How to Make Farmhouse Wood Signs Yourself

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Have you seen those farmhouse wood signs on Pinterest? You almost have to be living under a rock to NOT see them. And it’s crazy how EASY those farmhouse wood signs are to make!

For a company outing recently, we went to a board and brush class to make our own. I was super excited because I’ve been telling my boyfriend for a year that we need a laundry sign for our home. So that’s what I made.

If you want your own farmhouse wood sign, but don’t want to buy one for upwards of $50, then use these tips below.

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How to Make Farmhouse Wood Signs Yourself:

Start with Pine wood and Sandpaper.

Yes, the board is not some fancy piece of driftwood they found. It’s actually cheap pine wood that you can get at any lumber store! The best part is that they will cut it in any size you want, so all you have to do is measure the space you want to fill. There were some people in my class that nailed sides to their signs to add framing or create a box, which you’re more than welcome to do, too.

Once you have the wood, you will need to sand it. Any piece of sandpaper will do (Like this pack from Amazon – https://amzn.to/2RnJx9X). The key is to sand with the grain of the wood and to round the edges to remove any sharp corners. If you want to get extra crafty, you can add distressing to your sign with hammers. But I skipped this step.

Add the Stain in whatever color you want.

Here’s the part where the sign takes on the appearance of fancy wood. By STAINING it! This was magic to my ears. I chose a dark walnut, but other great colors are ebony, classic gray, sunbleached, or weathered oak (You can see more stain options here – https://amzn.to/3hqe3KX). If you want the white washing over the wood, then you can mix a white paint with the stain to add over the top.

After you pick the stain, you’ll want to dip a cotton cloth in a small cup and swirl tiny circles over the wood. Don’t worry about making it even, because the wood will only accept so much stain. Meaning there’s no real “over-doing it”. If you plan to hang the sign, then you’ll want to add the hook after the stain is all over the board.

Paint the words using a stencil.

Not only do you not have to find fancy wood, you also don’t have to have fancy handwriting. You can purchase stencils like these online here (https://amzn.to/2RpzRvO) and most of the time they’re reusable. It can be pricey trying to buy all the phrases you want by yourself, so I’d recommend trying to form a swap. Gather some friends that like farmhouse style home decor, and trade stencils together. That way you can make more than one sign.

The key to painting is to use a foam paint brush like this one –https://amzn.to/2Rkutde – and dab in the stencil. Don’t brush like you would with a normal paint brush! You also want to remove the stencil before the paint fully dries to ensure that it doesn’t get stuck to the sign. If there are little imperfections, then you can use a razor blade to correct them once the paint has fully dried.

Cherish your end result.

There’s a feeling of accomplishment after you make something. I was so proud of my little sign and couldn’t wait to hang it up. Warning: creating one of these may cause an addiction to creating your own things more often. I told my boyfriend I may be in a DIY kick for awhile. Stay tuned for something new I create!

I would love to see your farmhouse wood signs! Share them with me in the comments below! 🙂