I saw an amazing DIY at the Hobbycraft press show I attended last month. They had DIY marquee letters in their wedding section and with my son turning 5 later this month I thought I would make a little DIY marquee light in the number 5 for his birthday party. It was a really simple craft but so effective, I know he’s going to love it!

Materials needed to make a DIY Marquee Light:

gold spray paint
3D papier mache cardboard number
white battery operated LED tea light candles
center punch
scalpel

Easy DIY marquee light tutorial:

First decide if you want to decorate your number or leave it plain. I spray painted mine gold and left it to dry overnight.

Look at your number or letter and decided where you want the bulb, lightly mark on the other side where you want to place the candle. Make sure the bulbs are spaced at regular intervals along the cardboard number.

Carefully cut the back of your cardboard with a scalpel. You will need to make a large enough hole to insert the whole candle.

Remove any pieces of cardboard bracing you find inside. Your number should look something like this-

As the cardboard was so think I used a center punch to make the hole for the candle bulb to push through.

Carefully push the candle flame through the front of your cardboard letter.

You should find that the candle is wedged in place inside the number but you can hold it in place with a couple of glue dots if necessary.

Switch the candles on and enjoy your very own marquee number. I love it and can’t wait to make something else soon!