This post is sponsored by 3M, however all opinions are my own.
As fall comes in, I am hanging on like crazy to keep spending time outside. So, I thought I would bring a little fall touch to screened porch with an easy DIY outdoor fall sign. And when I say easy, it really is. If you can trace a line - you can do this!
I have had this old cabinet door, bought at a yard sale, for a million years. It was $5 and I knew as soon as I saw it, it would be perfect to create a sign.
To get started, I went all pulled out my
3M™ Safe-Release™ Painter's Tape
So here is how I did it:
Step 1:
I painted out the whole thing in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Paris Grey. I let it dry several hours. Then using my 3M™ Safe-Release™ Painter's Tape, I taped out the edges of where I wanted to fill in another color. Once it was in place, I went back the edge several times with my thumb to make sure it was sealed fully.Step 2:
Paint in the channel between the tape lines. I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Versailles.Step 3:
As soon as you are finished painting, I removed the tape.
Step 4:
Then I went to my printer and printed out the word welcome. I used Halo Handletter font in size 819 because that fit the paper horizontally and filled in the space. I created mine in Photoshop Elements, however, with a little trial and error for size, this could easily be done in a Word document. I simply taped the pieces of paper together with the letters lined up.Step 5:
Turning the paper over, I colored the back of the letter with pencil.Step 6:
Place the paper in place and use 3M™ Safe-Release™ Painter's Tape to hold the paper in place. Then trace the outline of the letters with pencil.
Step 7:
Remove the paper and you will now see pencil marks where the outline of your letters are. This is the same technique I used when I created my Sharpie art coffee table.Step 8:
Using craft paint and a small paint brush, fill in the lines.Step 9:
I chose to also tape out and paint an additional border while the paint dried.Step 10:
Using a darker color, add shadows to your letters on the right and underside of each letter.
Step 11:
I took the sign outside at this point and knocked all the paint down with sand paper and removed all the dust.Step 12:
I then added a coat of Annie Sloan Dark Wax.Step 13:
I wiped it back so it wasn’t too dark and then added a final coat of Annie Sloan clear wax. This gave it a final seal and also took back some of the darkness. By doing it in these steps, it creates move of a “layered” and vintage look. If it is going to be used in direct sun, you will probably want to seal it with a clear sealer so the wax does not melt.Here is a close-up look of the finish after all of the steps.
Don’t be intimidated to make your own sign with your own words or even images / pictures. If you can trace! you can do this!
And of course, having the right tools makes all of the difference. Using the 3M™ Safe-Release™ Painter's Tape allowed me to quickly and easily form clean paint lines and details without damaging the painted surfaces.
You can follow along with 3M for ideas on other projects here:
Thanks so much for reading and have a great day!
This post is a collaboration with 3M™ Safe Release Painter's Tape Brand.
#spon: I'm required to disclose a relationship between our site and ScotchBlue Painter's Tape. This could include the ScotchBlue Painter's Tape providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.
