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:

ScotchBlue’s Pinterest Page

ScotchBlue’s Facebook Page

ScotchBlue’s Twitter Page

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.