Sweet Watermelon Sign (summer craft)

Nothing says summertime like fresh, juicy watermelon. A regular menu item at picnics and barbecues and a popular summer decorating theme makes this sweet watermelon sign from Amanda Formaro a great popsicle stick craft.
 

 
Materials:

• 9 jumbo craft sticks
• Scrabble tile letters*
• 12" piece of raffia
• Pink button
• 24" craft wire
• White craft glue
• Brown or black Sharpie marker
• Hot glue gun
• Scraps of felt
•  Paints: pink, green, dark green, black and white

*Note: You can use actual recycled scrabble tiles from an old board game, or purchase these alphabet tiles at your local craft supply store.

Instructions:

1. Paint three of the craft sticks green and the remaining six pink. When dry, use the handle end of a paintbrush to add seeds to the pink craft sticks with black paint. Use a liner brush to add dark green small triangular shapes along one side of each of the green craft sticks.
    
2. Dry brush** the alphabet tiles with white paint and go over the letters with a Sharpie.
    
3. With a piece of scrap paper underneath, glue the pink craft sticks together, side by side.
    
4. Glue one of the green craft sticks to the left of the pink ones with the dark green triangles facing to the left. Glue a second green craft stick to the right side of the pink sticks, this time with the green triangles facing to the right. Finally, glue the last green craft stick to the bottom all the others with the green triangles facing downward. Let dry.
    
5. Peel as much paper off the back of the plaque as you can, though you may want to leave some in place as it an help to hold the item together. Dry brush white paint onto each craft stick.
    
6. Hot glue the alphabet tiles to the front of the plaque.
    
7. Thread the raffia through the button holes and tie into bow. Trim the excess and hot glue to the upper left corner of the plaque.
    
8. Wrap the craft wire around a pencil or the handle of a paint brush. Slide the coiled wire off and stretch it out. Curve into a hanger, trim if needed. Turn the plaque over and hot glue the ends of the hanger to the back of the plaque. Cut small scraps of felt to cover the ends of the wire and hot glue in place. This will protect the wall from being scratched by the wire ends.
    
9. Hang!

**Dry brushing means to add paint to your paint brush, then wipe the excess off of the brush onto paper towel. Use the 'dried' brush to lightly stroke the paint onto the surface giving it a soft, wispy appearance.