Show off your sense of humor with a decorative sign made from a ceiling fan blade

A tongue-in-cheek phrase embroidered into an old ceiling fan blade adds a dose of humor and color to any room. A sign that says “stay home” is especially fitting when hung above a bookshelf, but you can change the phrase to suit your style. Both the blade’s palm leaf material and the embroidery thread bring an interesting textural element to this project. Thread and tassel trim in bright colors help make the sign pop.

For this project, you'll need a ceiling fan blade made of thin material such as a composite palm leaf so you can embroider the decorative phrase. If you can’t find that kind of blade, you could always use a wooden one and paint the phrase instead of embroidering it. Another option is to spell out your phrase by gluing on rhinestones, beads or other decorative notions. Whichever route you take, it’s sure to create a one-of-a-kind sign to perk up your home.

Materials
- Palm leaf ceiling fan blade
- Embroidery needle
- Embroidery thread in various colors
- Multicolored tassel trim
- High-temperature glue gun
- Hot-glue sticks
- Scissors
- Pencil

Instructions
1. Sketch a phrase onto the front of the fan blade. The phrase used in this project is “stay home," with the first word written in cursive and the second in capitalized block letters. Draw where the individual stitches will go to make embroidering the words easier.

2. Thread the needle with embroidery thread. Start embroidering the first letter by passing the needle from the back of the blade to the front with a knot tied on the end of the thread. Complete the letter with a running stitch, and tie off the thread on the back of the blade. Trim the thread. Repeat for the other letters in your phrase.

3. Once you’ve embroidered all the letters, lay tassel trim around the edges of the blade with the tassels facing out. Cut the trim to the desired length, then glue it down with hot glue. Allow the glue to dry.