Make a First Day of School Sign

Back to school vibes are in the air, and it’s super simple to make a first day of school sign to mark the occasion! This fun, modern take on a back to school sign comes together in a snap with a Cricut machine.

I can hardly believe it, but this school year we’ll have two kids in full-day school! Maggie is starting TK and Henry will be in first grade, which means we’ll have both of them on the same public school schedule.

I never thought we’d be here!

Sounds silly to say, because obviously we’d get here. It’s more like I never thought the baby and toddler years would go so quickly that we’d soon have two kiddos smiling under first day of school signs.

Psst — before you get the how-to, be sure to sign up below for my VIP group so I can send more of my very best DIYs straight to ya!

Why Make First Day of School Signs?

I mean, why not? Sure, it’s corny. But capturing that one little moment before they head off to school to learn skills like independence, socialization, and perseverance is such a beautiful thing.

Their little faces are full of excitement, anticipation, joy, and maybe a little trepidation. It’s a very sweet time.

I love these first day of school signs that we made using the Cricut machine because if you do it right, you only have to do it once!

Use the same sign year after year (for every kid, even!) and you’ll have a treasure trove of photos as they grow.

Use Cricut to Make Custom First Day of school Signs

We’ll cover the how-to in just a moment, but first — aren’t the first day of school signs so fun?!

I used my Cricut Explore Air 2 to create designs and decals for the signs and I love how easy it makes it to customize your own signs. One of my favorite things about Cricut machines is how they make every project look so polished and clean.

Not to mention — fast!

We’ve done some deep dives on Cricut in case you’re wondering what machine might be right for you:

• What is a Cricut Machine And What Does It Do?
• How Much is a Cricut Machine (And Will I Use it Enough to Justify the Cost)?
• How to Make Money with Cricut
• Three Easy Cricut Projects for Beginners

Supplies You’ll Need

• Cricut Machine
• Adhesive Vinyl
• Weeding tool
• Transfer tape
• Blank wall and/or small board for mounting your sign (we used a chalkboard)

Of course, you can absolutely use other Cricut cutting machines that you might have. You can read our full breakdown of Cricut machines and which one might be right for you.

I used the Cricut Explore Air 2 for this project because for the wall decal, I wanted something extra large. The Explore Air 2 can create pieces that are up to 12″ wide and 24″ long.

How to Make Your Own First day of School Sign

1. Open a new file in Cricut Design Space. Browse the Cricut fonts and find something you love! I mixed and matched a few fonts that looked fun together
2. Size the font to the approximate height of your sign. If you’re creating a larger decal for a wall, window, or door, size it appropriately
3. Also consider what type of information you want to include on the sign! I just chose to include age and grade. Other ideas might be teacher name, your child’s name, best friends, favorite subjects, and so on.
4. Click “Make It” and proceed through the prompts on Design Space to choose the Cricut machine that you’re using, and the appropriate materials. The software will prompt you to insert your materials into the machine. Click “Go” and it will cut!
5. Once cut, weed out the excess vinyl. Then cut a piece of transfer tape to the same size as your design. Place the transfer tape down on the pattern and burnish.
6. Pull the transfer tape back slowly, and the vinyl lettering should come with the tape. Then place the tape with vinyl over your sign or on your wall and burnish again to help the lettering adhere to the surface.
7. Carefully pull away the transfer tape and smooth your vinyl onto the surface!

Ways to Use Back to School signs

Once your sign is created, add the information in each area (i.e. age and grade) with either chalk lettering, or additional decals if you like.

Ask your kiddo if they’d like to smile with the sign on their first day!

This would also be a great project for teachers to include in their classrooms on the first day of school!

Stick the decal to a door or window, and include information that pertains to all students (like the year, or the teacher’s name, or school name). Snap a little photo and send it to a child’s parents to really make the first day special.

More Back to School Ideas

Don’t forget custom school supplies, learning games, and even DIYs for mom! Back to school is such a fun time to be creative.

If you try and love our first day of school sign, be sure to rate the project below! xoxo

This post is sponsored by Cricut. All ideas and opinions are my own. Thank you for being supportive of the partners who help keep Lovely Indeed rocking!