Category Archives: DIY

Carved Backgrounds, A Great Technique for Make-it-Yourself Signs and Plaques

The first steps of carving your DIY address plaqueDoing a bit of carving is a great way to add an entirely new dimension to your Make-it-Yourself Plaque.

Carving the background on a DIY address plaqueAtlas creates your Make-it-Yourself Sign from High Density Urethane Sign Foam (HDU). HDU, a type of plastic is a marvelous product that will not rot, attract insects, or crack. But, for this technique the important characteristic of HDU is that it is easy to carve. Easier than wood because it has no grain to send your tool off into uncharted territory.

One of the options available for the uncoated Make-it-Yourself plaque that your receive from Atlas Signs and Plaques is “Raised Lettering” This means that the numbers, letters, and text stand out from the background. When you receive your Raised Lettering Uncoated Plaque, your numbers etc will stand about 1/8 inch above the background which will be flat. That is where your options begin.

Sanding your DIY Address PlaqueYou could carve out the back ground deeper and make the letters stand out in greater relief. Or, as in this case, provide a decorative pattern to the background. HDU carves very easily, so modest quality tools will suffice. They are readily available in hobby stores, hardware, or big-box home stores. It is so easy. Just use a carving tool in the shape or shapes you desire and go at it. The example on this blog only took a few minutes and was done using an inexpensive curved carving tool. When all is done to your satisfaction, paint away.

Applying paint to the DIY address plaqueSince sharp tools are being used a couple of safety hints are in order; 1) Sharp tools are better than dull tools. 2) Be aware of what is in front of your tool. If it slips you won’t want it heading off into your free hand, or someone else’s body parts. 3) Always assume that the tool will slip.

Let Atlas do the heavy lifting by forming the sign shape and cutting the design, then you apply the custom touches that you want making your DIY sign truly yours.

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DIY Ornaments Ready to Ship from Etsy

DIY-Snowflake-Ornaments

Do-it-Yourself Ornaments from Atlas Signs and Plaques are available on Etsy

DIY Christmas OrnamentsEtsy is a wonderful marketplace for buyers and sellers of artistic goods and materials, like our signs and plaques, and now DIY ornaments. If you love handmade and handcrafted as much as we do, you have to check it out.

Atlas is now making holiday ornaments available to DIY enthusiasts and crafters. They are made of the same HDU sign foam that is the base material of every sign and plaque that Atlas creates.

We make some of these most every year before the holiday season. Do-it-Yourself Ornaments are limited in quantity and are only available to our Etsy friends. Ornaments are usually 3-6 inches, detailed, and in some interesting shapes.

Do-it-Yourself ornaments are easy to complete. Use latex paints (like we all did in the finished examples), or oil paints, dyes, glitter, foils, or pretty much anywhere your mind goes. HDU is a terrific base material for decorative items.

DIY Hoot Owl OrnamentTo hang, all you have to do is drill a hole and use string or wire.

Since HDU is so easy to work with, you could use the ornaments to make an ornament tree, or a totem, or a mobile. Endless ideas for the creative mind.

All Made in the USA of domestic materials.

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How To Make Your Own DIY Signs and Address Plaques

DIY Address Plaque for the Mountain HomeAtlas Signs and Plaques does the hard part of cutting and shaping the raw sign for you. You DIY complete the plaque and save lots of money in the process

You receive your address plaque unfinished and ready to complete with common available materials. In other words, you get to do the fun stuff; Playing with paints, gold leaf, brushes, inks, epoxies, etc, etc. Fun! Fun!

DIY American Craftsman Address PlaqueAtlas makes it possible for you create DIY Signs. Address Plaques, Gift Plaques, Wedding and Anniversary Plaques, Memorial Plaques, No Soliciting Signs, Privacy Signs, Military Plaques, and so many more, Whew! Actually there is no limit to what you can do when you begin your home improvement project with Atlas Signs and Plaques. Feel free to get carried away. Make it a family project, have a contest, or hide in the basement and keep the joy to yourself (until everyone “goes ape” at your imaginative wonder).

Whether you give as a gift or finish for your own home. You have the artistic freedom to create your vision without limitations. You can go mild to wild. You make all the decisions.

DIY Pet Memorial plaqueIn addition to the unfinished signs and plaques shown in the Uncoated Category, any sign or plaque in  entire line-up is available to the Do-It-Yourself enthusiast.

These DIY Plaques are made from 30 pound Polyurethane (HDU) Foam Board. This is the same material that Atlas utilizes for metal coated plaques and has some major advantages over other common sign products. HDU:

  • Lasts much longer than wood.
  • Closed Cell Structure- Won’t absorb anything
  • Will not crack, rot or peel from outside exposure
  • Cuts with tools that cut wood.
  • Carbon footprint = 3:1. Rapidly Renewable Materials = 23.9%. No VOC’s, Non-Toxic, Totally Inert, and no Carcinogens. Made in the USA.

Do it Yourself No Soliciting SignsUse latex paints, enamels, gold leaf, colored epoxies, whatever your heart’s desire. Have a custom design cut, get it two sided, or want another size of this sign? We can do that too. Please email us.

We are certain that a masterpiece awaits your artistic hand. DIY Signs and Plaques are a fun and easy way to dress up your home and business.

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Atlas Signs Delivers the First of Thousands of DIY Plaques and Signs

First DIY Address Plaque delivered by Atlas Signs and Plaques

A milestone has been reached. Atlas Signs and Plaques celebrates the shipment of the first DIY Address Plaque.

Why are the nice folks at Atlas so happy? Think about how proud you were when you could show off the first dollar that you really earned. Maybe you saved it for a while, but took a photo the dead president before you blew the buck on candy and cigarettes. Yep, kinda like that. Firsts should always be celebrated.

Atlas has been creating beautiful metal coated plaques for some time now, but recently decided to answer the call of some creative DIY enthusiasts who wished to have Atlas complete their personalized plaque right up the the finish stage.

As you might imagine, uncoated signs are becoming a real hit with homeowners.  Doing it yourself is easy, saves money, and makes your plaque completely personalized.

In the photo above. From the left is Amber, Happy (helping to hold the plaque steady while sporting a wide grin) Janey, Lou, and Lisa.

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