Kelly's DIY Signs

Making a custom sign is easy to do yourself. It doesn't take any special skills or artistic ability. You will need a little creativity, but honestly, Google can help in that department too!

I recommend figuring out where you want to place your DIY sign. Then measure that area. This way you know what size you would like your wood piece to be. This will help you on the creativity side to.

For example, my sign was placed in my kitchen. So this sign fit in my kitchen above my laundry room doors.

Sandpaper
Wood for sign
Gloves (disposable)
Foam Paint Brush
Wood Stain (your color of choice) I used MinWax Espresso 273 color
Chalky paint (I used Krylon Chalky Finish Ultra Matte. I had to paint crew tint it for me, Country White)
Old Rag for staining
Stencil (I used my vinyl cutter to make a stencil for this)
Any add-on extra pieces (I used a fork and the letter "K" I purchased at a craft store)

First, you will want to sand your wood to make sure there are no sharp edges. This will make the stain go on easier. Once you have finished sanding, then you will stain the wood. Staining is not like painting. It doesn't take a lot of product to stain. I recommend wearing gloves for this part. Dip your rag in the stain and wipe a good coating all over the wood. Make sure you coat the sides as well. Staining is a strong odor, so I recommend doing this part in a well ventilated area. Let dry.

Next step, after letting your wood piece completely dry, is to place your stencil. I used my vinyl cutter to make my stencil which is an adhesive vinyl. This way when I paint, the stencil doesn't move. Once the stencil is placed where you want it, the next step is to PAINT! Wahooo! Getting closer!!!

For this process, you are going to use your foam brush and your Chalk Paint. Dip the foam brush straight in to get about 1/2" high paint on the brush. Then take the brush and "dab" the wood part that you would like painted. For my example, I dabbed the "elly's itchen" wording. PLEASE DO NOT SWIPE PAINT! You don't want brush strokes on your sign. It may take a little longer, but it is worth the time to do it right!

I did two coats on my sign. Let Dry.

For more tips on vinyl cutting and creating stencils, please follow me @KellysKraftyKreations.

Once your sign has dried, you want to gently pull the adhesive stencil off making sure that the edges remain clean. Remove this slowly. I had a couple spots the I used a knife to try to clean up the edges with.

Once you are done, you can add any additional items that you might have to further decorate your sign. For my sign, I added the "K" that I purchased at a craft store, and the fork also.

Next step is to hang your sign for all to enjoy!

If you have any questions, please send me an email. I am happy to help my fellow Krafters!