DIY Not-So-Vintage Market Sign

Hey friends! A lot of you liked my Not-So-Vintage Market sign that I posted on Instagram this week:

If you didn’t see it there, then maybe you found this through my Transformation Tuesday-Breakfast Nook post. Anyway, doesn’t matter. You are here now! Let’s get to it!

**Disclaimer: these are not the same steps I take to make a hanging sign for purchase**

My breakfast nook was looking pretty bare. Not to mention, I am obsessing over HGTV’s Fixer Upper and JoJo has me hooked on this farmhouse look. Now if you are familiar with my style or my blog, you know that we are just not farmhouse folk. So this is my own rendition on the “vintage market sign.” My twist is that it isn’t so vintage!

What you’ll need:

Piece of wood (I used a 1×8 cut 3′ long)
Black Sharpie
Tim Holtz® Distress Ink Pad (my preferred color is Walnut Stain)
Sealant-I use Rust-Oleum {purchase here}
Pencil
Sandpaper (I use 120 grit)
Computer
Printer
Printer Paper
Wood Stain (I used MinWax Golden Pecan)
Paint Brush for staining
Cloth for distressing (can also be used for staining)

What to do:
Step 1:
Apply your wood stain. I did this liberally, however you can add several coats waiting after the dry time to achieve the look you want. I am not patient enough for that so I just applied two coats and wiped off the excess in between.

Step 2:
Let that stain DRY! Then, after deciding what you want your sign to say, just type it up in Microsoft Word. I download fonts that I like from 1001freefonts. Make sure that your font is large enough that it fits on your sign the way you want it to.

Step 3:
Print that baby out! I had to tape mine because it took 3 sheets of paper (4 including the bottom word) to cover the length of the sign. Turn the paper over once you have your words the way you want, and heavily shade over the letters using pencil. *You will be shading the back of your printed paper.

Step 4:
Place your printed (and now shaded) words onto your wood exactly where you would like them to be when the sign is complete. You should be looking at the printed words (not the shaded side). Then tape down the edges of the paper. I use FrogTape and you can see why I am obsessed with it {here}. You may have to fold the paper over the side of the wood. That’s fine

Step 5:
Trace the edges of the letters (you may have to press a little harder than you think). When you lift up the paper, you will see the outline of the word/s you want on your sign. Tracing the letters presses the lead from the shading you did onto the wood.

Step 6:
Take your Sharpie, trace and color in your words!

Step 7:
You can sand different areas of the wood to scuff it up a bit and make it look distressed

Step 8:
Press your cloth into the Tim Holtz® Distress Ink Pad and rub onto your wood in places that would naturally be bumped and scuffed. Focus on edges and random places throughout the front of your wood.

Step 9:
Use a sealant to protect your project! Spray your new sign with the sealant.

Step 10:
(Fun Fact: I am adding this step because it drives me crazy to end on an odd number!)
Hang your sign up! Your finished project will look something like this:

I hope you enjoyed this! I’d love to see what you create using this tutorial! Please leave your comments or questions below. As always…Have a happy day!

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