The project I'm sharing today is very personal and brings up a variety of emotions for me. I am the youngest of four girls and my sister, Joy, passed away unexpectedly nine years ago on her birthday in November.

At the time, I was eight months pregnant and and one of the hardest parts of her death was knowing my son and her would never meet. Ever since I keep her memory alive by using JOY decor around our house and especially during Christmas,. This year, I decided to make a rustic sign using the Joy to The World hymn, which was one of her favorites because she thought it was all about her.

I found this printable version of Joy to the World HERE.

This rustic board from Hobby Lobby was the perfect way to mount the hymn. I just loved the metal ribbon and rivets detailing.

After seeing this vintage Joy to the World framed silhouette on The Graphics Fairy, I decided to use it as an overlay on the printed hymn. There are a few other versions of this graphic HERE.

Using PicMonkey, I added the framed silhouette as an overlay to the Joy to the World JPEG. Once it was saved, I had the final version printed as an 11x14 document at Kinkos/FedEx.

Then, I applied Mod Podge to the back of the paper and glued to the wood. When it was completely dry, I roughed up the edges with a sanding block to create a worn, weathered look. Finally, I added a topcoat of Mod Podge to seal and protect the paper.

Here's a second version I made without the overlay as a gift for a sweet friend. Which one do you prefer?

Our front door was the perfect place to display this tribute to my sister. Now, I feel like she can be a part of welcoming friends and family to our home during the Christmas season.

I know my sister would have loved this as much as I do.

Cheers to all the JOYS out there and may you all have a JOYous holiday season!

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Rustic Joy to the World Sign

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