Making Signs

Hey, Everyone! I recently came up with a fun idea for Christmas gifts. Because I have a lot of pieces of wood left over from making the table top (featured in the last post), I decided to make some signs with them. This sign is for a stable that I volunteer at, called Freedom Reins Equine Connections. I noticed they don't have a nice big wooden sign for the stable, so why not make them one? :) 

Using some wood glue (I bought construction grade so that it will hold together well), I glued all of the boards together. Then to hold them while they dried, I used some tie-downs instead of investing in some clamps. The glue only takes about an hour to dry, but 24 hours to cure, so I left it for the day and then started working on it. 

Next, I used Varathane wood stain in Kona. It's one of my favourite stain colours! The stain took a few hours to dry, and I did both sides of the wood so that it looks even from all angles. 

After the stain had dried, I decided to slap on some old white paint that I had. Any paint would do, but keeping the letting in mind that I wanted to stencil on in black, I figured white would be the perfect contrast. It also helps give the wood a rustic weathered barn wood look. :) 

Even though there were lots of knots and inconsistencies in the wood, it added to the rustic look that I wanted. I love it when it looks naturally distressed! 

Once the paint was dry, I used 80 grit sand paper on a sander and lightly went over the entire sign. This made the stained wood grain really pop out and gives it lots of character. 

After wiping the last bits of sawdust off the sign, I began to set up my stencil letters to see how they would fit and then began filling them in with black acrylic paint. 

After the sign was finished, I put a few coats of outdoor polyurethane to protect it from the elements. Since I wasn't sure if it would be kept in the stable or hung outside, I made sure it was properly coated for protection. 

Making signs is a very fun and easy way to give a meaningful gift!