Skill Level
Intermediate
Time to Make
90 minutes plus drying time
Adult Supervision Needed
Yes
How to Make
- Lay the 3 plaques horizontally, (holes at the top), with a 5cm spacing between each one. Keep in line. It should measure 34cms in length.
- Starting from the left hand side & working down, brush on a brush width of glue & stick down the first wooden stick on both the top & middle plaque, slightly in from the jagged edge so that it is exposed.
- Ensure wooden sticks are straight all the way down before you start on the next row. On the new row, place the stick either higher or lower to the one before to create uneven heights throughout. Ensure there is no gapping. Continue like this until you reach the end of the plaque, leaving the jagged edge exposed, as before.
- Paint the letters, giving at least 2 coats & allowing paint to dry between coats.
- Turn sign over. Between the plaques (on the sticks), glue down 2 sticks horizontally, one from the left edge & the other from the right edge, one above the other. This will reinforce the vertical wooden sticks.
- Paint the sign using a broad hog brush. You don’t have to be perfect, but follow the grain of the wood & make sure the crevices are painted too. Allow to dry.
- With a yellow handled stencil brush, gently dab in white paint & using broad strokes, brush until the brush is almost dry & paint thinned out to give a distressed look. Again you do not need to be perfect. Allow to dry.
- Cut 3 pieces of twine 50cms & plait them. This will become your hanging loop.
- Turn sign over & place a little blob of glue (using glue gun), in the top plaque holes. Insert twine ends into the holes by poking them in. Add small blob of glue again on top of the holes enclosing the twine.
- Space the letters evenly & centrally on the sign & then glue on.
- Using just a thin layer of acrylic varnish, paint the front of the whole sign. Allow to dry & then paint the back. This will protect the wood.
Top Tip
To keep the plaques in place when laying out and measuring, use bluetack. When applying varnish, brushing in the direction of the woodgrain gives a smooth finish.
