DIY Scrap Wood Sign

This is a great project to use up leftover scrap wood. It's easy to make and customize for whatever type of wood scraps you have available. It makes a wonderful gift or keep it for yourself!

Supply List: 

• Scrap wood, 
• Paint, 
• Brush / Roller, 
• Extra scrap wood for frame (optional), 
• Hairdryer (also optional; used to speed up the drying process), 
• Stencil or Vinyl Decals*

*For this project I used my Sihloutte Cameo cutting machine to cut out vinyl decal stencils. Don't be discouraged if you don't have a cutting machine! I've included links at the very end of this article for 3 of my most popular projects using store bought pre-cut stencils.

I started with a piece of leftover beadboard paneling. The scrap piece I am using is in good shape, but there were some scuff marks which I needed to cover.

LEFTOVER SCRAP OF BEADBOARD PANEL IS BASE FOR HOMEMADE SIGN

I wanted to create a casual farmhouse look. I used small amounts of leftover paint from my stash to create a layered painted background. I started with a base layer of brown.

START WITH A BASE LAYER OF PAINT

I used my hairdryer to speed up the drying process. Once the first layer of was dry, I lightly applied a coat of blue over the brown paint.

ADD LIGHT LAYERS OF PAINT

Next I applied vinyl decals that I cut from my Sihlouette machine onto the painted beadboard.  The vinyl stuck well to the flat surface, but I wasn't sure how well the vinyl would hold up over time since it didn't make contact over the grooves. So at this point I decided to slightly change the direction of the project. 

APPLY VINYL DECALS

I rolled a coat of white paint over the entire board including the vinyl letters. The colored background will now become the color of the text.

ROLL PAINT OVER VINYL STENCILS

Then I removed the vinyl stencils which revealed the layered paint background.

SCRAP WOOD SIGN READY FOR FRAMING

I attached the beadboard sign to a simple frame made from scrap wood that my husband cut for me. And here's my finished sign hanging at my booth. My "Bed & Breakfast" sign sold very quickly! I plan to make another sign to keep for myself and hang it in my guest room.

BED & BREAKFAST SIGN MADE FROM SCRAP WOOD

MAKE SIGNS USING PRE-CUT STENCILS:

Please visit the following articles if you're interested in learning how to make signs using pre-cut stencils,

• Honey, This is So Cute! Tutorial for Stenciling a Sign
• Repurposed Wood Scraps
• Tutorial: DIY Holiday Barn Wood Sign