My fam absolutely loves dragons. We love all different types of fantasy and magic things, but dragons are by far the favorite. Dragons from all types of stories, shows, and movies. So when I saw the quote I used for today’s craft, I knew I had to make something with it and dragons. I was in my favorite craft store and was browsing the vinyl wall when I came across the quote, “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” from The MinPins by Roald Dahl. I loved the quote and the font they used and decided I would make an everyday centerpiece for our dining room that we could have out when there wasn’t a holiday we were decorated for. I scoured the store for the rest of the supplies I would need and I think it turned out great in the end!
Materials and Tools
I photographed this after it was completely made, so please understand when I don’t have pictures of the raw materials. I started with the precut vinyl and then found a pre-painted black box sign, then turned it over. Yep, I find a lot of blanks that craft stores stock can be used many different ways. I wanted to create a smoky look so I grabbed a small foam brush and some light grey and white paint. I then went to the floral area and found some little black chipped rocks and a bag of medium sized black river rocks. Next, to the fairy garden area and found the four dragons, which they luckily had one for each person in my fam which I thought worked out perfectly. Finally, I went to my favorite area, the fairy lights. I found the smallest string of red lights I could, which unfortunately still had a massive battery box, if you can find one with the little watch battery pack, that would be best. You should be able to find similar items to these in your local craft store or online, I did this craft several years ago so I am unsure if the same exact items would be available anywhere.
Picking Your Vinyl
I checked the website for the store I bought everything at and they no longer seem to carry this quote. Now, if your local store doesn’t have vinyl or you do not have another favorite source, you have a few options. You can always check Etsy. There are plenty of shops that sell vinyl custom made and may be able to assist you. Or your local store may have vinyl but doesn’t carry this quote. You can see if there is another quote that you like or that works well for the feeling you are trying to achieve. The most important thing to keep in mind is that it works for you and your family. Don’t worry about what is popular, it has to speak to you! Some other things to keep in mind are: what color is the vinyl, what size is the vinyl compared to the surface you plan to put it on, and is it quality vinyl? The first two are pretty self explanatory, but the last is a tougher needle to thread. I try to stick with brands I trust, but if I can’t find what I need, I look for ones that are on good transfer paper rather than clear plastic. The transfer paper makes it much easier to work with, even if it means you can’t see the vinyl perfectly. I also like to see that they have left space between the lines and words so you can cut it apart if need be but also not so much that the spacing looks weird if you use it as is.
Putting It All Together
You want to start by painting your base box. If it isn’t already black start by coating the visible areas in black first. This would be the outside, “bottom,” and the inside of the “back,” (remember this is a sign turned upside down) but you do not need to paint the larger surface of the “back” as this will be covered in the rocks. Once this is dry (or if it is already done) you will take a dry foam brush, and put just the lightest amount of light grey paint on it and then spread it on the outside. You want it to look like billowing smoke, so you are not going to coat it completely, more of a general coverage with small areas that are uncovered, some that are partially covered, and some that are completely covered. As you work through the layers you can slowly add a little white into the grey to achieve different shades of grey. I started with some straight brush strokes in my base grey and then went back over with some more arched strokes in the different shades of grey. You want to keep the brush fairly dry and not use much paint at all so you have control over the coverage. Once this is dry you can put your vinyl on following the directions on the package. I split mine onto three sides of the centerpiece so you could see it from different angles. Now the fun part: pour in your small rock chips! Once you are done playing around with them because, lets be honest, it’s always fun to run your fingers through rocks, you will take your lights with the batteries in and the lights turned on and kind of dig them into the rocks. The look you are going for is kind of a lava rock desert, so some should be deep and harder to see and some of them can be on the top and visible. Next, put the river rocks around the area, you can group some of them together and put others kind of dug into the chipped rocks. I also like to set some on top of the lights to create cool shadows. Finally, place your dragons. The great part is that they are not attached so you can move them around at will once your centerpiece is on display. Imagine all the funny stories that will play out as your fam gets in on the fun!
Geeky Centerpiece Magic
I really love the way this centerpiece turned out and I think it really embodies our family. It looks great out on the table and my fam freaked out when they saw it for the first time. As for the large battery pack, our table is up against a wall so I actually tuck it under the wall side so it just elevates it slightly on an angle towards where we see it most. If you want to store this when you are using a different centerpiece I recommend wrapping it in plastic wrap with the dragons out of it. Wrap it tightly and store it right side up and you should only have to make minor adjustments when you want to display it again. This also keeps it from spilling everywhere if you accidentally tip it when moving it. I hope you are inspired by this craft to make something similar for your home, let me know how it goes in the comments below!
