DIY Vintage Man on the Moon

This year I am on a quest to create Halloween decor full of whimsy. And then I came across this vintage Man on the Moon graphic and was immediately charmed. And as much as I love him as a part of Halloween, I definitely think his beguiling moon face would suit decor all year long.

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Using Favorite Ornaments of the Past as Inspiration

I’ll admit this kind of project is right up my alley. There is something so enchanting about taking something old and creating something new. In fact, there are so many ways to allow the vintage world to influence your art that for me it can feel somewhat like a black hole.

The Victorian Era is full of bewitching art, carvings, graphics, and craftsmanship I get sucked in. And I truly feel like it was one of the greatest time periods for creators. Everything felt extravagant and a little over the top. And who doesn’t love intricate details?

Almost makes everything feel grander somehow. And his captivating facial expression is no exception.

5 Great Ideas to Include a Vintage Man in the Moon in Home Decor Yearlong

As I mentioned before, I truly believe the vintage man in the moon would be a great addition to every season and I am kind of taking it as a personal challenge to see where else I can put him. Here are a few ideas I came up with off the top of my head:

1. Atop a Christmas Tree Instead of a star ornament, imagine a moon.
2. Ornaments Hide a miniature moon ornament in your Christmas tree as a fun family tradition, like the Christmas pickle. I would use a wood round, but a glass ornament would look beautiful as well.
3. Moon Mirror Use an inexpensive mirror and paint the man in the moon’s face on it. Or better yet, a glass etching process would look spectacular.
4. Window Clings Create a stencil and cut out the vintage man in the moon face on peel and stick contact paper.
5. Custom Pillows Sew a round pillow and paint a vintage Man on the Moon face with fabric paint! I admit to being extremely fascinated by this idea.

How to Make a Vintage Man in the Moon Sign

I’m always kind of confused when I strike gold in the home decor department and wonder how it isn’t the latest trend. Though I should be grateful as I’m typically taking extraordinary care to avoid anything trendy. This is why I am always looking towards the past to inspire me.

The most obvious choice for a DIY project was to try to recreate a moon for an enchanting mural on my wall outside wall for my seasonal decorating. And that’s just what I’m going to show you today.

Supplies I Used & Recommend

• 14″ Wood Round or Dollar Tree Burner Covers
• Chalk Paint
• Black or Charcoal Acrylic Paint
• Paint Brushes
• 2″ Wooster Brush or Foam Brush
• Clear Top Coat Spray Paint
• Laminator + Laminating Sheets
• X-Acto Knife
• Pencil
• Permanent Black Marker
• Cutting Mat
• 80 lb Cardstock

Step One – The Wood Round + Burner Covers

I am so happy to have been able to provide two different options for you, both completely budget-friendly! The truth is, you can make this with practically anything round. And I’ve seen really large versions of this that would be really spectacular as well.

Version 1 – 14″ Wood Round (3-pack)

Now there are several places you can purchase these wood rounds, the least expensive being hobby lobby locally. But I also linked some great-priced versions from Amazon above for your convenience.

The nice thing about this version is that they’re two-sided! You can use the front for one sign and the back for another. So, in essence, you could create 6 different signs for multiple holidays. That makes this project super functional for a few great reasons.

1. Two-Sided makes each sign double-sided.
2. Flat Easy to Store won’t take up a lot of space.
3. Can Be Used for Multiple Holidays or Seasons

Version 2 – Dollar Tree Burner Covers (2-pack)

I walked all over the Dollar Tree looking for options to use to make this. There were several great options, you basically just need something round and flat. My Dollar Tree did not have any of these options or I may have chosen differently. Though I’m happy with how my project turned out.

1. A Round Seasonal Sign just turn it over and voila!
2. Charger Plates especially if you want to do a moon glow on the outer rim.
3. Wood Round my Dollar Tree didn’t have this, or I would have purchased this option.
4. Round Cake Pan
5. Cake Boards Just cut the scalloped edge off.

These would make really fun projects, I would love to hear ideas from you in the comments section!

Step Two – Creating the Stencil

The easiest way to make this sign and know for certain it’s going to turn out well is to create a stencil. So, I printed off the Man on the Moon using my printer’s “poster” function.

• Download the Man on the Moon shown below.
• Follow the printing steps below to get it to fit the 14″ wood rounds from Hobby Lobby. Or print it regularly to fit the 8 & 10″ burner covers from Dollar Tree.

How to Print the Man on the Moon PDF

If you’re wanting to recreate the project exactly as I did, these instructions should be helpful to you. If you want to use your own round object you may have to adjust things and experiment with the scale.

Printing Instructions for the Man on the Moon PDF

1. Download the Man on the Moon PDF from the Wonderland Subscriber Library.
2. Open the file in Adobe Acrobat.
3. Hit the “Print” button. This box should pop up.
4. Make sure the box labeled “Print on both sides of the paper” is unchecked.
5. Hit the “Poster” Button.
6. Tile Scale “175%”.
7. Portrait Mode.
8. Print in Grayscale.

Additional Notes: I also print one at a time to make sure it is printing correctly. And use 80 lb cardstock.

Laminating and Cutting the Stencil Out

The second part of creating a stencil is to laminate it. This makes the stencil hold up and makes for really crisp stenciling and design in the end. It also makes the stencil reusable for multiple projects, which is great if you plan on selling these in a booth!

Cut out the Stencil Using an Exacto Knife

This is not a difficult process, just time-consuming. You will want to have a cutting mat when you use an X-Acto knife so you don’t destroy whatever surface is under you.

The stencils will overlap, which is expected, just stencil one at a time and line them up when you’re stenciling with a pencil.

Step Three – The Painting Process

Probably the most enjoyable part of the process for me, I love detail work. This requires a steady hand, some patience, and a small stiff brush.

The Base Coats – Two Coats of Chalk Paint

• The 2 Burner Covers received two thorough coats of white chalk paint as the base of the moon’s face. Let them dry thoroughly between each coat.
• The wood round only required a single coat. I didn’t need it to be a really thorough coat since the wood was so light.

Tracing the Stencil – Pencil and Black Marker

I like to start tracing my stencil with a pencil, this way you can erase whatever doesn’t look right. Then I go back over it with a black permanent marker.

This makes it easier to see the lines and actually helps me stay inside the lines. Ultimately I end up with a very clean professional look using this process.

The Detail Painting

This process is my absolute favorite part because I love to paint details. However, it does require concentration, good lighting, decent brushes, and the ability to move your project around.

• Make sure you have good lighting.
• Move the round wherever you need to to get the right angle.
• Go as slow as you need to be precise with your movements.
• Clean your brush when it starts to get overloaded.

Step Four – Top Protective Coating

Since I’m planning on using my signs outdoors I wanted to ensure they would hold up to the elements. If I was going to keep it indoors I think the wood round could easily do with a simple wax finish.

However, the burner covers really needed that protective coat to hold the paint on the metal. Otherwise, I fear we risk it scraping off easily.

They’re so charming I love them! I can’t wait to decorate my porch with them and find ways to decorate around them for changing seasons. I would love to know if you do this project!

Sincerely

Julie