All of our rustic wood decking signs are made in our store, but we wanted to share how we build our signs in case you wanted to build them yourself. Anyone with the right tools, materials, and patience can do what we do in our store every day to make their own DIY rustic wooden palette sign. This post is a step-by-step guide on how to build your own rustic wooden sign.
Step 1: get your material
Fortunately, wood is one of the easiest materials to find. Here are some options for getting the wood to use for your sign:
Old pallets – Used pallets are an excellent source of wood. The only downside is that they are large and uncomfortable, and the gift giver will most likely not offer to carry them for you. However, the advantages far outweigh the bad ones:
– rustic pallets are usually free or very cheap
– They are made to withstand a great weight, which is why they are made of hard wood; usually pine at a minimum, but some of the sturdiest are even made from oak or maple.
– the old holes made with the nails from the trowel help add to the rustic look of your DIY wood sign
– Please note that some pallets are pressure treated for outdoor use. You should try to use inner (untreated) paddles if possible. See below for additional information.
Old Fences, Decks, or Barns – Old fences, decks, or barns are also a great choice for a rustic wooden sign. When available, they are usually inexpensive or free. As with old pallets, you will probably have to make arrangements to collect or even disassemble the wooden frame. Be careful: most woods used for decking or fencing have been pressure treated to make them weather resistant. We do not recommend sanding or modifying pressure-treated wood unless you have adequate face and eye protection and adequate ventilation when working with the material. When in doubt, plan to work on the exterior material to ensure its safety. Also, we recommend using weather-treated wood for exterior signs only to ensure safety inside your home.
Lumberyard or Hardware Store: Lastly, you can always purchase lumber from a lumberyard or hardware store like Home Depot for your DIY rustic wooden sign. Although the wood will not provide as much “character” as an alternative sourced wood, it will be consistent and the post-grade wood or wood of choice is fairly inexpensive. Considering the time you would spend finding and preparing other types of wood, this may be the best option for most people regardless of the “reuse” value of the wood. Fortunately, wood like pine is mostly renewable as long as the wood is FSC certified. A great source at Home Depot is the “scrap” lumber section, where you can buy all the different types of lumber at a discount. If you go this route, keep an eye out for warped lumber, as a lot of this lumber is put in the discount section because it doesn’t meet quality standards for full-price lumber.
Step 2: choose your size and shape
The size of your DIY rustic palette sign is entirely up to you and it’s probably easier if you already know what words or what symbols or logos will be placed on the sign. Here are just a few tips to keep in mind when choosing a size for your poster:
– square shapes are the most common – one tip to keep in mind is to make sure to factor in the width of the lumber when choosing a size – for example, a 1 “x4” piece of post grade lumber actually measures 3.5 “wide, so to make a square-sized rustic wood sign you would have to choose a multiple of 3.5” (3.5 “, 7”, 10.5 “, 14”, etc.).
– consider how and where you plan to hang the sign; Depending on the wood you choose, the sign will get quite heavy and you will need some heavy hanging signs if the rustic wood sign is too big.
– consider how you are “connecting” all the pieces. The simplest method of connecting the wooden sign boards is to place the members behind the sign perpendicular to the “boards” to join everything. Horizontal planks will look very different than vertical planks, so make sure you understand what you like before you start cutting. In addition, the “width” of the planks will also determine the appearance of the wooden sign in general, so this will also need to be taken into account.
Shape:
There are a couple of standard shapes for wooden pallet signs:
1. Standard “picket fence” style with horizontal or vertical slats in the front and two perpendicular slats in the back to hold everything together. This method is the easiest way to connect everything and allows you to hang the sign easily by placing a hanger between the two wooden slats on the back of the rustic wood sign.
2. Standard “box frame” sign with a trailing edge around the perimeter of the sign. This gives the sign more depth without using full depth members throughout the sign (and decreasing the overall weight of the sign). This has been a very popular sign lately and offers a great alternative to our standard signs.
3. The Sky’s The Limit – Building a wooden sign is only limited by your imagination, so feel free to get creative! We’ve seen a lot of custom perimeter shapes, usually made with a jigsaw or band saw, or even other “standard” shapes, like ovals or circles – they’re a great way to get someone’s attention!
Step 3: cut and sand
Right and Straight Cut – Remember the old adage “measure twice cut once” for your rustic wood sign. We found that it is easiest to use a miter saw (or a miter box with a hand saw) for any end cut and a table saw will work wonders over a standard circular saw for any full length rip cut and is infinitely safer so keep it in mind, or at least Google it, how to make a straight cut as there are a number of gadgets / tricks to ensure a clean and straight cut.
Sand – Even though you are making a DIY wooden sign, remember to sand it down. Whether you are reusing / repurposing old wood for your sign or if you are using new wood for the sign, you will want the finish to look as consistent as possible and the best way to do that is to sand the entire sign. you too. We recommend starting with a coarse grain (i.e. 50), especially if the existing wood still has any stains or paint on it. You can then work your way up to 100 and finish with a 200 grit sandpaper. This evens out your separate boards and will help you in the next step to finish your homemade wooden sign.
Step 4 – Finish
When creating your own wooden sign, you have a few finishing options:
1. Paint: this is the most common option. Some questions to ask yourself when painting the sign, as it will affect which paint you will need to choose:
– interior or exterior? Interior paints are generally made to be low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds), so they are a good choice when painting a sign that will be placed inside. However, it is not a good choice if the sign will go outside, as interior paints are not made to resist the sun’s ultraviolet rays well.
– Solid or “weathered”? a popular finish option for homemade DIY rustic signs is a “worn” look; This can usually be achieved by thinning the paint of your choice. It is important that you choose a water-based paint that has the ability to thin. Check the label of the paint to confirm whether or not it can be or ask the seller where you are buying the paint.
– What color do you want your font to be? make sure the background goes well with the font
– What shine do you want? Some manufacturers say different names, but you can usually get a smooth, eggshell, semi-gloss, or full gloss finish, depending on your preference.
2. Tints – We offer tints as a standard option for all of our signs. We prefer it because it allows the grain of the wood to show through, the stain (when done with polyurethane cost on top) will last for years, and the stains that are available today have many colors to offer.
3. Nothing / Clear Coat – Some people prefer wood to be kept in its natural shape or covered with a clear coat and we can’t blame anyone for that. There’s a reason to use wood in the first place and it’s always wonderful to let the beauty of wood slip on your rustic sign.
Step 5: letters / illustrations
1. Painted – Similar to the background color, painted signs offer an unlimited number of options. The most important elements you will need to consider when painting is whether the lettering blends well with the background (ie light versus dark, complementary, etc.), whether you want the ‘worn’ or now look, the brightness of the lettering, and what method you will use to paint the letters, whether it be with spray, roller, brush, sponge, etc.
2. Vinyl letters – Vinyl letters are a great choice if you are making standard letters and can find the number or letters available in a store or if you have your own vinyl cutter or plotter, such as a cricut, Vinyl Express or similar .
3. Routing – If you have the right tools and experience, you can opt for the “routed” option.
4. Woodburned letters – again, if you have the right tools and experience, you can go for the “woodburned” option. This will really give your wooden sign a rustic look!
Step 6 – Protection
If your sign is an outdoor sign or will be subject to constant abuse or tampering, we recommend using a protective coating. We typically use a polyurethane clear coat on all of our signs, after the lettering is installed, to help ensure they last for years. Again, you have the choice of a polyurethane gloss from “satin” to gloss.
