Today's craft is a "Be" sign with a vintage look. I wanted some inspirational art for our family room and I love vintage signs, so I wanted it to look old and worn.
1) I started with a cheap piece of plywood. I choose one with a big crack in it so it would have a little more character.
2) I brushed on my turquoise paint, but I watered it down so the wood grain would show through.
3) I printed off the text I wanted in different fonts so I could have a guide. I painted each phrase in a different color and in a different font. I ran some of the words off the edge of the sign.
4) After all the words were done, I roughed it all up with some sandpaper and gave it a coat of this (but I watered it down big time.) You could use any brown paint and just water it down.
5) I dry-brushed a little black paint on the edges and called it done. Here's a few final shots.
And now you can see how it incorporates the same colors from the pillow I made last week and the rug colors, too.
I did the letters free hand and if you do the same, don't be overly-concerned about making them perfect. I think the hand-painted look is charming. Good luck! Let me know if you try it!
Thank you SO much for stopping by. Tomorrow I have a fun edition to the playroom. Stay tuned!

83 comments:
First time to your blog, I love it! And I love this sign, I was wondering which fonts you used?
It is a great piece of work. Looks so good with your pillow and rug. It is amazing how you come up with all these ideas that can re-create a room.
I love that! You are so talented!
I really love this. I can't believe you free handed the letters. Very impressive. I've been wanting to do a "Be" sign for my home, but I haven't liked any of the vinyl lettering projects they were doing at church. Im going to have to give this a try.
I love your take on the Bes. I have seen so many...but yours I actually want to sneak in your house and take! Great job!
I love this! And you free handed it?! Impressive!
It came out gorgeous!!!
Yoli :)
Beautiful! I love the background color of the sign and the aged look. :-)
LOVE it! It turned out great! I just might have to come and steal this one!
Having just painted some pics myself, this project is impressive! I love it! So cool!
Nice work on the sign. You have a gift for free hand. Yours is a work of art.
I love this! I've wanted to display the "be's" in my house too, and I love the vintage look. great inspiration--thanks!!
This is sooooo pretty!
You did a great job! Thanks for showing us how you did it.
Sylvia
Newbie here to your blog...this is gorgeous! I love the turquoise. Great job!
What a great use for all the scrap lumber in my garage.:)
Wow that turned out so pretty! I love it.
-Crystal
This is really beautiful!
That is simply fantastic!!! Love it!
So very cute! Thanks for sharing.
3578 Pattaya 2208 Thailand 3456
Oh this is beautiful! Could you please just make mine! :) I know mine won't look as beautiful as yours! But I really want to try - thank you so much for sharing the how to's
Very well done. I like the way you did this step by step tutorial. Love the wording.
Have a wonderful day!
darlene
Coming over from the Shabby Nest, and now a new follower! I think this came out beautifully! Nicely done!
That is a terrific idea. I want to make one for my daughter's room. I will let you know when I try it.
Love this and the blue pillow on your sofa!
Holy moly... LOVE that sign. Great job... I am so impressed with the free hand work!
This is super cute!! I need to make something like this, so thanks for the idea!! I found you through Crystal's Craft spot.
You should come by on Monday and link your projects (because they are super cute!)
Kaysi
www.craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com
I'm a first time visitor to your blog and I love what you did with the "B's" sign, Pottery Barn meets Enrichment night. I have been through a couple "B" signs and they just don't seem to go with my decor. I'm going to try my hand at this one.
Court @ frog2fab.blogspot.com
I love it! Totally my style!
Wow! you did those letters by hand!?
Love Love Love the sign!
I've seen those written somewhere before!!!! Gotta love the guy that said them:)
This is fabulous! I love the colors you used as well as the finish! Great job ...simply stunning!
It's so pretty. Great job!
Love it! Definitely going to feature it in my Readers Rock post this coming weekend!! :)
This is gorgeous! I clicked over to your mailbox post from Tip Me Tuesday and I'm loving all your great ideas!!
freehanded lettering! you're too good!!
Love the "worn" look of the "Be's"! It's amazing how inspired Pres. Hinkley was!
Love your sign! What a beautiful addition. Becki
Very cute! You have some "mad" painting print skills... great job! Thank you for sharing at the POPP.
LoVe LoVe LoVe this and the colors!! Great JoB!! I featured it on my blog:
www.thecreativecrate.blogspot.com
Thanks so much for sharing!!
This is absolutely charming, and I can't believe your talent... you hand-painted those letters on?! Wow!! Good work and thanks for sharing!
Alison
http://oopsey-daisy.blogspot.com/
This is soooo super cute!!! I love it!
Stopped by your blog via Creative Crate...love the "be" sign. Darling.
What a creative new way for a "Be" sign. Way to go!!
This is truly FABULOUS. Really. I am completely in love. I am going to host it on my blog I love it so much. (giving the credit right back to you) Really. Amazing. And you free hand those letters? I hope I can do one in about a week that is similar. I am sure my letters will notlook as good. But, I will try. Just love love love it!
www.creationcorner.blogspot.com
This is awesome. Way to go. You are very talented.
this is so great! i can NOT believe you freehanded it?? i love, love the colors! i am filing this at thecraftersfilebox.com. thanks so much for sharing!!
really amazing and i love how it pulls in the pillow colors. gorgeous!
You had me thinking I would try this until I heard it was free handed! :) Love it. Maybe if I tried it with golden gel medium to transfer the printouts onto the wood. Thanks for the inspiration!
The cutest sign
I have seen in FOREVER...you should sell them....Doing a little Sunday morning blog hopping...Its snowing here.
I have 2 GREAT GIVEAWAYS that I will draw for tonight ...
stop by and leave a comment...That's all that's needed.
Teresa
http://teresa-grammygirlfriend.blogspot.com/
I love this sign! I've been looking for a good way to do this for my home and love this idea. Great job!
www.sjscrafts.blogspot.com
umm you wanna make me one and I'll buy it? So dang cute!!!!
april@sweetrubyblankets.com
I love your Be's!!! Mostly because it isn't the regular ol' Super Sat. project that everyone has...very unique!
Thanks for sharing...have a fantastic day!
Jenn @ www.redberrybarn.blogspot.com
FANTASTIC! I love it! Makes me feel inspired. Off to poke around your blog!!! :)
this is amazing! Love it!! Following you now! Please feel free to check out my blog at
www.phillipsfam22.blogspot.com
Thanks for sharing! :)
~Erin
wow! This is amazing! I just found your blog and love it!
~Ashley at simplydesigning.blogspot.com
simplydesigning.etsy.com
really wonderful!!!
Crazy cute and also crazy you can hand paint those letters so well. Love it!
So CUTE! I'd love to feature it on my blog! fantastic!
Amy
emiliebean.blogspot.com
oh i love pres Hinckley's quote! i had it framed when i was in high school! love this project!!!!!!
Cheri, I adore this sign! I think everyone else does too 'cause I think I saw it featured like 3 times! Such a totally awesome idea. Also, do we both have a love for Rod Works, perhaps?? I'm thinking I have that same bicycle in my playroom. . .
I absolutely love this sign. Can you please make me one.. no seriously..I will totally pay you. I write like a left handed monkey without thumbs, I could never get mine this gorgeous!
I love this! I too was wondering which fonts you used?
OHh how delightful!
I have seen so many "Be" signs out there but never loved them as much as this one. You did a wonderful job! I will be featuring this on my blog on Monday.
Endlesscrafting.blogspot.com
Come by and grab your featured button!
This is fabulous!! Thanks for sharing.
love this, decided to paint one myself :) also, just out of curiosity, what fonts did you use? There's a couple there I'd like to use for future projects
I'm sorry, but I don't have a list of all the fonts I used, but every single one of them was from picnik.com and they were all the free fonts. You can find them there.
Wow! I was searching for tips on how to paint words on canvas & I found your AMAZING "be" sign. I love to do stuff like this, but am pretty sure my free-hand won't be as impressive. You've inspired me to try though. Could you please tell me what type of paint brushes you use for lettering?
thanks!
christie
Hey Christie,
I use a brush that's pretty fine, about a half inch wide, and it's angled. I hope that helps! Good luck!
Cheri
Wow I cant believe you did the word free-hand. Its absolutely beautiful!
ps. stopping by from the creative crate
this is so gorgeous, I am so stealing it! Love your blog, you are amazingly creative! thanks for sharing all your beautiful stuff!
Wait. You FREEhanded those letters?? Uh...oh. Feeling the intimidation...I guess I can always just give it a shot...I really really love this Be sign though. It is fantastic.
You are so talented on so many levels! I'm totally smitten with your blog. I am always inspired when I stop by!
This is great! I can't believe you painted all those letters by hand! I totally would need a stencil!
Love this sign! You inspired this idea for my girls room http://thewridefamily.blogspot.com/2011/07/young-women-values-sign.html
(I'll try to upload it to the flicker group soon) Love your blog!
free hand? wow.... what if i can't free hand?? any other ways of transferring it? thank you!
Aw! I recognize these "Be" quotes! My favorite—Gordon B. Hinckley!
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