Today’s contributor is Sara from The Aqua House. All posts written by Sara for Make It and Love It can be found HERE.
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Hi Everyone! Its Sara from The Aqua House and I’m excited to share with you today how I made a vintage Super Market sign for a fraction of the cost of purchasing one online. Its the perfect DIY for anyone and all it takes is some paint, glue, and a couple hours!
I’ve been looking to add some sort of vintage or farmhouse flair to my dining room and absolutely fell in love with a Super Market sign online. The problem? It was $120 and the frugal budget-er in me just couldn’t justify paying that much for a sign. Ah! I don’t know about you, but I could think of a lot of other ways to spend that money…after all, its just a sign.
A quick stop to a hardware store and a craft store, and a few hours later and I had saved myself over $90!
Measuring in at 5 1/2 feet long, this sign is much bigger than the one I’d found online and it fits perfectly above the door in my dining room. This project can be made to any size you need for your space…no worrying about if it will fit in your space when it arrives!
The rough, worn look of the sign adds the perfect touch of vintage!
Not only would this sign be adorable on your wall, but you could also set in on a shelf or in the corner for that perfect statement piece.
Are you ready to make your own Super Market sign?
For this project you will need:
When I bought my board I had it cut down in the store to 5 1/2 feet because this is the size I wanted for my space. You can cut your board to any length that fits your space, just note that you may have to change your letter size if your board is cut too short. If you are like me and don’t have a lot of extra room in your vehicle, using the cutting services at your local hardware store is a great idea!
To start out, you will paint your board and letters black using one of the foam brushes. The letters can be a little tricky so make sure to take your time and paint into all those little spaces. Set them out to dry.
Once the black paint is dry, go over it with a coat of white paint. You don’t need to completely cover the black paint because we are going for a worn, old look. Once the white paint is dry, take the sander and lightly sand over the board to distress it.
Now we are going to add back in a little black paint for some added depth. Take the paint brush and lightly dip in in black paint. Carefully dab it around the edges of the board.
You will use the same technique on the letters, carefully dabbing white paint around the edges to create a worn effect.
Once the board is dry its time to add the hangers onto the back. This is easier done before you attach the letters so the board will lay flat for you to hammer. Measure in from the side 6 inches and make a mark. Then measure down from the top of your board 1 3/4 inches and make another mark. This is the point where you will set the outer edge of the hanger.
Align the nail of the hanger on the cross mark you made and lightly tap it in with a hammer. Repeat this step on both sides.
Now lets get those letters attached. To attach mine, I used wood glue, but hot glue would also work great.
To make sure that the letters are evenly spaced we will first glue on the “S” in Super and “T” in Market on either end of the board. Start by measuring in 5 inches on the “S” side and make a mark.
Then measure in on the “T” side 5 inches and make a mark.
Now we need to figure out where on the 5 inch line to center the “S” and “T”. I spaced my letters with 2 inches of space on the top and 2 inches of space on the bottom. Attach the “S” on one end and the “T” on the opposite end. From these two reference points we will work towards the center adding in letters.
I tried to space my letters at 3/4 inch apart. There isn’t always an exact way to measure when you have letters like “A” and “M” together you may have to try to space the bottom of the letters instead of the tops of the letters.
Once all of the letters are glued on, you are done! Yay! And since we already attached the hanging brackets you can go hang it on your wall and enjoy a little bit of vintage goodness in your home.
Or set it in the corner for a great focal point!
Enjoy!
-Sara
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Taking the leap and making your own home decor items will not only save you money, but will make you feel like superwoman! Here are a few more DIY home decor projects you’ll LOVE:
“Mr & Mrs” Wall Display … fun master bedroom decor!
How to Build SIMPLE FLOATING SHELVES (…for any room in the house!)
Pottery Barn inspired LOVE ART