Turn a Dollar Tree arrow sign into a festive North Pole arrow sign! Step-by-step tutorial for painting candy-cane stripes and customizing with Cricut or printable letters.
How to paint a wooden arrow sign to make a Christmas Craft
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Today I’m turning a simple Dollar Tree arrow sign into a charming North Pole marker with candy-cane stripes. This is the kind of craft that looks store-bought but is totally handmade. Whether you display it on your Christmas tree, mantel, or front porch, it’s sure to bring that classic holiday cheer.
Video Tutorial: DIY North Pole Arrow Sign
Watch this quick video to see how this craft came together:
DIY North Pole Arrow Sign
Turn a Dollar Tree arrow sign into a festive North Pole marker! Step-by-step tutorial for painting candy-cane stripes and customizing with Cricut or printable letters.
Materials
- Wooden arrow sign (Dollar Tree craft section)
- Painter’s tape
- Waverly Chalk Paint in Lacquer (red)
- White acrylic or chalk paint
- Black paint (for lettering, if not using vinyl)
- Vinyl (optional, if using a Cricut)
- Transfer tape (for vinyl application)
- Font: BFC Christmas Cards (used on the Cricut lettering)
- Optional: Printed letters from Canva or Word + carbon transfer paper
Tools
- Fine-point paint brush
- Scissors (for cutting tape and vinyl)
- Cricut machine, or Computer + printer
- Ruler or measuring tape (optional for even spacing)
Instructions
- Watch the video. Follow along with the video tutorial for a walkthrough on how to make your North Pole arrow craft.
- Prep and Tape. Start with a plain wooden arrow from Dollar Tree. If you want to skip a little extra work later, paint the entire surface white first. (Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later!) Once it’s dry, it’s time to create the candy-cane stripes. Lay down two pieces of painter’s tape, then place a third in between. Remove the middle strip — this becomes your red stripe space. Keep reusing that same strip as you move down the arrow to create evenly spaced stripes.
- Paint the Red Stripes. Grab your Waverly Chalk Paint in “Lacquer” — it’s a bright, festive red that’s perfect for Christmas crafts. Paint in the open spaces using a dry-brush technique so the wood grain lightly shows through. Don’t aim for perfect coverage; a slightly rustic finish gives it charm. If you want those candy-cane stripes to wrap around the edges, fold the tape around the back of the sign before painting.
- Peel the Tape. When the paint is still just a bit tacky, peel the tape away at a 45-degree angle for crisp lines. Now, if you skipped painting the background white earlier (like I did), you’ll need to re-tape over your red stripes and paint the white sections between. It works, but it’s a bit of extra effort — so again, paint that base coat first next time!
- Add the North Pole Lettering. Now it’s time to make your sign truly festive. If you have a Cricut, use the BFC Christmas Cards font for your lettering. Add “North Pole” and your exact mileage to the North Pole (you can calculate it online — it’s a fun touch!). If you don’t have a Cricut, no worries! Type and print your text using any font you like in Word or Canva. Then use carbon transfer paper to trace the letters onto your sign, and paint them in black.
- Finish and Display. Once your paint or vinyl lettering is fully dry, your candy-cane North Pole arrow is ready to display! Hang it on your Christmas tree, lean it on a mantel, or add it to your holiday porch décor. It’s cheerful, simple, and totally customizable.
Notes
The website that you can use to calculate miles to the North Pole is here: https://www.distance.to/
The Finished Craft
This Dollar Tree Christmas craft is the perfect blend of festive and thrifty. With a little tape, paint, and patience, you can create a candy-cane-striped North Pole sign that looks like it came from a boutique holiday shop.
PIN this craft for later:
Crafting with Dollar Tree Christmas Wood Cutouts
This craft was part of a compilation video over on my YouTube Channel, along with: Mini Snowman Decorative Tray, Red Pickup Truck Floral Display, Gold Frame Christmas Ornaments, Christmas Tree Farm Hanging Sign, DIY Sled Ornament, Gingerbread House Display, Frosted Snowflake Ornaments, and Tin Tile Christmas Tree.