How to Make Porch Signs
I love Harvest time! Growing up on the prairies meant that every late August the combines would roar and dad often would go to help the neighbors out in the field after work. They would run the combines long into the night hurrying to beat the snow that was sure to follow in an unexpected mannor. I would open my window to let the night breeze come in and hear the combines run, to this day it is such a peaceful feeling to hear them go by. The combines aren’t the only thing I love about Harvest, its that community feeling of everyone coming together, its that feeling of accomplishment that the years worth of planning, working and toiling has come to an end reaping in what was sown. The colors that come with the fields and the leaves, the grass as it all turns to gold in hue and the sky begins to whiten with the warning of a chill in the air letting us know sweaters are now appropriate. It’s the pumpkins and the garden we bring in from a summer of growing, it’s the pie making and fall parties I throw each year. I love decorating for fall and feeling the weather change upon my cheek as I walk out the door. Everyone gets a bit more cheery when you go out. It is a nesting time of getting things prepared for the winter that will follow. But above all, my favorite day of fall is early September when I put on one of my favorite old time cartoon favorites Disney’s Mr.toad and Ichabod crane, I decorate our log home with yellow, reds and golds and I sit down to make my yearly fall signs. This to me is the happy part. I sit with my warm holiday drink and get right to work.
You will need a Cricut machine to cut out the vinyl stencil or make your own to hand paint your own writing or you can also print off a saying in the font you like off google from a free source or download it, then take transfer paper and go over the work to get the completed look. Once you have finished this part you can either paint in around the outline or you can put the vinyl on the wood and seal it in. It is to your preference if you like the painted look compared to the vinyl look, one will by more crisp than the other but both ways will bring out a beautiful project.
Here are the supplies you will need:
1. If you don’t have wood pallet boards you can cut apart and use, no worries! Your local home depot has them for sale in the lumber area, they also will cut them for you to the desired length you want, I usually make them 3.5 to 4 feet tall. Take two little peices of wood for the back that will hold them together, you can add wood glue before you screw them down and let dry for a while. Paint wood with base color and let dry. Then add the vinyl or stencil to the sign. I use tape to lay the vinyl down. Then seal the sign with modge podge outdoor or indoor depending on where your will be setting it. I have used modge podge for years and never had any complaints. I used to use a gloss but it took too long to dry. Now that your sign is ready to go, you can add your decorations to spruce it up, I do my signature bow with a piece of twine and then staple it on with some fall leaves or pinecones. This is a great sign to be outside on the porch to give a touch of holiday décor.
Now the fun part- you can flip the sign face up and paint with your favorite fall color, You should choose 3 colors, a base color, and two colors that go together.
WELCOME SIGNS
Can we just talk about chalk paint for a minute. I have been painting with chalk paint for several years now. The things I have refurbished and created with this amazing invention are uncountable. I love it!! And that is an understatement. Let me count the ways chalk paint is so great for any and all painting projects,
Chalk paint (most brands, I will share my favorites below) do not need any priming. What this means is no sanding, no stripping of paint and stain. You just need to take a damp or dry cloth and clean the surface that is it! Let it dry and begin painting. I started out with chalk paint after I seen some great youtube videos on refurbishing furniture. I became obsessed I painted multiple furniture pieces. The way it adheres to surfaces is amazing and without any prep no less!
It drys fast! I was able to paint projects and it would be completely dry in most cases within 5-10 minutes this is mind blowing! If I did two layers or a heavier layer is was a bit longer but the curing time wasy so quick
The odour is so light. Unlike most paints, the smell is low, I have painted around many family members and taught classes and they all agree the scent is low compared to other paints.
It is easy to manipulate to give a rustic look. After painting with chalk paint I like to take a piece of asand paper and scratch the sides of the furniture, this gives a rustic country look.
Ands but there are only two that hold up to the test. Here are my absolute favorite types of chalk pain, I will tell you I have tried many brands of this paint but my all time favorites are Annie Sloan chalk paint and Americana. Annie Sloan comes in several colors and has a nice thick texture. Don’t let this fool you, one can goes a long way and covers a project very niceelly it is a bit more pricey but in my opinion is so worth it in the end. It last in weather and has that nice chalky finished look. You can only buy it online or in certain paint shops that are soley distributors of the brand. Look in your closest city if they offer it there are so many products and courses in attend in store. My second all time favorite and the cheaper option is Americana chalk paint. These come in smaller cans but again go a long way and are easier if you have a smaller project and don’t want to fork out the cost for the larger can in the other brands. I love the color options and how smooth it applies to my porjects. This definitely is a go to paint for me for most projects. You can buy it at Walmart or micheals. I will purr he links below.
https://www.anniesloan.com/
https://canada.michaels.com/en/search?q=americana
