Here’s another super-cute, easy sign you can make. I used a piece of the old barn-wood we got from the goat farm. There is no end to what you can do with a 100 year-old piece of wood. Nothing else can give you the same look and charm.
To make this sign all you need is:
- Wood
- Paint
- Dark Stain
That’s it. If you don’t have any paint brushes, you’ll need some of those too.
Here is what the wood looks like before I paint it. There are deep grooves, grain and character. That’s what 100 years of rain, wind, snow, and cows will do for ya! You just can’t buy it at a store – or can you? I think old wood is actually available for purchase. But, this one was free.
First, I give it a coat of paint. I’m going for a neutral tan color. I actually painted this off-white first. Then, while the first coat was still wet, I brushed on a golden-brown color. I let the paint dry.
Last, I wiped over it with some dark stain. After the new, shiny coat of paint this wood was looking too new and shiny. I wanted it to look old and weathered. A touch of stain smeared over everything does the trick every time. Just get a dry wash cloth, dip the corner in some stain & start rubbing. Instant age.
The dark stain got stuck in the deep grooves. I like the way it turned out.
The lettering is the last part. Feel free to copy mine. I printed this font out from my computer in GIANT print (like 3 letters per page) and transferred it onto the wood. Here’s how:
- Open up a word-document & type the words “Papa’s Grill” (or whatever word(s) you want)
- Go to “fonts” and select the font style you want for your craft.
- Enlarge the font until it is HUGE (you may need to play with this to get it the correct size for the board) ** some computers have the ability to print “mirror image” which you should do if you can. It will make it easier to transfer onto the wood. My computer doesn’t do that.
- Trace onto board & coat with paint. I have used a sharp object (like an ice pick, or letter opener) and trace the letters (use some muscle). This will make an indention in the wood that you can use as your guide when painting.
Once the lettering is on (green), I used a second color (black) to “accent” the words. This is totally optional. I also added gold “stars” to make the words look sparkly. This too is a matter of taste.
That’s it. Very little cost and so cute!
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