How to Make Your Own LED Neon Sign | DIY Neon Light Project

Materials Needed to Make a LED Neon Sign

Making your own LED neon sign at home is a fun DIY project that allows you to customize a neon sign with your own words or shapes. The materials needed are simple and affordable, but allow you to create a professional-looking neon sign to decorate your home.

LED Lights

The most important supply for your homemade neon sign is flexible LED light strips. Choose LED strips that are waterproof and easy to cut so you can shape them into letters or designs. Go with LEDs in your desired neon color like bright red, pink, blue, yellow, white or green. LED strips run on 12V power.

Power Supply

You'll need a 12V power supply that can handle the length of LED lights you're working with. More LED lights require a higher wattage power supply. A 12V, 5A (60W) power supply can run around 16 feet of LED lights. Size up as needed if your sign requires more LEDs.

Enclosure

An aluminum enclosure gives structure to your LED neon sign and houses the power supply. It has channels to insert the LED strips. Get an aluminum sign frame in the desired size for your neon project from an online retailer or specialty store. DIY enclosures can also be made from wood or acrylic sheets.

Diffusion Material

To make the LEDs appear brighter for neon illumination, you'll want translucent acrylic sheets to go over your lights. Clear cast acrylic diffuses the light evenly. Frosted or textured acrylic panels work too for artistic effect.

Other Supplies

Other helpful supplies include hot glue sticks to secure lights, double-sided tape or mounting squares, wire, soldering iron, heat shrink tubing, acrylic cement solvent and neon spray paint. Use sprays in translucent colors complementary to your LED lights.

How to Construct a LED Neon Sign

Plan Out the Design

First map out the words or shape you want for your homemade neon sign. Measure how long the LED strip lights need to be to complete your design. This determines the power supply wattage and sign size needed before constructing. Size up your power supply and sign backing appropriately.

Affix LED Lights

Clean inside the aluminum enclosure to prep the sign surface for LED installation. Peel off the 3M adhesive tape on the LED strips and carefully press them into the sign frame channels in your desired sign pattern. Apply hot glue over the lights as needed to reinforce.

Wire Up Connections

Follow wiring instructions for your power supply unit and solder additional wire between LED strip connections as needed. Shrink wrap all wires and connections using heat shrink tubing for safety. Wire the power supply and LED lights with the proper polarity.

Install Acrylic Panels

With LEDs installed, attach translucent acrylic sheets to the front of the aluminum enclosure using acrylic cement solvent. This acts as a diffuser for the neon LED lights. Frosted, colored or textured acrylic creates cool artistic effects.

Add Sign Backing

Finally, spray paint the backside of the aluminum sign enclosure with neon colors that pop against the LED lights on the other side. Screw on a back piece of wood or acrylic if the aluminum enclosure is not solid metal. Add hangers to mount your custom neon LED sign.

Design Inspiration for LED Neon Signs

Words & Short Phrases

Illuminated inspirational words like "Dream", "Create", "Wonder" or short phrases make nice LED neon signs. Quotes, song lyrics or family names work too. Display them in your living room, bedroom, office or other space.

Store Signs

Use neon-style LED lights to craft eye-catching open signage for a store, restaurant or commercial space. Shape flexible LED strips into the business name or fun open/closed, hello/goodbye verbiage.

Logos & Symbols

Companies can promote their brand by recreating logos or iconic symbols with homemade neon signs. LED lights easily form shapes - bend them into lightning bolts, ice cream cones, animals or other graphics.

Holiday & Event Signs

Make custom signs from LED neon lights for seasonal holidays, birthdays, graduations or special events. Swap out designs for various celebrations. Craft shapes relating to the occasion.

Wall Art

Use colored LED strips to add pops of neon art to any wall. Create abstract line designs, geometric patterns or silhouette shapes against dramatic neon-lit backgrounds for modern allure.

Tips for Amazing Homemade Neon Signs

Pick Bright Colors

Choose vivid LED colors like red, yellow, orange or bright pink to mimic hot neon tubing illumination. Soft white also glows beautifully. Mix and match multiple neon tones.

Incorporate Dimming

Add a dimmable transformer so you can control the neon sign's brightness. Set the perfect mood with a dimmer switch ranging from soft ambient glow to strikingly bold light.

Layer Materials

Using two layers of translucent acrylic sheets over LEDs helps further diffuse and blend the light. Additionally, layering colored, frosted and clear acrylics creates visual depth.

Try Bending Shapes

Bend flexible LED strip lights into circles, waves, curls and S-shapes for artsy neon designs. This works great for abstract wall art or holiday wreaths.

Stencil Letters & Shapes

Print and cut stencils for neat sign lettering rather than trying to shape freehand LEDs. Use sprays or glues to temporarily adhere stencils inside the sign frame.

Crafting colorful, luminous neon signs is an enjoyable LED project. Use these how-to steps and design inspirations to create custom neon signs that light up any space with DIY vibrancy and neon style.

FAQs

What size power supply do I need?

Size your power supply based on the total length of LED lights. A 12V, 60W (5A) transformer can handle about 16 feet of lights. Get a more powerful supply for longer LED strips.

Can I use wood instead of aluminum for the enclosure?

Yes, you can construct a wooden frame or box to mount the LED strips instead of using an aluminum channel sign. Just ensure interior walls are painted black to absorb light.

Is frosted or colored acrylic better?

Frosted acrylic nicely diffuses the LEDs into a glowing neon effect. Colored acrylic filters the light, creating a colorful neon vibe. For best results, layer both materials over lights.

How do I mount my homemade neon sign?

Small LED signs can sit on tabletops. Add French cleats to hang wall-mounted signs. Chain hangers also work for hanging horizontal or vertical sign displays from ceilings.