Harry Signage Roundup

To see the complete party:

"Part 5: Honeydukes" can be found HERE.
"Part 4: Class Lessons & the Troll in the Dungeon" can be found HERE.
"Part 3: Great Hall Sorting Ceremony" can be found HERE
"Part 2: Diagon Alley" can be found HERE.
"Part 1: Invitations & the Entry to Platform 9-3/4" can be found HERE.

Most of the party signage was made on insulation foam. The only signage made in wood was the exterior signpost signage. Insulation foam is easier to cut, more cost effective, and more lightweight for the size. Different methods were used on each, so I'm including some process photos and details for several of the signs below...

Hogwarts Express Sign

The Hogwarts Express sign was cut to size, so it could be hung on the transom above the opening where we placed our Platform 9-3/4 brick wall. 

This was a large sign, at approximately 48" wide. I utilized a word processing application (ex. Microsoft Word or Apple Pages) to create and stitch together the text. 

First I measured how tall I needed the letters, and then typed the letters out on the word processing application.  Once printed, I laid them out on the foam, spacing as needed, and taped in place.

Then I took an Xacto blade and traced the letters, which cut the letters into the foam. This not only allowed the letters to be 'traced' but also made painting easier, as the etched voids in the foam made the transition in paint colors easier to maintain.

Once everything was etched and primed, I painted everything. Dark colors require fewer coats with a grey primer, but I did not want to buy multiple primers for my various projects, so this sign took a couple extra coats to get the red right. 

Since this sign was so wide, I added a wood trim around it to stabilize the foam and have a stronger hold when hanging it, as it would be hovering above where people were walking.

Leaky Cauldron Sign

The Leaky Cauldron sign was freehand sketched into the foam. I cut out the shape, primed and painted the sign. I screwed eye hooks into the sign and hung it onto a chain.

Both signs hung at the party:

The exterior signs were cut out of wood. Each sign was primed and painted. At this point, I had received a Silhouette Cameo for my birthday. I printed out the text as stencils rather than using the word processing & print method above.

The signs assembled on the signpost...

Honeydukes Sign

The Honeydukes sign was made freehand with a ruler, as the font and overall size of the sign was too large to easily use another method.

Painting in progress...

Painted.

Diagon Alley Sign

This sign was made in foam, stenciling the letters again. However, with this one, I used the heated Xacto tool to etch into the foam to make the letters depressed into the sign.

Ollivander's Sign

To make the Ollivander's sign, I drew the Ollivanders "O" freehand and mounted it to a larger piece of foam. I used the Cameo to make a stencil for the text. 

Once the paint was dry, I screwed in brass cup hooks to hang a few wands.

Completed sign.