I’m really getting into the Christmas spirit all of the sudden!  So I thought it’s time to make a fun Christmas sign for the Modern Farmhouse front porch!

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Easy DIY Christmas Sign

So what better way to get into the season than with making this Farmhouse Style wooden sign for the front porch Christmas decor!   There are a couple ways you can do this.  The way I’m going to show you uses a fun little projector you can buy.  I love this tool and use it often, for signs, fun canvas painting, anything you need to duplicate and enlarge!  Here’s a link where you can get the one similar to mine.

Another option is just enlarging your words or letters on your computer to the size you would like and print them out.  Then lay the paper print out on your base painted board and trace around the outside of the letters pressing down hard.  This will leave an imprint you can see (be sure to have really good lighting).  Then you’ll just fill in, the same way I’ll explain below.

 

FARMHOUSE SIGN

Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need to make this cute sign.

piece of wood, any size you want your sign to be

computer to print out your words (enlarged if not using a projector)

printed out words or letters on paper

projector (maybe extension cord)

2 paint colors of your choice.  I used red & off white (tip, buy the little sample jars from Home Depot in the color you choose!)

chip brush or sponge roller, small artist brush, pencil

disposable plate, disposable water cup, paper towels

sanding sponge

*optional: Valspar dark aging wax from Lowes

*optional: Polyurethane

 

Step 1: paint your Farmhouse sign

Let’s begin by painting out your board with either the chip brush or sponge roller, the color you want as your background.  In my case, I’m using white, as I want  my letters to be red!  There’s no special way to do this….just get the paint on there & cover it well.  Depending on  your paint, you may want to do 2 coats, letting it dry between coats.  Then let the base color dry well.

 

STEP 2:  TRACE YOUR LETTERS

Next, taking your words or letters that you printed off from your computer in the font of your choice (I used      font) along with your projector and set it up in a darkened room.  My favorite place is my bathroom.  Lean your board up against a wall and take your projector and sit it up on a box or something that will give you the height needed to cast the projection on your board as desired.  Place the lettering under the projector (for more detailed use, check out the instructions that come with the machine).  You’ll need to turn your lights off of course and the extention cord as needed.

Trace around your letters with a pencil and a light hand. You don’t want to press down too hard, as it might show thru when you go to paint the letters in.  You may need to move the projector up or down to get the words in the right area on the board, depending on your phrase you choose.

STEP 3:  PAINT YOUR LETTERS

After you get this done, (and turn the lights on!) you are now ready to paint in the letters!  In my case, I am using red!  Just use a smaller brush, such as an artist brush.  I place some of the red paint on a Styrofoam plate (and I have a small cup of water handy to stick my brush in when done) and just start filling in the traced letters with the paint, being careful to stay within the lines.  Channel your kindergarten days! lol

STEP 4: SAND AND DISTRESS

Once the letters are done, let this dry completely.  Next you’ll want to take a sanding sponge to lightly sand back the surface.  This makes it more rustic but also hides a ton of boo boo’s if you didn’t exactly stay nice and neat within your lines!  I also like to sand back near the edges to give it a time worn look.

Just wipe off the surface with a damp paper towel to get rid of all the dust.  As an added option, you can use Valspar Dark aging wax to give it a more vintage look.  Just take an old rag and dip a tiny bit of the rag into the can, then rub it on the board where ever you want to be more aged (or all over if you’d like) then wipe it immediately off.  This also gives it a bit of protection.

If you’re board is going outside and in the winter weather, I would suggest you adding a nice top coat to protect it, such as polyurethane or even a spar urethan for wet weather.  But for mine, it’s on the porch protected, so it’ll be just fine!  You could also use exterior latex house paint, then you wouldn’t have to worry as much with the weather!

EASY AND QUICK FARMHOUSE SIGN

So there you have it!  An easy way to make your own custom Farmhouse style Christmas Sign for your front porch or even inside your house!  Please comment below and let me know if you make a sign.  I’d love to see photos!  Tag me on Instagram or Facebook.