Made You Smile (8 Photos)
From a playful chalk monster to a balcony illusion that tricks the eye, this collection captures eight lighthearted street artworks and public interventions that bring smiles to passersby. From Paris to local sidewalks, here are moments where humor and creativity meet the streets.
More: Funny Signs! (18 Photos)
1. Balcony Illusion — Oakoak in Paris, France
A trompe-l’œil artwork showing two women leaning from a balcony, one laughing and the other observing, blending seamlessly with the building façade. More!: Wrong but Right – Art By Oakoak (9 Photos)
🔗 Follow Oakoak on Instagram
2. Nadine and the Surprisingly Effective Joke — David Zinn in USA
Sidewalk chalk art where a rock forms the head of a wide-mouthed creature holding a tiny mouse-like character in blue, blending humor with natural surroundings. More!: 9 Cute Spring Drawings by David Zinn
🔗 Follow David Zinn on Instagram
3. Have You Seen This Dog?
A playful flyer featuring a friendly dog with the text “Now you have. Have a GOOD day,” complete with tear-off tabs reading “Have a great day.”
4. Little People Museum — Slinkachu in UK
A miniature installation where tiny figurines examine a cigarette butt displayed as if it were a museum artifact, highlighting humor and commentary in scale. More!: 7 Tiny Street Dramas by Slinkachu
🔗 Follow Slinkachu on Instagram
5. Pipe Legs
Two wall pipes painted with chalk shoes, turning ordinary infrastructure into the legs of a playful character.
6. R2-D2 with Flowers — EFIX in France
A painted R2-D2 holding flowers with a heart bubble, leaning toward a trash bin in a playful urban romance scene. More!: EFIX’s Clever Art (9 Photos)
🔗 Follow EFIX on Instagram
7. Please Do Not Touch — Michael Pederson in Sydney, Australia
A dandelion framed with miniature museum-style posts and a sign reading “Please Do Not Touch,” turning an everyday weed into a delicate exhibit. More!: Clever Art By Michael Pederson (17 Photos)
🔗 Follow Michael Pederson on Instagram
8. Charlie Chaplin — Tom Bob in USA
A before-and-after transformation where wall fixtures become part of a painted gentleman in a bowler hat, complete with a cane. Charlie Chaplin! More!: 33 Artworks by Creative Genius Tom Bob (That Will Make You Smile)
🔗 Follow Tom Bob on Instagram
More: Absolutely Beautiful (8 Photos)
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Funny Signs! (20 Photos)
Some public signs tell you where to go or what to do. These ones? They play with expectations. From witty chalkboards and absurd flyers to poetic instructions and signs that lead nowhere, these 20 messages prove that a little humor or mystery goes a long way in urban spaces.
More: How Clever (8 Photos)
1. Take What You Need
A simple handwritten flyer reads “Love.” with an invitation: “(Take as much love as you need).” The tear-off tabs just say “LOVE.”
2. Lost My Brain
A satirical lost-and-found flyer features a red anatomical brain diagram and a caption: “Please don’t contact me, I’m happy.”
3. Bar Scene on a No Entry Sign
A creative modification of a no-entry traffic sign transforms the white bar into a bar counter. Three stick figures have been drawn onto the sign—one sitting on a bar stool holding a martini glass, chatting with two others standing beside the “counter.” This humorous intervention turns an ordinary traffic sign into a social vignette.
4. No King
5. Sleeping Bat Warning
Sign on a bookshop door says “Please open the door carefully as there is a bat sleeping on it,” with a real bat sleeping by the doorframe.About it: A Sleeping Bat at The Next Page Bookshop in Calgary Becomes an Unlikely Star
6. Showbiz Ruined Me — By Pao in Rome, Italy
A sculpture of SpongeBob looks heartbroken, sitting on the street with a cardboard sign: “Showbiz ruined me.”
7. Dog Library
A wooden sign beneath a tree offers: “Dog Library. Take a stick. Leave a stick.” The pile of branches says it all.
8. Have You Seen This Dog?
Two dog photos and the words: “Have you seen this dog?” Below: “Now you have. Have a GOOD day.” The tear-tabs? “Have a great day.”
9. Please Do Not Smile — New York City Subway, USA
Posted at 14th Street Station: “Please do not smile at strangers.” Whether real or a prank, it’s coldly hilarious.
10. Private Sign
Painted in bold white letters: “PRIVATE SIGN — DO NOT READ.” Naturally, it’s irresistible.
11. The Secret of Happiness
Painted across a long building, the message begins: “The secret of happiness is t—” and then the rest has peeled away.
12. Reboot Universe
At first glance, a standard pedestrian crossing button. But instead of “PUSH TO CROSS,” it reads: “REBOOT UNIVERSE.”
13. Beware of Smartphone Zombies
A modern caution sign warns: “BEWARE OF SMARTPHONE ZOMBIES,” with silhouettes of people walking while staring at their phones.
14. No Don Quixote
A traffic-style sign bans a rider on a horse with a lance—clearly referencing Don Quixote. Behind it: a real windmill.
15. Great Wheat Sharks — Anne Melady in Ontario, Canada
Shark fins appear to slice through a golden wheat field along Highway 8 west of Dublin, Ontario. Installed by 75-year-old landowner and retired nurse Anne Melady, the piece is titled Great Wheat Sharks. She created it to lighten the mood for drivers during the pandemic and continues the now-local tradition with humor and simplicity.More photos and about it: Please do not feed the Great Wheat Sharks
16. Is It Me You’re Looking For?
A flyer with the face of Lionel Richie and the lyrics from his hit song “Hello” is posted on a utility pole. The bottom of the flyer includes tear-off tabs, each printed with a different lyric fragment, playfully inviting passersby to take one. The setup mimics a typical “lost and found” poster but twists it into a street-level pun.
17. Kingdoms to Countries
On a pub chalkboard: “A long time ago we had Empires run by Emperors. Then we had Kingdoms run by Kings. Now we have Countries…”
18. Accompanied by an Adult
The sign boldly says: “All Americans must be accompanied by an adult.” No context. No problem.
19. Cigarette bin that doubles as a voting booth…
and a political roast all in one. People walk by, chuck in a butt, and suddenly it’s not just litter — it’s democracy with extra sass.
20. The Japanese text (ネコ飛出し注意) translates to “Watch out for jumping cats” or more literally “Caution: Cats dashing out”.
It’s a local road sign sometimes put up in Japanese neighborhoods where there are many stray or outdoor cats. The flying-cat graphics are just a playful way to show that cats might suddenly run across the street, so drivers should slow down and be careful.More: Urban Art Hacks (11 Photos)
Which one is your favorite?
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