Hi guys!
This DIY was particularly challenging in that I had to come up with a creative way to make this “Thankful” sign work. You will see what I mean in a minute. But first, here is the list materials that I used. You can download it here.
I purchased this pre-made sign at my local thrift store for around $1. The price was definitely appealing to me so I thought that I would give it a try to make it work for my “Thankful” sign.
As you can see in this close-up picture, the “Liberty” was a top layer made from chip board. It was glued on like nobody’s business!
After a while of prying, I finally had that darn chip board off! I went to work on the frame and the base of the sign with my power sander to smooth things out a bit.
I did a little hand sanding in the corners where my sander didn’t reach.
I decided to paint the “frame” of the sign first. I used black chalk type paint on the back and sides.
After the black paint dried, I used some painters tape to protect it when I painted the base of the sign.
I started with a white chalk type paint for the base, working the edges with a smaller brush first.
I, then, used a larger brush to finish off the remainder of the base. You will notice that the final picture the base is gray. Keep reading and I will show you how I got there.
When I was searching for a “Thankful” stencil, I just couldn’t find one locally at all! After quite awhile of searching around Hobby Lobby, I found these alphabet stickers. And guess what!?! They were on clearance! They were originally $10 marked down to $2.50. Yay! I decided then that I would do a reverse stencil. So, when I painted the white, that’s actually going to be the color of the letters. I used a tape measure to help me center the letters on the board.
Here is what it looked like before I painted the final coat. I used the same chalk type paint, but gray this time. As I was painting this final step, I was careful not to push any paint under the letter stickers. Once I was finished painting, and before the paint dries, I carefully removed the stickers.
I did have to do a little touch up paint on the letters.
Once all the paint had dried, I used a sanding block to distress the sign a little bit. I also added some twine around the inside of the frame for a more rustic feel.
I just love how this turned out and it has made a great addition to my fall decor! Leave me comment below if you like this! You will also want to check out my Facebook Live where I show you a live demo. This time I use just a piece of scrap wood to make this sign.
I hope you enjoyed this DIY “Thankful” sign tutorial!
Happy Crafting!
Krissy