Someone reached out to me on Facebook asking if I could make personalised gifts for her two friends’ upcoming baby showers. She wanted something meaningful, something those babies would grow up looking at in their nurseries and wondering about one day. That is the kind of project I love most.
The result was two custom round wooden name signs, each designed from scratch to match the nursery vision of each family. One a wildflower garden with muted tones and the mom’s favorite flowers. The other a soft floral wreath to accent the wallpaper that would adorn the nursery wall. Both hand-painted with a vintage dry-brush finish that makes them look like they have been hanging in a cottage for years.
Here is exactly how I made them, start to finish.
What You Will Need
For the laser-cut version (intermediate):
- 1/8″ birch wood sheets (I cut my own rounds, approx 12 inches diameter)
- Xtools M1 Ultra laser cutter (or equivalent)
- Design software: Canva for layout, Xtool Creative Space for cutting files
For a simplified version using blanks:
- 12″ unfinished wood circle blanks — perfect if you do not have a laser cutter
Painting supplies:
- Acrylic paint markers — these are honestly incredible, they glide on every surface and the colour payoff is beautiful
- Basic acrylic craft paint in your chosen palette (I grabbed mine from Dollar Tree)
- Small flat and round detail paint brushes
- Paper plate or paint palette
- Tweezers (you will thank me later)
- Wood glue
- Simple twine and small rounded wooden discs for the hanging mechanism
- Matte spray sealer or Mod Podge to finish
Step-by-Step Tutorial
1. Gather your inspiration and plan your design.
I looked at vintage frames, antique mirrors, and the knowledge of her favorite colors and flowers for the first sign. For the second, the client shared a photo of the nursery wallpaper and I pulled every colour and floral shape from that. Start with a mood board, even a rough one on your phone. It makes the design process so much smoother.
2. Design in Canva, then convert for the laser cutter.
I built out my layouts in Canva first because it is intuitive and I can see how the whole composition looks before committing. You can also easily change the colours to see what it will look like when completed and then change to black which I find better for laser cutting. Once I was happy with the design, I brought it into Xtool Creative Space and refined the cut lines there. The conversion process takes a bit of practice but it gives you so much more control over detail than using pre-made files. Important tip: Think about how it will look layered, I added some simple shapes behind certain pieces to give them more dimension, by using the offset tool.
3. Laser cut your pieces.
I used 1/8″ birch wood for everything. The main disc, the name letters, and all the individual floral elements were cut in one session per sign. Total cutting time was about 30 minutes each. If you do not have a laser cutter, you can absolutely buy pre-cut letter blanks and wood floral add-ons online and skip straight to the painting stage.
Important tip: Use the etch feature on your base. I etched placement outlines directly onto the base disc so I could see exactly where every single flower and leaf piece was meant to go. No guessing, no dry-fitting five times. It saves so much time during gluing.
4. Paint all your individual pieces first.
Before gluing anything down, paint every single piece separately. I used the acrylic paint markers for the base colour on most pieces because they are incredible on wood. The vibrancy is stunning and they dry fast. I used Dollar Tree acrylic paint for some of the larger flat areas and for the dry-brush step.
For the Amelia sign, my palette was dusty mauve, mustard yellow, soft white, dusty rose, sage green, and a soft purple. For Vivian’s, I worked with slate blue, dusty mauve, pink, sage green, and muted coral. Both started out brighter than the finished result, and that is intentional. Depending on your desired end result, some can skip the next step.
5. Apply the dry-brush vintage finish.
This step is everything if you’re wanting a more muted or vintage feel. Once all your pieces are painted and dry, take a soft, dry brush loaded with a very small amount of diluted brown acrylic paint. Brush it lightly over every piece except the whites. It settles into the grain of the wood and tones everything down beautifully.
For the Vivian sign, I also layered in a soft peach dry brush in some areas to get the subtle colour variations that matched her nursery wallpaper. The combination of brown and peach over the blues and greens gave me exactly the aged, botanical look I was after.
Important Tip: Less is more with dry brushing. You can always add more, you cannot take it away. Work in thin layers and step back often. I also had a little paper towel to wipe away any excess.
6. Glue your layers together.
With your etched placement guides on the base disc, this part is actually enjoyable rather than stressful. Use wood glue for anything flat against the base. For raised or stacked elements, I would glue them together first before adding it to the base to get a solid hold. Tweezers are your best friend for placing tiny petal pieces and small floral details exactly where you want them.
Take your time here. The layering is what gives these signs their gorgeous 3D quality.
7. Add the hanger.
I kept it simple and sweet: a length of twine looped and knotted, with a small rounded wooden disc glued over the knot on the back to secure it flat. It is clean, it hangs beautifully, and it looks intentional.
8. Seal the finished piece.
Once everything is fully dry and glued, seal the whole sign with a matte spray sealer or Mod Podge. This protects the paint, evens out any sheen differences between paint types, and makes the whole piece feel polished and professional.
Tips for Getting the Best Results
- The etch placement guide is a game-changer. Even if you are using store-bought blanks, you can use a light pencil sketch or masking tape to plan where pieces go before you glue anything permanently.
- Paint your pieces before gluing, always. Trying to paint in the crevices after assembly is a nightmare.
- The dry-brush technique works on any colour palette. Warm brown tones it toward vintage. A grey dry brush gives a cooler, more modern aged look. Play with it.
- Those acrylic paint markers work on basically everything, not just wood. I have used them at my nonprofit on fabric, cardboard, and painted surfaces. They are worth every penny.
- Buy a few extra wood blanks or cut a few spare pieces. Small flower petals are easy to lose and Murphy’s Law says you will knock one onto the floor right before you are about to glue it.
What I Would Do Differently
On the Amelia sign, I cut individual petals for several of the floral elements. They look beautiful, but I will be honest: it is incredibly time-consuming to paint and place tiny petal pieces one by one.
By the time I got to the Vivian sign, I had already figured out a smarter approach. I designed the flowers slightly differently to create the same layered, dimensional look with fewer individual pieces. The result is just as stunning and the process was so much more efficient.
If I were starting over, I would design for fewer cuts from the very beginning, especially on the florals. Think in layers, not individual petals.
Final Thoughts
There is something really special about making a keepsake someone will hang in a new baby’s room. These signs are not going into a drawer. They are going on a wall, and I hope those little girls love looking at them.
That is the part of this work I love most.
If you make your own version of this project, I would love to see it. Tag me on Instagram at @simplyhappybrittany or drop your photos in the comments below. And if you want to save this tutorial for later, pin it to your nursery or woodcraft board on Pinterest.
Happy making!
