Old signs are huge in decorating these days. While they’re cool to find, they’re even more fun (and easy) to create! Here’s how I made a multi coloured old sign from a board found on the curb.
1. Find an old board on the curb no one wants any longer.
2. Pick an acrylic craft paint colour that’s a little on the bright side.
3. Once dry, go over the paint with a colour a little on the deeper side to help tone it down.
4. Create a decal (made with my pro signmaker equipment) or stencil as most of you would most likely do)
5. Center the decal, then create a tape hinge on one side.
6. Lift the decal and pull out the backing. Then burnish (rub) the decal onto the surface via a hand held hard edged squeegee (credit card works too)
7. Pull off the premask. (top paper)
8. Paint inside the stencil/decal. Follow the letters with your brush as if they were hand brushed on for a realistic brushed on look.
9. Remove the blue decal/your stencil, leaving the white letters. (not shown)
10. Distress the works with a palm sander so bottom coat AND some wood background shines through. (not shown)
Another distressing technique: randomly place masking tape all over sign and pull off before paint is fully cured. (pulls clear to wood in some places which is neat)
10. Decide on jewelry. Hmm… what shall it be today?
Yeah. I like it! Neat old plant hangers for this one. Who knows what the next one will get. I plan for every one to be different in some way.
11. Dig it, but get use to the colour. Because I have colour-phobia. And it had to sit while I got use to it. Colour shock is all. But I wanted more colour in the house.
Colour Tip: if painting outdoors, go abit wilder in colour than you wish … because once inside, the tone will deepen
Rather cool multi layered patina, isn’t it?
Wanna see how it looks in place?
Toned right down to a nice deep cherry coke kinda red indoors.
(lights in kitchen were finished after this photo shoot… naturally…)
I like it! But I also want to make some with less colour. And when I do, you’ll be the first to know about it. 
And… I could use some wordy inspiration.
What words do you like on signs? Any favorites?
Coming soon: ebook on how to:
design signs
work with stencil decals
distressing tips and tricks
inspiration on surfaces
plus option to purchase downloadable design files
Due to be published spring 2012
Other sign related projects:
Village Mercantile memory table
featured in the June 2011 issue of SignCraft Online.
Enter your email
to have Funky Junk’s blog posts sent to your inbox.
Delivered by FeedBurner
Donna, You are amazing. I love your style and I am so glad you are willing to share your talents and ideas with the rest of us so we can maybe try it too! I just love your “old” grocery sign, so I put it in my linky list on my blog post. I know everyone who comes through my site will think it is amazing too! Come over and check it out!
Trisha
re-madejustright.blogspot.com
Donna, I LOVE your signs! Great blog and “how-to’s.” Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks for a great blog and the sign tutorial. My sign suggestions would be “No Cooking, Too Good Lookin” or maybe “No cooking, just looking” Of course, there’s always the good old southern classic “Ya’ll come back now” I would definitely buy your stencils if you decide to offer them Donna. Thanks for sharing!
Nice Art…! i think we all have to do something like that for our kitchens.. If we have a time to spent on this…
I made this! Thanks for the tutorial!
http://alittlesplashofyellow.blogspot.ca/2012/05/diy-vintage-sign.html
like your sign so much…I have seen it before but doesn’t look so clear as yours….amazing.
window shutters clayton, ca
Thanks so much for this tutorial. Thanks to your inspiration, I made this: http://jules138.blogspot.com/2012/05/we-have-sign.html
This is amazing! I had no idea how people did this to their signs! I am really going to have to try this out. I have really been wanting to replace the sign that I have in my backyard over my garden, and I think I will try your tutorial this weekend! Thanks for the great guide!
What kind of “pro signmaker equipment” do you use for the decal?
I was also wondering what kind of sign maker you have.
What a great sign! Love it!
These are super awesome signs! I really love them! I have been wanting to make some like this for my house lately and have been looking all over the place for some I like! These really look great! Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Donna!
Where did you get your sign making equipment? I now have an antique mall space and the signs that I am finding are too expensive for me to make money on and I don’t mind making them but am VERY lame at making/using stencils that aren’t already arranged for me. Any help would be much appreciated! thanks! karen…
I like your post. It was simply nice. Thank you and keep sharing.
“No Dumping” for the restroom.
Can you direct me to the ebook? Also I do not understand what you meant on here about brushing over the the decal/stencil to leave white letters because the picture before showed that you put black letters on it by rubbing them on??? I am confused, I would like to try this can you give more detailed directions and what machine do you use?
Hiya. Love your GROCERY sign. Do you use ‘Dry Rub off decal paper?
Hello to all, the contents existing at this site are
genuinely awesome for people knowledge, well,
keep up the good work fellows.