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Back-to-school season is around the corner, and I thought it would be fun to show you how to create a classroom door hanger. This design is perfect for showing your appreciation to any amazing educator in your life (yes, even if that educator is you!). 

Let’s get your classroom ready — pull out your paintbrushes and lettering pens. It’s time to get started!

Supplies Needed for Your Classroom Door Hanger

To follow along with this project, gather the following materials. Remember, you can always use what you have on hand, but here are my recommendations based on what I used in the video:

• Wood blank round: To paint your design on. 
• Love Teach Inspire Door Hanger Template: A printable PDF file. This template will print out on multiple pages that you’ll assemble like a puzzle.
• Tape: For assembling your template.
• Cutting Tool: An X-Acto knife or scissors to cut out your template shape.
• Pencil: For tracing your design onto the sign.
• Graphite Paper: To transfor your design onto your wooden round. 
• Clips: Small clips to hold your template and graphite paper in place.
• Ruler: A sewing fabric rotary ruler is great for making straight lines.
• Tombow Dual Brush Markers: For creating crisp lines, such as the notebook paper lines. These are water-based and come in various colors.
• Sharpie Stained Fabric Marker (Black): My go-to for durable brush lettering. These work great on signs and have very resilient tips.
• White Paint: For adding beautiful accents.
• Spray Sealer: Crucial for sealing your sign when using markers (like Tombow or Sharpie Stained) to prevent smearing and help the final product last longer. Apply a decent coat and let it dry flat.
• Ribbon: To create a lovely bow for hanging. Jute string is a good alternative if your ribbon is too thick for the holes.
• Pipe Cleaner: To easily attach your bow to the sign.
• Glitter Paint: Totally optional, but always fun!

Love Teach Inspire: Step-by-Step Tutorial

Now that you have your supplies ready, it’s time to get started! You can watch the live replay with the video above, or if you prefer, follow along with the notes version below. 

Step #1: Prepare Your Template and Sign

1. Print and Assemble Your Template: Print the PDF template and carefully align the printed pages, matching up the lines and curves of the design. Tape them together to form the full template.
2. Cut Out the Template: Use an X-Acto knife or scissors to cut out the outer shape of the door hanger from your assembled template. This helps you easily center the design on your sign.
3. Draw Your Notebook Lines: I used a ruler and Tombow Dual Brush Markers to keep everything in position like a real notebook. Position your ruler on the white base of your sign and, using the flat side of the Tombow marker, draw straight lines across. If you want a red margin line, feel free!
4. Finish With a Spray Sealer: Once everything is dry, use a spray sealer to keep these lines from smearing. Let that coat of spray sealer fully dry as well before moving on. 

Step #2: Add the Lettering

1. Transfer the Design Onto the Wood Blank: Place your cut-out template over your sign and secure it with clips, ensuring it’s centered and won’t shift. Slide a piece of graphite paper (shiny side down) under the template.
2. Trace the Lettering from Your Graphite Paper: Using a pencil, firmly trace over the “Love, Teach, Inspire” lettering on your template. Before unclipping, lift a corner to make sure all parts of the design have transferred. 
3. Outline and Fill Your Lettering: Take your Sharpie Stained fabric marker (or your preferred black lettering pen). Use the side of the brush tip to outline your traced pencil lines. 

Then, fill in the letters, making sure to apply enough ink for a solid, opaque look. If needed, go over it a second time after the first layer dries.

• Pro-Tip: Make your letters thick enough! What looks good up close might appear too skinny from a distance. Take a photo of your sign and step back to assess if your lettering is substantial enough. This helps you catch areas that need more thickness before you seal your work.

4. Add Accents: Using white paint and a liner brush, lightly add accents to your black lettering. Dip your brush into the paint, then blot off most of the excess. 

Use very light pressure with just the tip of the brush to create subtle highlights. This brightens the lettering and adds a professional touch. 

You can also fill in some of the open spaces in the letters with colors if you prefer!

Step #3: Add the Finishing Touches

1. Personalize Your Design: The template includes cute little hearts you can add. You can also personalize the sign by writing the teacher’s name or a special note on the back.
2. Add Glitter (Optional but Recommended!): Brush a thin layer over the letters and edges of your sign (or wherever your heart desires). This adds sparkle that catches the light without being overpowering. It dries translucent, so it works with any color! Just make sure you don’t apply too much because it tends to smear when painted over marker. 
3. Add Your Bow and String for Hanging: Thread your chosen ribbon or jute string through the pre-drilled holes in your sign. Tie a knot to secure it. For the bow, use a pipe cleaner to attach it securely to the top of your sign. 
4. Seal Your Sign: Take your sign to a well-ventilated area and apply a generous, even coat of spray sealer. Let it dry completely. 

And there you have it! A cute, handmade door hanger that’s sure to bring a smile to any teacher’s face!

Get Access to More Projects with the Happy Lettering Club!

Did you enjoy creating this classroom door hanger? If you’re looking for more projects that involve hand lettering like this, the Happy Lettering Club is for you!

The Happy Lettering Club is your all-in-one resource for learning hand lettering with confidence and creativity. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced crafter, this club is designed to inspire, teach, and support you every step of the way!

Plus, we have several members who are also teachers, which means there is an abundance of crafts for the classroom and matching lettering templates to help you bring them to life!

If this tutorial sparked some creativity, just imagine what you could achieve inside the Club!

Follow me here to learn more about becoming a Happy Lettering Club member.