How to Make a Hand Painted Sign!

This tutorial has been revised from the original so please 
excuse the mismatched photos but you will get the idea.

This tutorial is picture heavy but I really want you to
grasp the step by step concept.

Let’s make a hand painted sign!

I bought a pre-cut 12x24 pine board from a home improvement store and painted a couple coats of white primer. Whatever paint you use make sure it’s flat paint and NEVER gloss!
(a high gloss paint will peel right up with your stencil)

I used my Silhouette Cameo to design and cut a stencil.

This baby cuts 12 inches by 10 feet!
I was making a 12x24 sign so I set my width and height to 12x24 and got started on my design.

The software that comes with the Silhouette is crazy awesome!
ANY font I have on my computer, my Silhouette will cut!
So, no need for expensive cartridges!
I like to use Dafont.com and Fontsineed.com for free fonts.
Another awesome feature is the Silhouette's tracing tool…so if I find an awesome image online like one of Graphic Fairy’s, I just save it as a picture, open in my silhouette and trace it!
(Tracing will be a whole other tutorial)

Once my layout was designed, it was time to cut it out. I use contact paper to cut my stencil. When making a stencil , it's a lot cheaper to use contact paper instead of vinyl. 

I cut the contact paper 12x24 and feed it into my Silhouette. No mat needed…I set the blade to a 1, speed to a 5 and thickness to a 5.

Once the design is cut…it’s time to weed out the letters with the aid of an exacto knife.

A perfect stencil!
Now you will need to transfer it to your board with
the use of transfer paper.

Silhouette has awesome transfer paper. 12x10ft rolls.
Plain and grid to help you line up your image.

As a business owner I go through a ton of transfer paper so I buy 100ft rolls from H&H Sign Supply.

Roll out the transfer paper over the stencil.

Smooth it out with a spreader or credit card and give it a good rubbing so the transfer paper sticks to the stencil.

Next, flip over the paper and peel off the backing of the contact paper.

Now you can stick the stencil onto your pre-painted 12x24 board.

I usually just eye ball to make sure my stencil is straight on the board. You can also use a tape measure to make sure the letters from the end of the board on one side, match the letters on the other

When you are satisfied with the placement of your stencil, give it a good rubbing so that your stencil sticks to the board. This will prevent any bleeding from the paint.

Now you’re ready to remove the transfer paper. I like to peel it off in strips with a sign this size.

Now your stencil is in place and you are ready to paint your sign!

Picking paint colors is the hardest part!
Should every letter be a different color? or every line?

Once you find the perfect colors ..remember a little goes a long way

Just like stenciling anything you want to use a sponge and off load most of the paint and dab dab dab dab to prevent any bleeding of the paint.

Dab Dab Dab Dab!

All dabbed and Almost done!

When you are done dabbing, peel the stencil off. No need to wait for the paint to dry…it’s best to peel off while wet.

You will need the aid of the exacto knife again to pull up any stencil left behind.

Now if you like a nice clean look you can seal with some poly and be done………BUT for me I love a distressed look.

So I bust out my palm sander and give it a once over…

and use some distress ink on all the edges. You can find this at Hobby Lobby in many colors.

Isn't it Pretty!

Seal it with a coat of poly and it’s all done!
A little time consuming but such a beautiful hand painted sign!
Here’s a few more I’ve made using the same technique:



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

Show your Colors! Before and After's {By Colortopia}

Are you guys ready for some awesome Before & After's??

I will admit I am slightly addicted to Before & After pictures....especially those involving PAINT! Paint makes everything better!

I am actually right in the middle of a renovation with opening my own local store. I have a very small budget and no money for new carpet or hardwood floors.......so I just painted the floor! Paint is the most affordable way to update the look of any space.  I also painted all the walls and ceiling. A little paint is transforming the space beautifully.....I know because everyone passing by tells me~!

Here's a few of MY Before & After's involving paint: 

Updated Bath with paint and stencil

A little paint transforms a play station!

This craigslist find was transformed with Glidden's Delicious Red

Paint can ever transform lamps and a piano! 

and finally here is the progress of my new store...

painted trees and a painted floor. 

{I'll be sharing the opening of my shop at a later date}

Wanta see MORE before and after's??? My Colortopia has a new feature on their site called Show Your Colors. It host a very large selection of Before and After Paint Projects! WOWZA!

Now YOU can submit your very own Before and After paint projects....
it's fun and so simple!

Just click on the Visit My Colortopia at the bottom of the widget
to get started.

I'll be sharing these Before and After's over at Show Your Colors.

 Show Your Colors even has a tool to help you match paint colors for your very own project. So while your browsing all the fabulous Before & Afters, if you see one you love just click "Get Paint Colors From This Photo" below the photo and the tool helps you get inspired with your very own color scheme! How Fabulous is that!!!  Easy Peassy:-)

*** { I have been sponsored by Glidden brand paint to write this post but the thoughts 
and opinions expressed are my own.:-)}***

Become your son’s HERO! Turn a plain play set into a Fire Station!

I am in the process of turning my son’s play set into an
awesome Fire Station!
It’s not quite done yet but I couldn’t wait to share it with y0u.

We bought this Cedar play set used from a family that was moving and couldn’t take it with them.
It cost $1800 new but we paid $500 and it’s only 2 years old!
They even took it apart in 3 pieces and loaded it for us!

We prepared an area in our yard.
We bought 6 foot rubber flexible borders at Mernard’s
{ I think we bought 10 at $20 each}
and 2 rolls of weed barrier.

And a box of stakes to hold the mesh and border in place.

Then we bought a load of pea gravel.
{ I think maybe around $50}

{front}
It took 4 of us to put it together again.
{I should mention that we didn’t anchor it and this winter it blew over!}

{back}
It’s a great place to play…….
BUT I wanted to make it even better!

Lucky for me I had ALL the paint I needed to complete this project!
Our last house was red with white trim…

Red, white and blue!

I painted the green slide black with
Krylon K02519000 Fusion For Plastic Aerosol Spray Paint, 12-Ounce, Flat Black


One can covered the whole front…the can says
it will be chip proof in 7 days…we will see..

and I made a Fire Station sign!
I used the same stencil technique as my first Silhouette Project 
I just cut each letter out of a 12x12 stock card with my Silhouette.
This is 2 pieces of leftover red siding from our old house.
I glued and clamped them together, glued the letters in place and painted over the whole thing in yellow

and there is the top painted…
Notice the Fire Danger is HIGH...that is a piece of cedar painted with chalkboard paint for a cute fire danger sign.

Every Fire Station needs a fire hose!
I used a yellow garden hose and an old rusted bucket.

 I screwed the bucket to a board and wrapped the hose around it.
It’s very close to water hook ups so this will allow lots of
summer water FUN!
I used my Silhouette to cut an arrow out of orange vinyl.

I painted the ceilings white and attached a light.
I bought this light on clearance years ago and never used it,
here’s it’s just décor.

Painted the roof and bridge black.

Isn’t it the cutest Fire Station ever?!?!?
AMAZING what a little paint can do! 
Oh and we anchored it this time...so it should NOT blow over! 
I am in love…….this took me a Saturday and Sunday to paint.

I still have to finish the interior, make a few more signs, install the fire pole, make a wall of ‘fire’ for my son to spray out 
AND convince the hubby that I NEED
THIS:

OMG! Wouldn't this cute little fire bell just complete my project!

oh and THIS:

Every Fireman needs a Fire Fighter Suit!
Check out updates to the Fire Station HERE

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