• About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Work With Us
    • The Creative Team
    • Disclosures
  • Subscribe
  • Shop Our Products
  • My Account
  • Cart
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • DIY & Decor ▾
    • Crafts
    • Home Decor
    • Home Improvement
    • Technology
  • Recipes ▾
    • Breakfast
    • Appetizers
    • Side Dishes
    • Easy Dinner Ideas
    • Slow Cooker
    • Fun Food
    • Desserts
  • Clean/Organize
  • Kid Ideas ▾
    • Birthdays
    • Castle Playroom
    • Outer Space Bedroom
    • Teacher Appreciation
    • Travel Tips
  • Free Printables
  • Holidays ▾
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Mother’s Day
    • Memorial Day
    • Father’s Day
    • Independence Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • New Year’s
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Gift Ideas

Ideas for the Home

You are here: Home / Home Decor Ideas / The Easiest Tutorial Ever for How to Make a Wood Sign with Inspirational Type

By Lori Greco on June 6, 2016 3 Comments

The Easiest Tutorial Ever for How to Make a Wood Sign with Inspirational Type

Craft Ideas· Home Decor Ideas

  • Share
  • Tweet

You’ll need this easiest tutorial ever for how to make a wood sign with for just a few dollars! Add a beautiful accent to any room for less than $30.

Hi Kenarry readers, this is Lori from Greco Design Company here today to show you how to make a wood sign with an inspirational quote for just a few dollars! I’ve got a very easy technique that anyone can do and add some meaningful art to your walls.

how to make a wood sign with inspirational type

Wood signs with type are such a hot trend right now but they can be very expensive. Plus most of them are mass produced and don’t have that true hand-painted look. I saw one specific wood sign in a home design catalog with the words to one of my favorite songs: You Are My Sunshine.

This catchy tune was a popular song first recorded back in 1939 by two country singers and since then it’s been covered so many times that it has become “one of the most commercially programmed numbers in American popular music” according to Wikipedia.

Artists such as Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, Ike and Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, and Brian Wilson, have performed it. It’s such a sweet message that obviously has stood the test of time. I love it too because it appears in one of our favorite movies: Trouble with the Curve. Clint Eastwood sings it to his wife at her grave. It’s a tear jerker. And an awesome movie.

painted wood sign from catalog

I knew this wood sign from the catalog would not only look great in our home but also have a lot of meaning. I love the worn look of the wood, the gray and white colors, and it’s rustic, imperfect style. But it was $300.

So I decided to make one myself. If you follow my oh-so-easy steps you can take any of your wood sign ideas and turn them into a beautiful piece of art with a quote that’s inspirational and meaningful to you too. And you can save over $280. I made this knock-off for under $20!

how to make a wood sign with inspirational type

First, you need to get your materials. I realized that the catalog sign was 26″ square which wouldn’t have worked for the wall I wanted to hang this on in our home anyway. We needed a longer, narrower size.

Normally when constructing a sign like this, I would buy a piece of common board and some trim pieces for the raised frame. But then I saw a wood sign at Michael’s with a similar construction as the catalog sign with the raised framing – and the size was perfect. And it was only $16. yeah! I knew with a little work, I could refurbish this sign to include our fav song lyrics and create a more unique, hand-painted look.

Here are the steps to make a wood sign

how to make a wood sign with inspirational type

1. Sand the back of the sign to give the wood a better surface for repainting. You should do this step even if you’re starting with bare wood.

how to make a wood sign with inspirational type

2. Next, paint the background of the board whatever color you choose. I used white acrylic paint and it needed two coats. I sanded the board again to give it a distressed look.

how to make a wood sign with inspirational type

3. While the paint is drying, print out your inspirational quote or song lyrics on your computer. I needed to tape my printouts together at a size to fit my sign. I like how the type is very simply laid out without any punctuation.

how to make a wood sign with inspirational type

4. Then, trace the outline of your letters on the BACK SIDE of the paper. I find taping the paper to a window makes it easier to see through it and trace it.

how to make a wood sign with inspirational type

5. Next, place the paper PENCIL SIDE DOWN (right reading) on your sign where you want it to go. Using your pencil, rub the outline of the letters on the FRONT SIDE. This will transfer the pencil markings from the BACK SIDE of the paper onto your wood sign. I carefully taped the paper onto the wood so it didn’t shift while I was transferring.

how to make a wood sign with inspirational type

6. Remove the paper and you have a faint outline of each letter that you can now paint!

how to make a wood sign with inspirational type

7. Paint your letters whatever color you choose. I used black and white acrylic paints to make a dark gray color. Since my lyrics were quite long, this step took a long time, but it was worth it! Let the paint fully dry.

how to make a wood sign with inspirational type

8. After all the letters are painted, lightly sand the board again by hand so the type has a bit of a worn look – adding to the unique, rustic feel of the piece.

how to make a wood sign with inspirational type

Hang as you’d like and enjoy your unique, inspirational hand-painted wood sign. The meaningful quote will be so nice to look at each day. And I didn’t have to spend over $300!

how to make a wood sign with inspirational type

Here are a few other related posts you may enjoy:

DIY painted globe with type

DIY Painted Globe & How to Transfer Type

DIY typography artwork

Type Art that Speaks to You

how to make a patriotic wood tray

Patriotic Wood Tray

What’s Next?

While you’re here be sure to check out other home decor ideas on Ideas for the Home by Kenarry® –

  • Easy Faux Wood Burning Technique With Free Pattern
  • How to Stencil Faux Tile Around Your Fireplace
  • How To Make A Beautiful Pallet Wall Hanging Vase
  • Share
  • Tweet

Craft Ideas· Home Decor Ideas

About Lori Greco

Lori is a freelance graphic designer living in the Boston area with her husband, their three kids and a yellow lab puppy. She started Greco Design Company in 2014 when she realized that her love for design was extending beyond the corporate advertising world and into all areas of her life. She shows us some unique but simple DIY projects, gives some great ideas for home design, provides her outlook on current fashion trends, and loves to do beauty and product reviews. She incorporates her graphic design background through her free printables, paintings, signs, art prints, invitations and stationery on her blog and in her Etsy shop. Lori believes in the importance of surrounding ourselves with good, purposeful design that can help streamline our lives and still be affordable. Her tutorials are easy to follow as she shows how you can make anything you set your mind to!

Lori shared her great ideas on Ideas for the Home by Kenarry® from June 2015 - September 2019. Follow Lori on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

In this ultimate guide, you'll learn how to make a burlap wreath with ribbon for your home. The FREE eBook includes easy step-by-step instructions plus inspiring craft and decor ideas to make wreaths for fall, Christmas, Easter and other holidays.

Subscribe today to get ideas in your inbox plus FREE exclusives only for Idea Insiders!

Almost there! Now just check your email to confirm your e-mail address and get your free eBook.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

You're already signed up! YAY! As an Idea Insider you have instant access to our Kenarry Idea Insider Resource Library with exclusive printables, offers and other freebies as soon as you confirm your subscription.
Previous Post: « Kids Playroom Ideas: A Whimsical and Fun Reveal
Next Post: DIY Coat Rack: An Easy Wall-Mounted Idea With Hooks »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Luke Yancey says

    June 16, 2016 at 9:06 am

    This is so smart! Not only does it give you the option of any quote you want, it potentially saves you hundreds of dollars. What brand of paint did you use? Is any acrylic okay? My wife has been dying for one of these, so I think I’ll show her this article and see if she’ll like this alternative.

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      June 16, 2016 at 9:45 pm

      Thanks, Luke! We’re so glad you enjoyed the project. I bet you or your wife would enjoy making it. I’ll ask Lori at Greco Design Company to respond to your specific questions about the type of paint she used.

      Reply
    • Lori says

      June 16, 2016 at 10:16 pm

      Thanks Luke! For the type I used Liquitex Acrylic Paints – You can find these at most art or craft supply stores such as Michael’s or A.C. Moore. The background is actually interior house paint too! So I think any acrylic paint would-be fine! Good luck!!
      Lori

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Carrie Ypma from Ideas for the Home by Kenarry®Hello, I'm Carrie! Welcome to Ideas for the Home by Kenarry® where we want to help you create a home you love. We're glad you're here! Read more...

Sign Up and Get a Free Gift

Subscribe to become an Idea Insider. You'll get our weekly newsletter plus special deals and other resources that are only for subscribers -- all for FREE!

Almost there! Now just check your email to confirm your e-mail address and get your free eBook.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

You're already signed up! YAY! As an Idea Insider you have instant access to our Kenarry Idea Insider Resource Library with exclusive printables, offers and other freebies as soon as you confirm your subscription.
In this ultimate guide, you'll learn how to make a burlap wreath with ribbon for your home. The FREE eBook includes easy step-by-step instructions plus inspiring craft and decor ideas to make wreaths for fall, Christmas, Easter and other holidays.
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Shop Our Products
  • My Account
  • Cart

Footer

Disclosure: Posts may include affiliate links for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions are our own. You are reading and following advice from Kenarry, LLC at your own risk. Always use safety precautions. You should read and follow manufacturer’s directions for the products and tools you use. Read more.

 

Privacy Policy: The privacy of your personal information is important. We make every effort to safeguard your information and will never sell it to third parties. Read our privacy policy.

Terms of Use: You are welcome to link to this site or use a single image and brief description to link back to any post. Republishing posts in their entirety is prohibited without permission. All images are property of Kenarry, LLC. Do not crop or remove watermark. Do not reproduce without link back or permission. If you do link to this site, please contact us to let us know. All free printables offered are for personal use only. Pinning is always welcome and appreciated. Thank you!

As it relates to comments and content posted on this blog by those other than the owners, any such content that contains the copyrighted and/or proprietary work of others is expressly prohibited and will be removed. Repeated posting of such content by the same user may result in that user being banned from this site.

Copyright © 2021 Kenarry LLC Powered by Captivating Theme on Genesis Framework WordPress Log in