I had been awing and ooing over all these distressed signs made from old barn (or other) wood that people were making on different blogs. Pair that with the fact that I LOVE signs that have your last name on them, and I decided I was going to make my own sign!
Again, I dug in my pile of old wood and junk. I found a plank of wood that looked like it may have been an old piece of siding? It was beautiful! Still damp from the swamp water... But still had some fading seafoam green paint, cracks on the bottom, wear on the top and bottom - I loved it! So I brought it up to the house and let it dry in the sun and wind for a couple days until I could tell it had really dried through.
I was impatient, like normal.
So I went on to this site where you can download lots of free, new fonts. You could even put your word (so I put my last name) on this preview and it showed you each font and what it would look like in the font you've chosen. This is so helpful because it is very hard to see what it would really look like bigger. Don't you agree? Anyways, the site is called DaFont. Check that out sometime for a project like this!
Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of it before or during my process because I'm still getting used to this! I printed off a few pages of my lonnng last name. I just guessed on the right size. And I guess right, for once! I used an exacto knife and my cutting mat to cut out the letters on the paper to make it a stencil. Then tape it on tight to the sign exactly where you want it. It doesn't lay totally flat - but I tried my best. The font I happened to choose was more timber/rustic so if it got screwed up it would (hopefully) just add to the character. I took my el-cheapo white spray paint and tried it. It did nothing. So then I got out my cheap Folk Art white paint (just plain 'ole acrylic) and small paintbrush and went to work.
Super fun painting. I let it dry and then did another coat. I carefully peeled off the stencil and there were a few places that had bled over with white paint but I just took my exacto knife again and scraped it away off the old wood. Then I took some clear protective spray I got at Ben Franklin. Man, I can't remember the name! But I sprayed it on the front of the sign for a few good coats. To hopefully prevent running of the paint.
Then I decided to go au-natural and nail it up on a tree that is right before the opening to our home. Very rustic. Very us. SO easy! I love my sign. I really do. Try it out!! I'm secretly hoping one of my family members or friends ask me to do one for them.
Love the old wood...
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