Huge LOVE Marquee

Are you getting ready for a wedding and trying not to break the bank? Make your own marquee sign! It sheds a little light on the party and reminds you why you're there in the first place. As the Beatles say, "All you need is love."

For this project you will need:

Cardboard Letters (found at most craft supply stores)

2 Strings Ball Shaped Christmas Lights

Paint

Box Cutter

Zip Ties

Wood Lattice Panel

Drill

The first thing you need to do to get your letters ready is use your box cutter to cut them open. Make sure that you hold the letter so it is facing the right way, and cut the FRONT. We accidently cut the wrong side on one, and had to buy another letter. Inside you will find some cardboard filling, which you can just remove and throw out with the part of the letter you just cut off.

Now it is time to create the holes you will stick your lights through. We marked how far apart we wanted the lights, and then drilled holes on our marks. An important thing to note is how far apart your lights are spaced on the cord. We wanted our lights closer together than they were placed on the cord, so we ended up with extra cord on the back that we eventually had to arrange and tape down.

Next, paint the inside of the letter whatever color you would like. We found that paint helps reflect the light a little better. The wedding colors were pretty neutral so we chose a cream color for this marquee.

This part takes a little planning. You will need to look at how long your light strings are, and where you want them to end and plug in. This marquee was hung at a backyard wedding on the chimney, and we had the wire come in on the side of the "O". You will want to look at your setting to decide what will be easiest to plug in.

Once you know where your strings of lights will begin and end, it is time to insert them into the letters! First you must separate the ball part of the light from the base, and then put it back together through the cardboard letter, the ball being on the painted inside of your letter. Continue the process until all your lights are in place!

At the end, plug in your lights so you feel a sense of accomplishment, and to make sure you securely reconnected all the lights so that they work.

As I mentioned before, this marquee was made to hang on a brick chimney, which meant we had to do some creative thinking. What we found was easiest for us was to mount the letters on a panel of lattice fencing from the hardware store. This way we could secure the letters easily with zip ties, hide any wires on the back, and hang it up in just a few minutes. We wove some rope through the lattice work and tied it around the top of the chimney.

Being able to make it ahead of time and hang it up in a matter of minutes was crucial for us, as everyone was busy all day, and being a Seattle wedding, nervous about the chance of rain and it destroying our hard work.

Everyone loved the marquee sign at the wedding, and it helped create a beautiful atmosphere at a reasonable cost.