The cutest DIY piece that can hang beautifully anywhere in your home. Expert Christian Dare shows you how to make it!

Marquee Light

Here is what you’ll need: 

• 2’ x 4’ sheet of MDF
• Paint (two contrasting colours)
• Paintbrush or roller
• Paper (to make our letter templates)
• Twinkle lights
• Command light clips
• Drill

Step #1:

This light brings a modern touch to the holidays. The hardest part of this project might be deciding what you want to write. And that is the first step.

Step #2: 

Once you have decided what holiday saying you want to say, spell it out in lights. Now if you are an amazing free-hander when it comes to typography, freehand it. But for the rest of us, I created letter templates on my at-home computer. Simply print them out, use a pencil on the back to create a little DIY carbon paper. And they trace out your letters onto your board.

Tip: If the lines are a little too light, draw them in a little darker.

Step #3: 

Now it’s time to drill. I always say to plan out the number of lights per letter based on the number of lights in your light string. You want to make sure each letter is outlined well for the best results. I spaced out my lights every 2” inches around the letters. Mark them with a pencil and then drill.

Tip: Be sure to wear safety glass.

Step #4:

Once your light holes are all drilled, you want to give them a light sanding. And once your done sanding it’s time to paint. I wanted a dramatic sign so I went with black and gold. But you can use any two colours and then allow the paint to dry overnight.

Tip: Pick colours that will match your existing holiday décor.

Step #5: 

And then thread in your twinkle lights. To keep the back nice and clean, I used command light hooks to keep it all nice and organized.

Tip: You can also use electrical tape or hot glue to affix the wires to the back.

Last but not least, plug it in and enjoy!