Since I’m on spring break and spring is all around us I decided it’s time to do some spring decorating. Is that enough spring in one sentence for you? : ) I’ve got some other things up my sleeve for re-doing my mantle shelf, so that will be coming soon. Today I’m going to show you how easy it is to make a vintage spring sign. Of course you can always buy one, but what’s the fun in that!
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Materials Used
As usual, these are all things I had on hand. I’m providing links for things that can be purchased online.
- old wood ~ The wood I’m using is leftover from one of my dad’s projects. He always has the best wood remnants! You can really use any wood for this it just depends on the look you want. This is very thin wood so that makes it easier to drill the holes.
- spring prints ~ The “cottage” one I’m using you can find at the Mountain Cottage View blog. I couldn’t figure out where I found the other two, but check out my Pinterest board Crafts ~ Printables for more ideas. You can also Google “spring printables”, “audobon printables”, or “vintage seed packet printables”.
- mod podge satin ~ It’s not necessary for it to be satin. That’s just what I have!
- macrame cord ~ I’m using a smaller, jewelry type macrame cord. I bought it a bazillion years ago in the Walmart clearance! ; )
- brown wax ~ This gives it an aged feel & seals it.
- paint brush ~ I used a flat one for the modge podge and a round one for the wax.
- fine grit sandpaper
The only other thing I used was a drill with a very small wood bit. Depending on what kind of wood you use, this may vary.
Making the Sign
The first thing I did is pull out the wood I was using and check the size. This let me know what size prints I could use.
Next I printed out everything making sure to reduce the size as necessary.
Once I was satisfied with the size, I cut them out! I used my Cutter Bee scissors to cut the bird print out with more detail. You really need good, sharp scissors to get around all those ins & outs.
I went ahead and drilled the holes in the wood before gluing on the paper. Just don’t use a pen to mark them & then realize you marked them wrong like I did! Use a pencil! : )
Decide how you want everything to be placed before adding the glue. I had to cut apart and rearrange the bird print to get it to fit. {You can see some other spring projects in the background!}
Make sure you coat the whole back of the prints to ensure they attach well.
Flip it over and give it a good press, smoothing out any air bubbles. Then go over the edges with more mod podge to help seal it.
Once everything was dry, I rubbed over all the pieces with very fine grit sandpaper. This just ages it a bit.
Waxing is done! Now wait for it to dry, then buff it out with a soft cloth or old t-shirt.
Time to connect the signs!
Assembly
I used the macrame cord to connect each section. Just thread the cord through the holes and knot them in the back.
This is how the front looks…
I tied a longer piece at the top to hang it up with.
Now it’s all done! I really like how it turned out!
Just a little bit of spring to brighten my decor!
Well, this gets me started in the right direction & my mantle shelf will soon follow with it’s own spring decor. I hope y’all are having a lovely week! See y’all next time!
