How I make 'old' signs

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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:

Farmer's Market Sign

this is the one I made next

crate stairs

Village Mercantile memory table

featured on Tip Junkie

featured in the June 2011 issue of SignCraft Online.