I’ve seen a lot of really cute Christmas signs out there. I’ve always wanted one, but boy they can be spendy. If you don’t know me by now, I have a really hard time buying something I think I can make just as well. I really love the signs made out of pallets. I know pallet stuff is really popular right now but I have a history with pallets. I schlepped pallets for years as part of my job. We made all sorts of things out of pallets before it was en vogue (while we were supposed to be working. HA!). With that said, it’s just annoying to pull them apart. I had some wood left over from the Swinging Bones Halloween decoration we made, so I just used that. It was a 1″x8″ piece of pine. I cut it down to about 18″. I did the same distressed paint look as I did on the Decorative Ladder.
You’ll need:
-A piece of wood
-Paint brush (I just used one for the stain and paint)
-A wood stain (I used Varathane wood stain in KONA)
-A paint color (I used Behr Ultra in Vintage Linen)
-A black sharpie
-A pencil
-Sandpaper (whatever works)
-Vaseline or some sort of lube
- Stain your wood and let dry.
- Apply the lube on the areas you want the stain to show through. The areas you want to look distressed. Usually it’s the corners and knots. You don’t need a lot, just a thin layer.
- Paint your color over the whole piece of wood and let dry.
- Lightly sand the areas where you applied the lube. The paint will sand off very easily. Continue to sand until you get your desired look.
- Decide what your sign will say. This is the hardest part. Here are some ideas: Noel, Jingle Bells, Merry Christmas, Jingle all the way, Believe, Joy to the World, Merry and Bright, Let it snow, Oh Holy Night, Glory to the newborn King.
- I just wrote mine by hand but you can print text and trace if you don’t want to freestyle. Use a pencil to write on the wood.
- Use your sharpie to go over the pencil. Completely trace the pencil with sharpie.
- Take your sand paper and lightly sand over the sharpie lettering. And you’re done!
I love the way it turned out! In fact, I’m making another one that I’ll share as soon as it’s done. I can’t wait to see the ones you guys make. Share them with me on Instagram #cleverbloomsigns
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving so I will be spending the day with my family. I am so Thankful for everything in my life! I have truly been blessed. I am also super grateful for those of you who take time to visit my little blog. It’s been a little over a week and I can’t believe how many people have stopped by to check it out. Thanks again!