I so enjoy this time of year. The flowers by my porch are blooming, hummingbirds are frequenting my feeder, yellow finches are singing their pretty songs, fireflies are filling the night, and the garden is showing signs of life. It truly is the ordinary and Little Things in Life that bring such joy.
The Quiet Spring Beauty seems to be lifting praises to their Creator a little louder every day.
When we moved into our little rental farmhouse about one and a half years ago, the house and grounds looked pretty bare.
Preexisting flowerbeds laid empty around two sides of the house. Thankfully they had not been neglected, and required very little weeding, but they housed nothing but a section of ever-growing mint.
So this spring I decided to focus my attention on making one section of the beds lovely again: the kitchen porch beds. These are two sections on either side of the little wooden porch that leads into our mudroom. The patio itself needs an overhaul, but that’s another project for another day.
I planted a variety of perennials around the porch, placed a homemade table off to the side and a ladder on the other, and added embellishments like a galvanized metal bucket, and terracotta pots.
I then decided that this space needed words. So I made this primitive inspired sign. If you’d like to make one for your home, follow the instructions below.
How to Make a Garden Sign
What You’ll Need
- Wood
- Wire
- Wire cutters
- Drill and drill bits
- Saw (optional)
- Paint pen
- Pencil
- Lettering template
Instructions
- Choose the wood. I had an old piece of barn wood that I wanted to use for this project. Yours does not have to be made of rustic wood like this. Project wood from the hardware store will also do!
- Measure. I made my sign 15 inches long and 4.5 inches wide.
- Cut the wood according to your measurements. I recommend using a chop saw for this step in the process.
- Print out this lettering template if you want to use the same lettering as I did. I sketched this up by hand and designed it to fit a 15×4.5 inch board.
- Line the template up in the center of the board.
- Use a pencil to trace over the letters. Be sure to press down firmly so the indent of the pencil will transfer to the wood.
- Remove the template once the tracing is complete.
- Fill in the marks made by the pencil with a paint pen.
- Using wire cutters, cut a wire at 16 inches long.
- Drill two holes on the top of the sign. The size of drill bit you’ll need depends on the size of the wire you have. Each hole should be about 2 inches from the edges.
- Add the wire and twist the ends with wire cutters.
Get the lettering template!
If you make this project and love how it turned out, feel free to come back and comment about your experience. I’d love to see your creation and how you used it!
Keep in Mind
- This little sign does not have to be hung! Feel free to skip the part about drilling holes and adding the wire. It’ll also look great propped against an old watering can or flower pot.
- This tutorial is quite flexible. Feel free to use a different finish of wood, paint color, and measurements than I did. Make the wire longer or shorter depending on how you’d like the sign to hang. The nature of this piece is to look homie, custom, and primitive.
Is it Weather Proof?
My sign in not because I’d like it to become more rustic and weathered with age, but you can make yours weather proof if you’d like to!
Just add a layer of water-repellent preservative before painting, and apply wood sealer after all the painting is complete and dry.
This should make it last much longer and preserve the look.
Must I Use a Paint Pen?
You do not have to. I prefer paint pens because they apply easier, maintain a clean look, and I don’t have to dip a paintbrush in paint over and over.
This is the paint pen I used for this project. This brand is my favorite for calligraphy work!
Can I Hang It Without the Wire?
Yes! Just use a brackets like this on the back of your sign and hang it on a nail.
A Command strip may also work depending on where you plan to hang it (out of the rain would be best for this).
How do I Paint on rough barn wood?
Very carefully. Depending on the grain of your wood, the paint can tend to splatter and make a mess on other parts of the wood. I try to paint with the grain of the wood as much as I possibly can. This usually aids in keeping my lettering tidy.
I enjoy having this primitive looking sign hanging outside of our kitchen door because this is the entrance that everyone utilizes.
Sometimes a visitor comes calling when I am out in the garden, which is located on the opposite side of the house. I usually can’t hear or see someone pull into the driveway when I’m tending to the garden.
My hope is that this sign will direct them to check the garden if I do not answer their knock. We will see how well it serves this purpose!
The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
Isaiah 58:11
More DIY Projects
- Banner for Nursery
- How to Sew a Half Apron
- Table Runner From Drop Cloth
- How to Cover a Seat Cushion With Drop Cloth