00:00Hey, it's Bee!
00:01I know you can't see me, but I'm in the studio ready to show you how to make some customizable
00:04neon signs.
00:06Let's get to it.
00:11So I'm getting together all of my supplies for this custom neon sign.
00:15The most important thing you need is neon.
00:17You'll need a frame with particle board backing, something to draw with, a hole punch, and
00:22some crazy glue.
00:23So take the frame.
00:24You'll see the one I have has about an inch of space, which you'll need to hide the battery
00:28pack.
00:28Remove the glass from the frame and keep the cardboard backing.
00:31If you want to paint this or decorate it, now's the time, but I left mine black.
00:35Now you're going to trace your design onto the board.
00:38I'm sketching a pair of lips.
00:39Keep this in mind.
00:41The simpler your design, the easier it will be to lay down the neon wire.
00:44The sketch doesn't have to be perfect because it's just a general road map for your neon
00:48wire.
00:48And as you'll see, it has a mind of its own.
00:52Now here's the tricky part that requires some problem solving.
00:55Like a real neon sign, you want to find a way to create a single line of neon to cover
00:59your design.
01:00The first step is identifying entry and exit points for the wire, where it will be thread
01:04through the cardboard.
01:05This design is pretty simple, so I only have to make one entry and one exit point.
01:09Turns out the hole punch isn't going to work, so I'm using a small screwdriver to make a
01:13hole.
01:13Keep the holes small to start.
01:15You can always make them bigger.
01:17Now it's time to thread the wire.
01:18Pull out more than enough so you have extra on both ends.
01:21I'm going to lay out the wire over my design one more time for good measure.
01:25Then I'm going to get rid of some of these extra pencil lines.
01:30Now it's time for the crazy glue.
01:31Be careful with this stuff because it's truly crazy.
01:34I found a bottle that has a brush head that will make this part a lot easier.
01:38Trace your design with the glue and begin to lay your wire.
01:41Make sure you get the wire into a place you love because the glue will dry quickly.
01:46When you come to a tighter corner, you can manipulate the wire by pinching it.
01:50Finally, the home stretch.
01:52I'm feeding the end of the wire through the exit hole so I can lay the last line.
01:56This time I'm putting some glue directly onto the wire.
02:01Now it's time to get your board back into your frame and secure the wires.
02:07I'm using some durable tape to secure the pack and extra wire to the back of the frame.
02:12Don't forget to keep the power button accessible.
02:14Drum roll please.
02:17There you go.
02:18Your very own neon sign.
02:24To me, an even more exciting way to use neon is adding it to pre-existing art.
02:29I'm going to embellish this funky poster with neon glasses and the word woke on her shirt.
02:33I love this because you can really get creative with literally any piece of art you have.
02:38So I have all my tools and I'm going to start with the glasses.
02:40Again, you want to trace out a single path for your neon wire.
02:43I make my entry and exit holes and thread the wire through, giving myself enough slack on the front and
02:49back ends.
02:50Using the crazy glue, I trace the path and start to lay the wire, little by little, making adjustments as
02:55I go.
02:57This part is a little tricky so I really have to bend the wire to get it to do what
03:01I want.
03:02The last circle and then I pull the wire to the back.
03:09A little extra glue to secure some of the edges.
03:12Now, onto her shirt.
03:14I'm just lightly marking out a rectangle so I know my boundaries.
03:17And a light tracing of the letters so I can space them out evenly.
03:21Now, I'm ready to poke the entry hole.
03:24I'm feeding more than enough wire through so I have plenty to write with.
03:28I'm using pliers to get a tight crimp on the wire for the bend in the W.
03:36And out through the exit point to finish the first letter.
03:39Moving onto the O, I'm roughly gauging where I want the top of the letter to be.
03:44I make an entry hole and feed the wire through.
03:46Here's an O I'm happy with so I'm going to glue it down.
03:54So onto the K, which I'm going to do in two parts because it's a little complicated.
03:58First, I make the stem, which exits at the bottom.
04:01And then I bring the wire back in for the small loop.
04:06Crimping it with pliers to get the perfect shape and finally gluing it down.
04:10The E is pretty easy.
04:12After I glue it down, I make the final exit hole and thread the remaining wire through before securing it.
04:19Lastly, before this baby goes into the frame, I'm going to reinforce it with the cardboard backing that came with
04:24the frame.
04:25I'm cutting some rough holes to fit around the extra wire and battery packs.
04:31Finally, I secure everything to the cardboard with tape, close up the frame, and...
04:41We got ourselves a neon woke bae.
04:46And there you have it, an easy DIY to make your very own customizable neon sign.
04:51Thanks for watching.
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