Okay, so I’ve been seeing these awesome neon signs everywhere, and I really wanted one. Specifically, a corgi one, because, well, corgis are the best. I figured, “How hard could it be to make one myself?” Famous last words, right?
First, I doodled a bunch of corgi shapes. I wanted something simple but still recognizable. I’m no artist, so this took a while, and a lot of erasing. Let’s just say it’s a good thing paper is cheap.
The Planning Stage (Which I Mostly Skipped)
I probably should have done more research, but I was too excited. I jumped right into buying materials. I got some EL wire (that’s the glowy stuff) in a bright pink color, some clear, flexible tubing, and some strong adhesive. I also grabbed a piece of acrylic I had lying around for the backing.
- Pink EL wire
- Clear tubing
- Super-strong glue
- Acrylic sheet
The “Building” Process (aka Controlled Chaos)
So, the idea was to feed the EL wire through the tubing to give it a more defined shape. Sounds easy, right? Nope. The wire kept getting stuck, and the tubing kept kinking. I spent a good hour just wrestling with these two things. It was like trying to put socks on a cat.
Once I finally managed to get the wire through the tubing (victory!), I started shaping it into my corgi outline. I used my very rough sketch as a guide, bending and cursing, bending and cursing. I should’ve worn gloves because glue got everywhere.
Then came the gluing. This was messy. I applied the glue to the acrylic, then carefully (or as carefully as I could) pressed the tubing onto it. I held it in place with whatever heavy objects I could find – books, mugs, even a stapler. The waiting was the hardest part.I was constantly poking at the sign to check if the glue has dried.
The Moment of Truth (and Minor Panic)
After what felt like forever, the glue seemed dry. I plugged in the EL wire, held my breath, and…it worked! It actually looked like a corgi! A slightly wonky, glue-smeared corgi, but a corgi nonetheless!
It’s definitely not perfect. There are some glue smudges, the lines aren’t perfectly smooth, and it’s probably a fire hazard. But hey, I made it! It’s my own little, glowing, slightly-off corgi, and I’m pretty proud of it. It’s now proudly displayed on my bookshelf, a testament to my questionable DIY skills and my love for short-legged dogs.
