How to Make a Sign
Find and buy your materials., Sand your piece of wood., Paint the base coat of your sign., Add Vaseline to your wooden sign., Paint on the top coat., Create a stencil for your lettering., Trace your lettering onto the board., Paint your letters...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find and buy your materials.
The most important thing you will need is a large piece of plywood.
The size of the sign all depends on how far away your customers will be when they see it.
If you are far away from the road, or the main entrance into the plaza, you might want to get a larger piece of plywood.
Either way, stick with one that is at least 2 by 3 feet (0.61 m × 0.91 m).
Here are some other materials you will need:
Base coat.
Because the wooden sign will look "antique," the base coat will show through to outer coat of paint.
This means that the base coat should be a different, high contrast color as compared to the outer coat of paint.
Pick the color you want the base coat to be, and buy it at your local hardware store.
You will want to buy acrylic paint.
Outer coat.
Once more, you want a high contrast color compared to your base coat.
Electric sander Large and small paintbrushes Vaseline Tape Ballpoint pen Minwax Steel wool -
Step 2: Sand your piece of wood.
You will want the piece of wood to be wide enough so that people can see the sign from far away, but thin enough so that it is easy to hang.
Use a piece of sandpaper, or an electric sander, and go around the whole board.
Sand the board in small circular motions, taking off the excess bumps and chips.
Make sure to get the edges as well.
Do this until the board is smooth to the touch., Mix your paint when you get it home.
Use a medium sized brush, not a roller, to paint your board.
Work in left to right motions, always working with the grain of the board.
Make sure to do this outside so that the fumes from the paint don't build up.
You may want to use a pair of gloves as well.
Wear an old t-shirt when you paint so you don't mess up your nice clothes., You want the base color to show through after you paint the top coat.
Adding Vaseline will make it very easy to remove chips off the top coat.
After the bottom coat dries, apply the Vaseline wherever you want to, but focus on edges and sides.
Don't put on large smear marks, but merely 1-2 inch long marks that are skinny.Make sure to leave the vaseline on the board as you begin to paint the next coat. , This coat should be in sharp contrast to the bottom coat.
For instance, use a green top coat, and a red bottom coat.
Buy the paint at your local hardware store and mix it at home.
Use a medium sized brush and paint from left to right.
It's okay if some of the Vaseline smears as you paint on the coat.
Do this outside so that the fumes from the paint don't build up.
Wear some gloves when you paint, as well as an old t-shirt., Use a word processing program such as Microsoft Word, or Google Docs.
Set the orientation to "landscape" and adjust the font size accordingly, depending on the size of your sign.
Print out the sheets of paper on your home printer.
Place them over the top of the board to see if the size is correct.
You may have to reprint the letters using a different size and font.If you are artistically inclined, you can paint the letters on by hand. , Tape the printed out lettered sheets onto the board using blue painter's tape.
Make sure that the design is centered the way you like.
Use a ballpoint pen and trace over the letters.
Press down with some pressure, so the design transfers onto the board.
Once you are done tracing, remove the papers and throw them away., Use an acrylic paint and go over the outline you just created.
You can paint inside of the letters as well, using a small paint brush.
This would also be a great time to add any miscellaneous designs you want, like vines, swirls, or different shapes.
You will want to use a color that is different from both the base and top coats.
White is the best option if your other two coats are darker.
If the bottom coats are lighter, use black, or dark brown., Take a piece of sandpaper or steel wool, and gently brush over the top of the board.
Do this after the paint from all three coats are dry.
You do not want to press too hard, otherwise you could wind up taking too much of the top coat off.
With the Vaseline underneath, the paint will come off very easily.
Focus on the areas you remember putting the Vaseline at., In order to keep your sign safe from weather conditions, you will need to wax it.
Use a furniture wax like Minwax, or any other brand that you find at your local hardware store.
After you open the can, take a medium sized brush and dip it in, taking small amounts of wax at a time.
Work from left to right, using small strokes, always in line with the grain of the wood.
Make sure to get the sides and edges, as well as the front.After the wax dries, you may want to add another coat, depending on how well you coated the board the first time.
Every year or so consider applying another layer of wax to keep your board safe. -
Step 3: Paint the base coat of your sign.
-
Step 4: Add Vaseline to your wooden sign.
-
Step 5: Paint on the top coat.
-
Step 6: Create a stencil for your lettering.
-
Step 7: Trace your lettering onto the board.
-
Step 8: Paint your letters.
-
Step 9: Bring your bottom coat to the forefront.
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Step 10: Wax the final project.
Detailed Guide
The most important thing you will need is a large piece of plywood.
The size of the sign all depends on how far away your customers will be when they see it.
If you are far away from the road, or the main entrance into the plaza, you might want to get a larger piece of plywood.
Either way, stick with one that is at least 2 by 3 feet (0.61 m × 0.91 m).
Here are some other materials you will need:
Base coat.
Because the wooden sign will look "antique," the base coat will show through to outer coat of paint.
This means that the base coat should be a different, high contrast color as compared to the outer coat of paint.
Pick the color you want the base coat to be, and buy it at your local hardware store.
You will want to buy acrylic paint.
Outer coat.
Once more, you want a high contrast color compared to your base coat.
Electric sander Large and small paintbrushes Vaseline Tape Ballpoint pen Minwax Steel wool
You will want the piece of wood to be wide enough so that people can see the sign from far away, but thin enough so that it is easy to hang.
Use a piece of sandpaper, or an electric sander, and go around the whole board.
Sand the board in small circular motions, taking off the excess bumps and chips.
Make sure to get the edges as well.
Do this until the board is smooth to the touch., Mix your paint when you get it home.
Use a medium sized brush, not a roller, to paint your board.
Work in left to right motions, always working with the grain of the board.
Make sure to do this outside so that the fumes from the paint don't build up.
You may want to use a pair of gloves as well.
Wear an old t-shirt when you paint so you don't mess up your nice clothes., You want the base color to show through after you paint the top coat.
Adding Vaseline will make it very easy to remove chips off the top coat.
After the bottom coat dries, apply the Vaseline wherever you want to, but focus on edges and sides.
Don't put on large smear marks, but merely 1-2 inch long marks that are skinny.Make sure to leave the vaseline on the board as you begin to paint the next coat. , This coat should be in sharp contrast to the bottom coat.
For instance, use a green top coat, and a red bottom coat.
Buy the paint at your local hardware store and mix it at home.
Use a medium sized brush and paint from left to right.
It's okay if some of the Vaseline smears as you paint on the coat.
Do this outside so that the fumes from the paint don't build up.
Wear some gloves when you paint, as well as an old t-shirt., Use a word processing program such as Microsoft Word, or Google Docs.
Set the orientation to "landscape" and adjust the font size accordingly, depending on the size of your sign.
Print out the sheets of paper on your home printer.
Place them over the top of the board to see if the size is correct.
You may have to reprint the letters using a different size and font.If you are artistically inclined, you can paint the letters on by hand. , Tape the printed out lettered sheets onto the board using blue painter's tape.
Make sure that the design is centered the way you like.
Use a ballpoint pen and trace over the letters.
Press down with some pressure, so the design transfers onto the board.
Once you are done tracing, remove the papers and throw them away., Use an acrylic paint and go over the outline you just created.
You can paint inside of the letters as well, using a small paint brush.
This would also be a great time to add any miscellaneous designs you want, like vines, swirls, or different shapes.
You will want to use a color that is different from both the base and top coats.
White is the best option if your other two coats are darker.
If the bottom coats are lighter, use black, or dark brown., Take a piece of sandpaper or steel wool, and gently brush over the top of the board.
Do this after the paint from all three coats are dry.
You do not want to press too hard, otherwise you could wind up taking too much of the top coat off.
With the Vaseline underneath, the paint will come off very easily.
Focus on the areas you remember putting the Vaseline at., In order to keep your sign safe from weather conditions, you will need to wax it.
Use a furniture wax like Minwax, or any other brand that you find at your local hardware store.
After you open the can, take a medium sized brush and dip it in, taking small amounts of wax at a time.
Work from left to right, using small strokes, always in line with the grain of the wood.
Make sure to get the sides and edges, as well as the front.After the wax dries, you may want to add another coat, depending on how well you coated the board the first time.
Every year or so consider applying another layer of wax to keep your board safe.
About the Author
Susan Webb
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow lifestyle tutorials.
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