DIY Wooden Sign

Yesterday I shared our first Christmas-at-the-farm mantle.  Today, I'm going to show you how to make your own!

1. We used leftover scrap wood from our keeping room ceiling.  My husband nailed them together with 2" furring strips along the back.  He is very handy with the nail gun and saw, so it came out perfect; however, if you are working with some scrap wood, I think the rough look would be just as fun.  Our sign is 30"x40" because we needed something really tall for our 15' ceiling height.  Again, adjust it to whatever works for your room.

2. Since our walls are light grey, I wanted to use a dark background.  I think it helps the white letters stand out, too.  I chose tinted weather proofing wood stain.  Why weather proofing? Because it is cheaper!  ;)  The benefit is I can use it OUTSIDE too!  The tint I chose is called "SLATE."  It took 2 coats to get it dark enough.  You could paint the wood, really, it's whatever makes you smile.

3. I rough sketched the design on the computer; scrolling through several font choices before landing on these:  Fancy Pens and Mona Lisa Solid ITC.  I then made a small mock up of the look I wanted to make sure I liked the fonts/layout.

4. I printed out each word at 180-288pt font size, depending on the words.  Some words took up 2-3 sheets of paper to print out.  I then cut, laid out, and taped the words to the exact spot on the wood I planned for them to be.

5. With a ball point pen, I traced each letter, pressing down firmly.

See how nicely it indents into the wood?  That was my pattern for painting the letters.  See? No artistic ability needed!  Yipee!!!

6. I planned on painting the letters with glossy acrylic paint, but this giant oil based paint pen caught my eye.  It was about $6, but with a 40% off coupon, totally worth it!  I just filled in the indention, giving each letter 2 coats of paint (with drying time in between).  Super easy.  Paint pens are the way to go!

7. Enjoy your new sign!

As I mentioned yesterday, I was planning on doing a Christmas verse or "Joy to the World."  But we already have a Christmas sign I made a few years ago.  I liked the idea of having a sign we could use year around.  The beauty of this kind of project is it could say anything! Make it your own!
Merry Christmas!!!

I'm linking up with:
Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
My Uncommon Suburbia Life
Elizabeth and Company
Primp
The Ironstone Nest
DIY By Design
The Rustic Pig
Today's Creative Blog
The Winthrop Chronicles
Gingersnap Crafts' Wow Me Wednesday
Savvy Southern Style
Creative Cain Cabin
Cornerstone Confessions
Imparting Grace's Grace at Home
Nester's Christmas Home Tour