How to Make a Neon Sign at Home With 7 Easy Steps

Before digging into the nitty-gritty of how to make a neon sign, you might first be wondering about the benefits of this process. Here are just a few interesting advantages of crafting your own neon lights, rather than buying them from a store.

• The Personal Touch: Perhaps the biggest and best aspect of learning how to make a neon sign yourself is that it lets you create signs that are personal and relevant to you. You could make one with your own name or slogan on it, for example, which isn’t something you’d usually be able to find in a neon light store.
• Totally Unique: There are lots of stores out there selling mass-produced neon signs in a range of preset shapes and styles. But many people are put off by those copy-and-paste designs. If you want something truly unique, with that genuine “one-of-a-kind” feel to it, it’s much better to design and make it yourself.
• More Affordable: It’s no secret that neon signs can be pretty pricey. Many brands charge high rates for even small and simple signs. And, if you’re on a budget, you might find yourself feeling completely priced out of the market. But, by gathering cheap supplies and making your own neon sign, you could save a lot.
• Suiting Your Space: Another benefit of discovering how to make a neon sign at home is that it allows you to fine-tune your design to suit the space. Maybe you’ve got a man cave or basement, for example, with a little alcove that needs filling. You can measure it out and make a sign exactly the right size and style to fit the room.

Before you worry about designing anything or doing any manual work whatsoever, you’ll need to assemble all the necessary tools and supplies. Here’s a full list of absolutely everything you’ll require when it comes to how to make a neon sign:

• A pencil and some sketch paper 
• A roll of string or thread 
• Some metal wire 
• Some EL (electroluminescent) wire 
• A glue gun and glue
• Tape
• (Optional) Printer
• (Optional) Pliers

It’s time to think about what you want your final neon sign to look like. Are you planning to have it spell out a word or phrase? Do you want to make a shape out of it? Brainstorm some ideas, or look online for inspiration, and start jotting down or sketching some concepts.

Note that your design needs to be formed of one continuous line for this method to work. It can’t have any breaks in it, as the light wire needs to stay in one piece. So, if you’re writing something, write it in cursive, and if you’re making a shape, make sure it all joins together somehow.

With your design decided upon, either bring it to life using digital software and print it off or sketch it yourself. Either way, try to be as precise as possible, and make sure that your final sketch or printed version is to scale – you’ll be using that as a guide to make your neon sign.

The next step of how to make a neon sign is to take your string or thread and roll it out along your design. Start at one end and follow the whole line continuously to the other end, covering the entire thing with string. Then, cut the string at the end and measure it – that’s how much metal wire and EL wire you’re going to need.

Measure the right length of metal wire and cut it accordingly. Then, stretch and bend your metal wire to run the length of your design, just like you did with the string. You might need a friend to help with corners, or use some pliers to bend around the tight turns.

With the metal wire in place, you can now start sticking the EL wire along it. Use the glue gun for this, and work piece by piece, gradually moving along the design and always giving the glue time to dry before moving on to the next bit.

Once all the wire is in place and dry, the last step of how to make a neon sign is to apply the finishing touches. Cover up any exposed bits of wire with some tape, and then hang up your sign on the wall. Plug it in, turn it in, and enjoy your wonderful, radiant, 100% homemade neon lighting.

There you have it. How to make a neon sign by yourself, using only simple supplies and equipment. It’s pretty easy, as you can see, but it still requires a certain amount of effort, time, and even cash to buy all those tools and supplies. Also, it likely won’t look as full as the signs you see in shops.

Looking for an easier way? If you want to know how to make a neon sign without any major effort or complexity, try Neon Signs Now. Neon Signs Now is a custom neon sign site where you can design your own sign in a few easy steps and have it delivered directly to your door.

• Easy Customization: Neon Signs Now makes it super simple to create your own neon signs. Pick from a range of sizes, types, and colors, and add your own text or artwork in seconds.
• Top Quality: At Neon Signs Now, all of the signs are made from fine materials, ready to provide years of happy use. 
• Great Value: You won’t have to worry about high prices at Neon Signs Now, either. Our prices are fair and affordable, with discounts if you decide to buy in bulk.

So, if you like the idea of making your own neon sign, but don’t want to deal with the hassle, head to Neon Signs Now and enjoy a much easier process.