Key To My Heart Sign

Wow!  It's already January 26, 2015!  I don't care what they say...time does fly!  Again, I've taken a little hiatus from the blog.  I could give you many excuses but keeping it real, I just haven't made it a priority.  I've really been struggling personally to get motivated since the holidays and into 2015.  Not quite sure why... but hopefully, I will get back in the grove soon.

Today I'm sharing this easy little Valentine's DIY that's also perfect for all year round.  I usually don't decorate for Valentine's Day but this year I've added a few touches here and there and I'm loving this sign mixed in.  I have it displayed on the upcycled dresser under the tv in our living area.  It's super cute and it just may stay there long past Valentine's Day.

Here's how it all came together.  I cut three 1x3"s at 7" and joined them together using a 7" piece of wood and screws across the back.  (I used scrap pieces I had on hand but a solid piece of wood would work too.)  After a quick sanding, I stained it with Minwax Special Dark Walnut and let it dry.

I traced on a heart shape and filled it in with a couple coats of white ceiling paint.

After letting it dry again, I quickly sanded over the entire piece distressing the edges and the heart.  I used a black sharpie to write "love" in the right hand corner.  I then waxed over it to seal the paint and stain.  I tied the cute little silver key (found at Michael's for $1.50)  to jute string and attached it to the top using a carpenter tack.  Total cost =$1.50.  How awesome is that!

I love how simple and easy this was!  It also speaks to my heart.  I am a true romantic and I love incorporating special pieces like this little sign into our décor.  It not only symbolizes the love I have for my truly amazing husband (who will forever hold the key to my heart) but all the special people in my life like family and friends! 

Are you decorating for Valentine's Day?  I would love to hear from you...comments or questions are always welcome!

See you soon!

Jody

Creating A Vintage Looking Sign

Here in North Carolina, it's been sweltering hot and humid!  And we're only in June! Ugh!  I love warm weather but it's been so hot that I haven't been in the mood to do too many projects outside. (I guess I can't count laying in the pool as a project!) So I've spent some time these last few weeks crafting some things inside that have been on my to do list for a while but I just haven't taken the time to do.  

I found this really cute pool sign on Pinterest  that I knew I could recreate.  I've pictured it hanging on our screened porch for some time now.....

 

 

I started out with a scrap piece of 1x6 cut to 14". (This is why I don't allow my husband to touch my scrap wood pile... I find uses for even the small stuff.)  I used a miter saw to cut it to length but your local Lowes or Home Depot will cut it for you when purchasing the board.  I then spray painted both sides with Valspar outdoor paint in Peacock Blue.  I love this color.... I've used it quite a bit in my outdoor spaces.  I allowed it to dry completely and then used my handy dandy palm sander to distress the edges.  This can be done with just some 60 grit sand paper as well. 

 

Next, I freehanded the arrow using a ruler to get somewhat of a straight edge.  It doesn't have to be perfect....  I then filled in the arrow with white acrylic paint found in the craft section of  Walmart,  Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc.  I also outlined the arrow using black craft paint.  Once it was completely dry ( I allowed it to dry overnight but it's not necessary), I sanded it a second time to remove some of the starkness of the white paint and to also give it that vintage look.  I did use my palm sander in this step but with caution....you do not want to sand off too much.

 

 

Now for the lettering.....  There are many ways out there on Pinterest to create vintage looking signs (and I've tried a lot of them).  But this method is the one I like to use when doing something simple like this.  It's easy and quick!  I used Microsoft Word to print out the word "POOL".  Here, I used the Times New Roman font because I wanted a block style lettering.  However, the font is entirely up to you.  I always make sure it is in bold print and the font size is large enough to fit my area.  In this case, I wanted it to fit within the arrow.

 

After printing it out, I turned it over, retraced, and shaded the letters with a pencil.  I then laid it out on the sign, right side up,  retraced and shaded the letters again.  This will leave an outline/guide for you to follow to paint in the letters.  Using the black craft paint and a small fine tip paint brush, I filled in the letters.  After allowing it to completely dry, I went in with some 80 grit sand paper and lightly sanded the lettering to create that vintage look. 

 

 

 

Now we're down to the final few steps.... I took it outside and sprayed it with a couple of coats of polyacrylic.   I then added some simple hanging hardware, u clips (found at Lowes or Walmart) and wire. 

 

 

 

And here it is!  Hanging from a ladder inside our screened porch.  I love it!  And it was such an easy and inexpensive project....only taking a few hours from start to finish. 

I don't know why it took me so long to get around to it! 

 

 

 

 

I hope you found some inspiration to create a vintage sign of your own!  The possibilities are endless! 

 

Thanks for stopping by and check back often for new posts!