{DIY} Gray Barn Antiques Sign

I love old signs. The chippy, faded kinds. 

Ones that have hung from local businesses with pride, and weathered many storms. 

A little piece of history to hang on our four walls. Yes, please.

But, sometimes the right ones can be hard to find. And when you do find them, the price can be hard to swallow. 

So, I'm sharing a sign I recently made using found wood and paints that I had on-hand. The only thing I purchased was a new set of small paintbrushes for the lettering.  

You'll need a piece of wood. Start by painting it white, making sure NOT to cover it evenly. A quick coat will do. You want it to look weathered. (I went lighter near the edges.)

Next, type out your words. I used Word for Mac and the "Iowan Old Style Black" font in size 180. Print out the words on regular computer paper. Cut off excess paper so that you can position the words how you want them on the wood. 

Make sure your words are the right size to fit on your sign.

Turn the words over and use a pencil to scribble over the backside of the letters.

Turn them right side up and tape down into place. Pressing fairly hard, trace over each letter with a pencil, burnishing them onto the sign.

Use a small paintbrush with a pointed tip to carefully paint in each letter. I chose to use a gray paint for this sign. And remember, you don't need gray paint - just mix a few drops of your black craft paint in with your white craft paint. ;)

Once your sign dries completely, sand it as if your life depends upon it. 

And there you have it - - your vintage inspired sign!

This one is a gift... hope she likes it!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Xo