Pallet wood You Cut Tree Farm Christmas sign
Slow as molasses is about the best description I can come up with in regards to my Christmas decorating.
I got started on my mantel, however with a major monsoon going on outside (that’s my shopping centre for all things green), the branches would have to wait.
The delay proved to be good I suppose. The extra time made me muse over the ‘mantel story’ first. As in, what am I even collecting all those loose branches for?
A story helps theme the mantel so it makes sense.
My inspiration this round is thanks to searching for the perfect live Christmas tree.
This pallet wood You Cut Tree Farm Christmas sign shaped like a Christmas tree is a very quick and simple project to make, and gives you a nice dose of rustic festive charm! Along with real deal branches branches of course!
Here’s how I made it:
Pallet wood You Cut Tree Farm Christmas sign
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This post contains some Amazon Affiliate links so you can find cool products I used and like.
Any Fusion Mineral Paint product can also be found through local merchants HERE
Supplies used:
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Pallet wood planks, measuring 3.5″ deep x approx 6″ long to start, then gradually longer.
Black paint – I used Fusion Mineral Paint’s Coal Black
Purchase through a Fusion local merchant HERE
Orbital variable speed palm sander
Fusion Mineral Paint’s Furniture Wax
How-to:
Preparing the boards
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1. Cut 4 pallet wood planks to graduating desired lengths to form the shape of a Christmas tree. I used straight cuts, however angled cuts would look cute too!
Before cutting your planks, ensure your desired words will fit on each board.
The boards I used were 3.5″ deep by approx 8″ long for the YOU board. My apologies, I did not measure each board for this project.
You Cut Tree Farm stencil is from HERE
2. Lightly sand each plank. I like to use a palm sander.
Stenciling the words
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4. Centre each word onto each pallet wood board, and stencil in black.
I used Fusion Mineral Paint’s Coal Black found HERE
Learn more about how to stencil HERE
Prepare mounting board or branch
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5. After all the planks are stenciled, centre them along a smaller mounting board or as in my case, a branch. I like to challenge myself with a theme by pushing it juuuuust a little further…
Looking good! However for old signs, they look a little too new… so let’s distress the lettering up to further age them abit…
Aging the signs
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6. Slightly sand over the painted letters with a sanding sponge to distress them down to the wood in random areas.
The black paint will slightly fade, however we’ll take care of that part in a minute.
7. To further distress the boards, pound a hammer onto the board surface and edges from different angles to achieve a naturally beat up appearance.
Adding wax for aging and protection
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8. Apply an antiquing wax onto any hits and along edges where you’d like to see more depth in the wood.
I used Fusion Mineral Paint’s Furniture Wax HERE. Lovely stuff!
Wax tip: For absorbent wood or painted surfaces, another option is to wax the entire piece with clear wax first, then follow with tinted wax next. This will give you more control on the intensity.
Clear wax also works like an eraser if you wish to remove dark wax! Good to have on hand.
I used it to remove a little intensity, then lightly go over the lettering to bring their depth back.
I also used Miss Mustard Seed’s Furniture Wax HERE. It’s REALLY great stuff and offers a nice, natural finish.
Read my post on my fav products to use for Protecting and refinishing wood surfaces HERE
Assembling the signs
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9. Using a cordless drill, predrill holes into the centre of each plank.
10. Screw each plank onto the branch.
I chose to leave a gap in between the planks so I could twist them helter-skelterish.
11. Using a wood star ornament I had on hand, it was painted black, then stenciled in tan with a grid pattern.
Check out how I Buffalo Checked this star the next year HERE!
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Grid pattern – is from an antique soil sifter found in THIS post. Cool, huh?
Paint used is Fusion Mineral Paint’s Coal Black and Algonquin.
The finished sign!
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And you have yourself a pretty cute little tree farm sign that’s ready to _____!
In a perfect world, I think a collection of all kinds of mini Christmas trees would look DARLING arranged with this sign!
12. Mount the Pallet wood You Cut Tree Farm Christmas sign sign onto a wall, or as I did, place it inside a metal bucket, and pretty it up!
Snow spray was used to bring out a little winter fun.
Now let’s all pretend this is sitting on my mantel alongside MANY MORE branches I KNOW I will find next time the wind blows.
I can hope.
If more storms gave gifts like that, I just may quit fighting them…
Find the You Cut Tree Farm stencil HERE
See this tree sign in a antique sleigh HERE
This tree is awesome, Donna! I love it!
Thanks Julia, this was a fun one! It’s already in its new home… now to get out in monsoon #2 and get some branches to finish the job!
Love the wood Xmas tree! I think the wood trees are unusual and really my cup of tea! Did you notch the spaces where you attached the wood? I thought it looked like it. Would you recommend It? Thanks for a great post. Oh, I think using the old sifter to create the grid pattern sounds like something I would do!
Hey Joanne! I did not notch out any wood, although I suppose if the branch was beefy enough one could. My branch was pretty small (this entire sign was small) so I didn’t feel a need.
Another easy way is to simply screw the sign boards onto a flat plank of wood.
I wouldn’t recommend notching myself because it would require more work for little improved outcome. Then again, I’m probably the laziest woodworker you could ever hope for… haha
Love, Love, Love this Donna! How Awesome!
Thanks Sandi! These little projects make decorating so easy!
Very cute and my kinda Christmas tree. I usually put up my upside down Christmas tree. I am behind on decorating…I was suppose to get my house lights up, neighborhood ritual but I didn’t. There is always tomorrow….
Thanks for all the photos of your Hawaii trip. Loved seeing the adventure.
Hey Gina, tomorrow is a great excuse… I might have to use that! haha
Thanks for your appreciation of the vacay trips, I’ll try and edit more photos and do another instalment this week. SO many new things to share that are must sees…
It looks really great Donna. There is a freshness to this look that is so nice, I’ve been moving away from all the busyness of past years and am really enjoying the simpler decor. And it may be your fault! 😉
Haha! Well Mary, I can attest the ‘new minimalist junk me’ is much happier. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to haul out anything for Christmas! Still fighting the extras… egads. Be careful when you reach this point… you may end up with NOTHING.
Hi Donna,
I’ve said this before & yes, I’m saying it again! I LOVE YOUR STUFF! Lol! I LOVE your style!
I had to laugh when you talked about finding branches & sticks on the ground that you KNOW you’ll have a NEED for! I do the same thing! Lol! What’s a person to do? You’re out for a walk, you look down, see some perfectly straight AND crooked branches, and immediately a VISION just pops into your head! Do you just walk away? Leave them there?? I think NOT! Hahaaa!
I spent Thanksgiving with my family at my oldest son’s house ❤ (he has wood stove) and I “happened” ? to spy a PERFECT sized, round log! I HAD to have it! I know it’ll provide me with PERFECT wood slices!!! Which will make PERFECT gifts! Either as perfect ornaments or perhaps perfect coasters or…or….!!! ?
Thank you so much for sharing your projects and stories ♡♡♡
Love this Donna (along with almost all of your “stuff” ?) Your style is so free and unique
Found some great rusty bells today and thought of you.
Foraging for greens is the best plus you get a walk in as well.