NILES — If one drives through enough culs de sac and family neighborhoods in Niles, Edwardsburg, Buchanan and Granger, they are likely to see a pattern of cartoon-like welcome signs ordaining front doors.

In the fall, passersby may see turkeys and ghosts, footballs with high school sports teams, or buffalo check circles decorated with a playful script of the family’s name. In the winter, snowmen, wreaths, reindeer and Christmas trees welcome guests. In the spring, baseballs celebrating the Cubs and Tigers, or Easter bunnies with fuzzy tails may greet neighbors.

In the seven years since Tracey Hossfield — better known to her fans as “The Sign Queen” — began creating the painted wood signs, they have grown so much in popularity that locals can often identify Hossfield’s work without being told it is hers.

“It all started when my friend and I decided we weren’t going to buy Christmas presents, we were going to make Christmas presents for each other,” Hossfield recalled.

Tracey created a sign for her friend, and the rest is history.

Fast forward seven years and more weekends than not, Hossfield and her friend, Marcy Metzger, of Edwardsburg, can be found at the Niles FOP Lodge or other rented locations, teaching crafty types how to create their own creations.

Much like the popular Wine and Canvas trend where people pay to create their own artwork, Metzger prepares the hardware for the sign, carefully cutting out the shapes requested. Then Hossfield walks participants through the process of customizing their own sign with paint.

“It’s a nice thing to do with your girlfriends,” Hossfield said, explaining that most of her classes see at least 15 participants, and as many as 26 per session. “You can go out to dinner and a movie with your friends and spend just as much as when you make a piece of art, and you get to keep [the art] forever.”

Although much of her small business is preparing for and leading the paint parties, Hossfield and Metger are still very much involved in the retail side of their craft business as well. In fact, the pair recently hosted a craft fair at the same FOP lodge where they typically host classes.

While much of crafters’ business is done online through social media and small business retail sites like Etsy, Hossfield said she still finds craft shows an excellent way to network with customers and fellow crafters.

“It gets their business out there,” Hossfield said. “I’ve grown by other crafters helping me, and me helping in return. [Craft shows] get their business out in front of the public.”

Hossfield sells her hand-painted products on social media, at craft shows and through local businesses like The Pink Pineapple Boutique in Granger and The Bobbypin Boutique in Niles.

Though she limits each class to one or two signs to choose from per session, Hossfield said she creates hundreds of signs per year, some special ordered for specific occasions, and some created based on ideas she and Metzger get from pop culture and other craft trends.

“Right now my favorite is anything buffalo check,” Hossfield said, describing the fall and holiday décor trend that typically features red and black or white and black plaid. “For classes, snowmen are the most popular. We had over 200 people paint snowmen last year.”

Other popular signs feature pop culture references, like the yellow picture frame that covered the peep hole in popular ‘90s sitcom “Friends.” Hossfield frequently features signs made as thank-you gifts for teachers, and signs to label dorm rooms. Most signs are $40, and can be perused on thesignqueen.com.

“Our ‘home’ interchangeable signs are very popular at the craft shows,” she said.

The signs have the letter “H,” a space and then the letters “M” and “E.” Shoppers can choose from a variety of shapes to fill the space where the “O” would be, changing the image from Valentine’s hearts to shamrocks to flipflops — among many other choices — throughout the year.

Hossfield’s business helps to fund another of her passions: The Miss Cardinal Scholarship Pageant, a nonprofit she manages in Indiana. Although she keeps busy with the pageant and spending time with her daughter, Zarah, and new grandson (often featured on her social media pages), Hossfield has no intention of stopping now.

“We’re going to have another [craft] show in the spring and then another one in the Christmas time again,” she said. “At this last one, people were parked all the way up the hill. It just shows that people wanted to come support local.”

Hossfield has just one class left this year, which is already full. Future classes will be listed on her Facebook page and her website.