JoAnne's Fabrics Inspired Welcome Sign For Spring

The other day I was at JoAnne's getting some fabric for the chevron quilt I am making for my little sister. I can't wait to finish it! And she finds out what she's having today! I am so excited!!!! Anyway I was walking by the Easter and Spring decor and saw this cute carrot welcome sign.

I had just finished making my garden markers and this carrot stood out to me. It was all metal. The letters were even make from some sort of thick wire and stapled on. I took a mental note and went on my way.

Then a few days later I was itchin' for another project and decided I wanted to replicate what I had seen at JoAnne's. However, I didn't have any corregated metal but I knew that was the look I wanted. I sat for a minute trying to think of something with that same texture and then I had a huge AH HA moment! Cardboard!
I had just thrown a cardboard box in the garage to be taken out with the recycling and knew it would be perfect. So this is how I started...I riped and peeled off the top layer of cardboard paper that covers up the box structure. This is what it looked like underneath. 

Then I took a piece of backer board and some wax paper and made a carrot shape pattern. Once my backer board piece was cut out I took the wax paper stencil and drew 3 zig zagged lines down the body of the carrot. I then placed my 4 new pattern pieces (alternating directions) on my stripped cardboard piece and cut out the four wedges for my carrot.

Here are the cardboard pieces and my backer board side by side

Then I just hot glued the cardboard to the backer board

 After some orange paint, some black yarn letters, Some crinkled cardstock leaf tops and some marker "stitch" marks This is what I ended up with. Love it!

Not bad compared to the original eh?