized and the greenery got in the way. Although this project had some minor issues, I would say it was a resounding success and a vast improvement over the general signage I had. If you’re looking for a way to stand out on a budget, add gorgeous detail to your home’s exterior with a unique Dollar Tree door number sign.
