How To Make A DIY Wood Sign [Reversible, Cheap, and Easy]
This detailed diy homemade wood sign tutorial shows you how to make four cheap, easy, rustic, reversible, farmhouse wood signs for $18. Yes, that is EIGHT signs of varying sizes total!
Yield: 8 signs (4 reversible signs)
Cost: $18 in lumber
Equipment
- miter saw or miter box with saw
- projector, Cricut, stencil, or something to make letters or designs on your signs (optional if you are artistic and can just free hand it)
Materials
- pack of wood lath (50 piece)
- 1 wood glue
- 1 paint or stain
- 1 paint brush
- 4 command strips (optional)
- 4 scrap pieces of ½ inch thick lumber (optional)
Instructions
- Decide the size of your sign.
- Decide if you want the wood lath pieces to run horizontal or vertically.
- Pick the straightest wood lathe pieces out for large signs and for the frame pieces.
- This step is less important for smaller signs.
- Cut the wood lathe pieces to desired length/or width.
- Work on a surface that can get glue on it or protect it with plastic/wax paper.
- Glue each piece together and secure with painters tape to ensure the glue bonds the boards together tightly.
- Work in small sections for larger signs or just glue all of the wood pieces together for smaller signs.
- Allow the glue to dry completely
- Sand the access glue off the boards before painting or staining.
- Paint, whitewash, or stain one side of the wood lath board.
- Allow to dry.
- Paint, whitewash, or stain the opposite side of the wood lath board. Note: the paint/stain may bleed through to the other side so you may want to consider painting each side the same color.
- Allow to dry.
- Cut your wood lath frame pieces to size, cutting approximately 45 degree angles. Remember to cut long and then slowly cut down until the desired cut is achieved.
- Dry fit the frame pieces to make sure the fit is appropriate.
- Paint, whitewash, or stain the frame pieces. Allow to dry.
- Place ½ inch boards (or 2 stacked pieces of scrape lath) under the wood lath board in preparation for adding the framing. This step is essential so there is framing on each side of the sign. Don't worry if the framing appears uneven on each side. It is virtually unnoticeable when the sign is hung up (refer to the video if this step seems confusing)
- Attach the frame pieces around the edges of the wood lath board with wood glue. Secure the frame edges with painters tape to hold the framing securely together while it dries.
- Allow the glue to dry.
- Sand off access glue and touch up paint , whitewash, or stain if needed.
- Decorate your sign using stencils, projector, Cricut, or free-hand.