How to Make an Old Sign

How to Make an Old Sign

One project I really wanted to make was an old wooden-looking sign. I hoped to stumble upon a salvaged piece or something found. Lucky enough, I happened to find a foot board from a bed right down the street. It was the perfect shape to make into a sign. When someone throws something out, I usually take it for a project! With some paint and lettering, you can make this or any piece into an old sign. Here’s how!

Materials

  • Foot board – You could pick one up at a thrift or salvage store for only a few dollars
  • Sand paper
  • TSP
  • Chalk paint or regular paint
  • Paint brush
  • Sealant like wax or polycrylic
  • Printer and paper
  • Scissors, tape, ballpoint pen

Instructions:

This was the foot board I scored on the curb. It had a perfectly rounded top with molding on it and had the shape of an antique sign. I remember seeing one like this at Ballard Designs that sells for hundreds of dollars. Since I had all the supplies for this, it cost me nothing! The legs were really neat, but we ended up cutting them off to make this a sign. I thought it would look better that way. Who knows, maybe I’ll make something else out of the legs?

Foot Board Before

Lightly sand down the foot board and clean it with TSP. This will prep it for painting and take off any dirt.

Sanding and TSP Read more

unlit_song_lyric_lamp

Are y’all sick of all my ugly construction type tutorials yet? After all the framing and drywall dust I’ve been breathing, I just wanted to put down my hammer and flex my creativity a little. The perfect project presented itself in the form of these two lamps I picked up at the Habitat ReStore for $15.

habitat_lamps

They had a white matte finish, perfect for writing on. The few scuffs were buffed off with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. (Anyone else addicted to those miracle sponges?)

clean_lamp_mr_clean_magic_eraser

Then I got down to the long and tedious work {snort laughing.} Okay, not really work, this is almost the easiest tutorial EVER!) Read more

The other day I shared with you my french provincial dresser makeover. I dubbed her the Diva Dresser because of all the changes she pushed me to make. But, in the end I really liked what she wanted.

One of the tutorials that I promised you was how to add the decorative stencil on the top of the dresser.

I used the wrapping paper decoupaged on the side to help me create the design.

 

I scanned a section of the leftover wrapping paper and enlarged the scan 500% of the original size.

I opened the scan in Photoshop (but you could probably use any editing software.)

And cropped in on one quarter of the medallion.

In Photoshop, under Mode, I chose Image Size.

 

Then I changed the size of my image to the size that I wanted the stencil to be. In my case, I wanted it to be about 6 inches x 6 inches.
Then I printed out the design onto paper and added a few flourishes to the edges.
Using a soft pencil (#2 will work fine), I rubbed the edge of the pencil on the back of my printout until all of the back side of my stencil was covered.
 
Then I cut around my stencil and laid it onto the top of the dresser. Pressing firmly, I traced around all the edges of my design.
When you remove the printout, you should be left with your design in pencil transferred to the surface. (I use this technique all the time to transfer type and other designs onto an object.)

I chose to work with a sharpie pen and traced the design.

Then filled in my design with the marker.

Because I knew I was going to glaze over my stencil, I didn’t mind that you could see the pen marks. If I wasn’t going to glaze over my design, I probably would have use flat black acrylic paint instead.

Then I proceeded to glaze many colors of blue/gray over my dresser.

Until I was left with this!

I put one stencil in each back corner. And love how easy it was to do. And of course how beautiful it looks!

Do you have anything you want to add a sharpie stencil too? Maybe something you can monogram? I encourage you to try it!