Hello my friends! Today I want to give you some steps to make your own pallet board distressed sign! You see them in all the home décor and craft stores. You look at them, you think about them, an then you say, “I could make that!” But do you ever take the time to do it? Well, I have finally done it and found it was a very simple process!

I recently decided that the light blue guest bathroom in my house should be decorated in a beach theme. Everything I have been seeing in the craft stores revolving around a beach theme contained colors that would blend perfectly in my bathroom and I love all the signs and sayings that go with the idea of the beach. But of course being a crafter, my first thoguht is “I can make that!” My first idea to begin my beach themed bathroom was to make a sign that says “Life is better in flip flops!” I love my flip flops. I am always sad when I have to put them away for the winter. So, this saying is perfect for me. I also love the rustic distressed pallet board signs you are seeing everywhere, so I decided to combine the two.

The following tutorial will guide you through all the steps to complete a distressed pallet board sign.

Supplies:

• Pallet Boards
• Small strips of wood (as seen in photos)
• Wood Glue or Small Nail Gun
• Chalk Paint in appropriate colors (I used Plaid Home Decor Chalk Paint from Hobby Lobby)
• Paint brushes
• Paint Pen (optional)
• Sanding blocks
• Saw tooth Picture Hanger
• Vinyl Stickers (Optional)

Step One: Find pallets pieces you want to use for your sign, decide how much space you need and find boards that fit your needs.

Step Two: Sand your boards to remove rough edges and surfaces. Until you like the feel of them.

Step Three: Paint the boards with your chosen colors of chalk paint and let dry completely.

Step Four: Sand again in random areas to remove some of the paint on the corners and the middle of the boards to give it the “distressed” feeling.

Step Five: Attached the boards to one another using small strips of wood and a small nail gun or wood glue. (I purchased mine at the craft store and cut to size)

Step Six: Using a color that will stand out on your background color, paint your words using an appropriate brush or paint pen. Another option at this point is to purchase a vinyl sticker from an online vendor that is customized to your needs instead of painting your words or embellishments. I used a paint pen for my wording and purchased my flip flop sticker from Stickers by Stephanie on Etsy (www.StickersbyStephanie.etsy.com), which made adding an embellishment to my sign very simple! Stephanie's vinyl sticker worked great and was easy to apply. I felt her prices were reasonable and that she had a good turn around time. I would definitely purchase from her again. I chose to cut my vinyl sticker into two pieces so that I was able to position it better and it made applying it much easier. Make sure when you apply your vinyl sticker that the area is clean and free of dust. This will allow the sticker to adhere better.

Tip: When using a paint pen, depending on your colors you may have to go back over your wording several times until you think it is readable. My white paint pen was not showing up very well, so I continued to coat my letters until they stood out the way I wanted them too.

Step Seven: Attach your saw-tooth picture hanger to the back side and hang.

See its that easy! Seven simple steps and you have your own custom distressed pallet sign! Of course you could also just purchase one if you don't want to go to all that trouble. If so visit Lettera Nero Designs (www.LetteraNeroDesigns.etsy.com) or search on Etsy (www.etsy.com) to see some signs that are available.

Thank you for reading my blog and be sure to check out my Etsy store at www.bethannericksondesigns.etsy.com and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.