I’m happy to be back to share another simple DIY project with you. This project is so simple that I did most of it on a plane, yes you heard me right! I’m sure many of you see these beautiful, beautiful signs that you would love to have in your home but that price tag is just not fitting into the budget. Well now you can make them for yourself!
Supplies:
- Thin Wood
- Paint
- Graphite Paper
- Pencil
- Sharpie
Here is how I made them:
Step 1: I bought some thin wood sheets at Home Depot and had them cut there to 8×10 so they would fit an average frame. You can create these to be any size you want. After getting the wood cut at Home Depot, I sanded the edges and quickly and roughly painted the board with a leftover can of wall paint I had around the house. I wanted the distressed, old look so it really just means quickly apply the paint in the direction of the wood grain and don’t worry about full coverage.
Step 2: Find a quote, bible verse, song lyrics that you want to use. I designed my own for this one but I’ve found some images online that I liked and have used as well. I created an 8×10 box (in word or InDesign) and placed the image inside that box so I knew it was the correct size.
Step 3: Create your outline. Layer your wooden board, graphite paper and then the printed design on the top. I used a paper clamp to keep them in place. Make sure the darker side of the graphite paper is facing down to the wood. Then trace over the design, applying a good amount of pressure with your pencil. You want to make sure your tracing is transferring to your wood so it may be good to hold down a corner of your 3 layers and peak underneath to make sure you’re applying enough pressure to transfer. After you’ve traced over the entire design you should have a good outline to use as a stencil for your design.
Step 4: I’ve used paint and a brush and a paint pen but for this one in particular, I used a Sharpie to see how it would turned out. I always keep my print out nearby to use as a reference but mostly I just go over my outlines with a Sharpie and fill in the areas necessary. I ended up using one with a fine tip and an one with an ultra-fine tip and that worked perfectly for the very thin areas of text.
I loved that the Sharpie wasn’t full coverage and showed some of the wood grain. I lightly filled in to keep that texture on the text.
That’s really all there is too it! This was a great project for traveling because it doesn’t require a lot of supplies and it doesn’t take up a lot of room.
If you want to try one for yourself, Here is the template I designed for my 8 x 10 sign that you can download for free!
Other projects from The Hamby Home you’ll love!
DIY Dropcloth & Lace Pillow Covers | DIY Magnolia Wreath | DIY Mason Jar Wall Decor
Since my wife and I got married, one our friends always seems to bring us a fun homemade sign that plays off of our last name. Last year someone brought us one that said, “some of my best friends are flakes.” As the years go on, it is hard not to chuckle whenever we get a new sign to display in our home.
http://www.sunsignscanada.com
This is really cute! I love these kinds of signs but didn’t want to invest in a Cricut or any other kind of expensive vinyl cutting machine. This is a lot cheaper and would actually work in my budget!
Fantastic tutorial on how to create a beautiful sign for the home. Such simple materials that result in a great final product. The sign has a classic/rustic look that really has a “homey” feel to it. Thanks for sharing this awesome guide. Appreciate it!
I work in the sign industry, and I thought that this was a unique idea for creating a sign out of thin wood and graphite paper. This sign is a very talented piece of work, and I like the creativity involved. I am always trying to inspire my employees to creativity, so thanks for sharing your ideas. I believe that seeing creativity inspires the creativity in others, so I hope to see more posts in the future!
This is a really cute idea, and I think it’s actually simple enough that I could do it! Did you use any special kind of graphite pencil, or will any kind do? I would love to make something like this for my mother-in-law for Christmas. Thanks for the idea and easy tutorial!
The sign you made looks wonderful! I’ve always liked little decorative signs with inspirational quotes on them, but, as you mentioned, they can be really expensive. Something like this is a great way to add the charm of signs to your home without breaking the bank. I’ll have to try this out, since it seems pretty simple. Thanks for the idea!
Your sign looks so cute! I would love to have a custom sign like this hanging in my home! From your post it doesn’t appear to be too complicated to make, which is great! Thanks for sharing great stuff..
Amazing, I loved his art, congratulations!
thank you for the tips!
Amazing how a simple Diy can change the environment, I loved much, congratulations
Your DIY sign design turned out wonderfully. It was very courteous of you to include the template for the design and some tips about where to find a source of inspiration for the text as well.
I love DIY projects. It’s fun, and it saves money in the long run. Plus, you are acquiring new skills, which is priceless. I just recently learned how to make homemade soap:) So rewarding in the end! Now I can try these signs- thanks so much for posting this!
You make a great point about acquiring new skills. And there is an intrinsic award from accomplishing a new project.
WOW! I love these, and I think they are awesome. I am definitely going to have to try these for when I move and re-decorating. Thank you for sharing!
The sign looks great!! And I really like how you have displayed it too.
i loved your ideas to craft DIY custom signs! though this we can explore our skills
Awesome, what a good-looking made.i will try to do one like this. tnx.