diy pallet sign

i am an etsy addict.  there.  i admitted it.  so when i was redoing my bedroom, i naturally began scavenging on etsy for some wall décor.  i came across the most gorgeous pallet sign i’d ever seen.  but it was $145.  yikes.  i am a tightwad thru & thru and that just didn’t work for me.  so, naturally, i set out to make my own.  and it took me three months.  not the actual work, but life, coupled with screwing it up the first time, just made it take for-ev-er.  in fact, when i texted leshia, “pallet sign’s done!”  her reply was “about time!!” J  she loves me.  really.

here’s the scoop on the diy pallet sign:

materials:

*pallet

*some apparatus to bust it up (we found a sawzall worked best and just sawed thru the nails)

*nails

*wood glue

*spray paint

*stencil

*pen/pencil

*paint for words

*sandpaper (optional)

after you’ve busted your pallet up, decide on how big you want your sign.  i wanted mine pretty big, so i left the longest boards alone and just lined up seven of them.  it turned out to be roughly 2ftx3ft.  i flipped the boards over to the side that i didn’t want to be the face of the sign, and used some scrap pallet wood to attach them together.  i would suggest first using wood glue on each board, letting it dry, and then tacking the boards in with the finishing nails.  if your nails are longer, you can drive them thru the front and just cover them with duct tape if that stick out the back, so not to scratch your wall.

after the pallet sign is assembled (it’s really not hard), the painting begins.  i found several cans of rustoleum’s american accents in whitewash at a hardware store in town that’s going out of business.  it was a great deal, and it was the perfect color for my sign.  i painted just a coat or two to give it a little color and then began to stencil. 

*here is where the three month issue comes in*

if you’ve read any of our other diy posts, you know that leshia and i rarely complete a project that we don’t screw up somewhere along the way.  while i admire and aspire to be more like the blogging women who can do a diy project perfectly the first time with their eyes closed, that is just not our reality at this stage in the game.  i guess we’ve learned some valuable lessons that way?  i mean we can hope.  so i got these 6” stencils from lowe’s.  i did a rough measure of my letters for the phrase “you have my whole heart for my whole life.”  it was a tight squeeze, but i thought i had it.  wrong.  i managed to get “you have my” on the first line and it looked pretty darn good.  i even remember calling leshia and saying “i can’t believe i haven’t screwed this up yet!  it is looking so good.”  pride cometh before the fall, right?  wellll, “whole heart” was up next, and i got to, oh, about “whole hea” when i realized that it was either going to say “whole hear” or “whole heat” or something weird and definitely not what i’d envisioned.  so i got mad.  naturally.  i put the sign away and didn’t work on it for a while.  but i’m kind of glad i didn’t, because i planned out my final attempt very carefully and am so happy with how it turned out. 

when i finally got the gumption to try again, i started by sanding the words that i had painted on as much as i could, and then applied lots more coats of the same color.  because the wood isn’t treated, it soaks that paint up like crazy.  so once it was sufficiently covered, i started stenciling.   

 i printed out my letters off of microsoft word and cut them out, taped them on, and stenciled in pen.  i didn’t mind  using a pen because i knew i was using black paint.  but if you’re not all wild and crazy like me, you might want to go with pencil.  in hindsight the whole pen thing really wasn’t the greatest idea.  once i got the words stenciled on, i set out painting. 

 i just used black craft paint and only one coat because i liked how it looked a little distressed.  if the words were darker, i would definitely sand it, and i still may.  but for now, i love it.  i think this is one of my favorite projects i’ve done so far.  i’m pretty much obsessed with it.  so, my charge to you: plan your stenciling.  you will be better for it.  best of luck! J

 

 

sunday

i heart nap time flamingo toes diy show off nifty thrifty things twigg studios under the table and dreaming debbiedoo's my 1929 charmer sew can do the girl creative lines across
i should be mopping the floor petite hermine flour me with love c.r.a.f.t. wtfab
sumos sweet stuff diy hsh homemaker on a dime This gal cooks the southern institute
keeping up with the rheinlanders three mango seeds Design dreams by anne Cupcakes and crinoline
it's so very cheri Setting for four Navy wifey peters Or so she says

monday

keeping it simple alderberry hill craft-o-maniac serendipity and spice the gunny sack
skip to my lou the dedicated house coastal charm boogieboard cottage funky polkadot giraffe
home stories a to z todays creative blog mrs happy homemaker sew many ways
chef-in-training the rustic pig my uncommon slice of suburbia the-chicken-chick
sewing barefoot

tuesday

cherished bliss a diamond in the stuff tip junkie the only ten cowgirl link up party

claiming our space elizabeth and co ivy and elephants uncommon designs
Thrifty Decor Chick house on the way carolyns homework domestically-speaking
lovely crafty home vintage wanna bee sugar bee crafts not just a housewife
reasons to skip the housework the kurtz corner ladybug-blessings my girlish whims
the winthrop chronicles nap-timecreations the diy dreamer jaqs studio
fabric bows and more twin dragonfly designs sew-much-ado
vintage on a dime clean and scentsible
wednesday

southern lovely beyond the picket fence lil luna ginger snap crafts embracing change

savvy southern style live laugh rowe someday crafts 52 mantels grateful belly

tutorial tips & tidbits through the eyes of the mrs no minimalist here seven-alive
snap creativity sugar and dots the trendy treehouse momnivores-dilemma
primp fireflies and jellybeans fine craft guild a creative princess night owl crafting
i gotta create the crafty blog stalker the country chic cottage
  thursday

the shabby creek cottage my repurposed life liz marie blog somewhat simple a glimpse inside
the 36th avenue house of hepworths love bakes good cakes chase the star love and laundry
craft junkie too western warmth fresh-eggs-daily fingerprints on the fridge
answer is chocolate delightful order chic on a shoestring decorating one artsy mama
simply designing the artsy girl connection little becky homecky sweet bella roos
friday

craftionary 2805 from my grey desk delicate construction 504 main just us four blog
simple home life becoming martha fox hollow cottage my romantic home family ever after blog

the shabby nest crafty scrappy happy finding fabulous stuff-and-nonsense the gingerbread blog
french country cottage the grant life jennifer rizzo redoux tater tots and jello common ground
one project closer lovely crafty home at the picket fence happy hour projects serenity now

saturday

classy clutter funky junk interiors positively splendid six sisters stuff serenity you

too-much-time be different act normal craft envy its overflowing
life on lake shore drive