How to Make a Hand Painted United States Sign

Isn’t this sign adorable?!
I am frantically getting ready for a booth at my local Farmer’s Market, re-opening my Etsy shop AND putting my handmade items
 in a local shop!
Ekkkkk! I’m super excited about all 3 wonderful opportunities……..

Well, without further adieu HERE’S the tutorial for this cute little sign:

Materials I used~

• Two- 1x4 cedar fence slats
• Wood stakes
• Contact Paper
• White paint
• Vinegar
• Steel Wool
• Poly
• Bailing wire
• 8 screws
• Heart push pin 

Tools I used~

• Silhouette 
• Sponge
• Paint Brush
• Saw
• Sander
• Drill

 
Yes I have a pile of pallets that I could have used for this project BUT it was so much easier to buy a couple of slats for a buck each instead of tearing apart a pallet.

I cut the fence slats into four 2ft pieces, then I cut 2 stakes to fit across the back and screwed them in place.
I use these wood stakes in many projects and you can pick up a bundle for around $4.

Then I used my vinegar & steel wool mixture to stain the wood….
I LOVE this technique and have used it HERE and HERE.
You just soak vinegar & steel wool overnight….
the longer you soak it the darker the stain.

See the beautiful color it instantly turns the wood?! Cool! Huh?
I just brushed on the mixture with a paint brush.

Once the stain dries I applied the United States image.
 I made a stencil with my Silhouette using contact paper.

I used the negative image of the stencil and saved the other part for another project…
Then I dab paint on the area with a sponge, peel off the stencil, wait for the paint to dry and then sand the whole board with a palm sander.

Finally I sealed the sign with 2 coats of poly, added bailing wire to hang and a cute little rubber heart push pin so you can add your
heart where your home is….
{I found this push pin at Wal-Mart and sadly they don't make them anymore }

Thank you so much for stopping by!
Please check out all the places I party!