How to make a table top sign with a story

Creating a sign on a table top is a really easy thing to do! However this one comes with a story... literally.

Once upon a time there was a little outdoor picnic table I picked up from the thrift. I simply carried it into the house as is and left it. I fell in love with the white distressed top and deep chocolate legs and called it done.

But... I had envisioned something cool for this table for awhile now. Plain is cool, but I wanted cooler than plain. :)

So...

I cleaned up the legs with a quick repaint, ran a palm sander along the edges, did a whitewash to the already distressed top.. and came up with...

... this!

Isn't it cute?!?

Why I did it

Before I lived where I do, I use to live in Matsqui (Mat-squee) Village. It was a teeny weeny little historic town with one cool storefront in particular I've always loved. The front looked saloon style.  The store went through several phases.. coffee house, antiques shop, etc. It was always changing hands. So I decided to simply deem it a Mercantile shop full of wonderful old treasures once and for all which is exactly what I would have done with it if it had been mine. :)

Est 1927? That's my mom's year of birth. A small but subtle tribute to my fav gal pal whom I dream about daily.

The star? That's my Funky Junk star.

All three symbols touch on where I've come from, who I am today and what I love.

How I did it

 I created some decals with my sign apparatus and did a reverse weed, meaning, removed the letters instead of the background.

 I applied the decal to the tabletop, then painted through the letters. Remove the vinyl while paint is still wet so letters come out nice and crisp.

Notice the square weathered area around the lettering? The vinyl lifts off the paint if not fully cured, leaving a very believable distressed finish. So I did the same treatment to the rest by means of sticking more vinyl on it and pulling off to even it all out.

Design Tip #1:

Take note of the letters... darker on bottom, lighter on top. Just because. :)

Let's use a palm sander to distress those letters just a tad... sooo much easier than doing it by hand, gals. Put palm or orbital sander on your Christmas list this year. AFTER your cordless drill of course. :) A good cordless drill MUST be #1.

Ahhh... that's better! The table really does look old and authentic which I love.

Design tip #2:

Now.. did you notice the funky placement of the lettering? Most would center the works because that's how it's normally done.

I wanted the table top to have the illusion of an old sign tucked away that was suddenly whipped up into a table top. Quirky, unexpected and rather cool all at the same time.

And the little table with it's shiny new outfit lived happily ever after.

Other sign related projects:

Farmer's Market Sign

crate stairs

how to make old signs

Route 66 Cupboard

Are the decals/stencils for sale?

Sorry, not at this time. However an ebook is in the works that will explain how to create these types of stencils slated for release in late 2012. Stay tuned!