When Christmas Signs Do Christmas Stuff, With Stencils and a Fence!

Those that know me, know I am a reclaimed woodaholic.
I have it bad. If a neighbour should (ahem) knock on my door, informing me his fence fell down and do I want the wood, best step out of my way... because I'm about to BOLT! True story.
So when it was time to deck the halls for Christmas, those fence boards were first on my hit list.
I wanted to make some festive, fun old looking Christmas signs. But with a twist...
Each sign would actually DO something Christmas like, or at the very least, showcase some pretty cool repurposed styled setup!
These are EASY to make, because they use stencils. Another true story!
So... how did I do? :)
Stencil sources and tutorials are avail at the bottom of this post.
Note: I'm a DIY blogger at Funky Junk Interiors (.net) and carry my own line of old sign stencils, which I LOVE to showcase in unique, easy ways! :)


SLEIGH RIDES sign
This fun little Sleigh Rides sign is holding up Christmas cards, thanks to a pulley setup and a little wicker basket. And the sleigh on the wall was the perfect finishing touch!






Can you believe that board use to look like this?! Amazing what a free board can become!
How to prep old wood:
- removing all the nails
- pressure wash the mildew off
- lightly sand
- paint or build as desired






An old antique pulley became a cool way to hold the basket up!
And the basket is ready to roll to collect those Christmas cards. If I get any... eep.






A fun twist to a rustic candle.. insert a battery operated tea light into a ball of twine.






HOT COCOA BAR sign
Welcome to this year's rustic Hot Cocoa Bar! Doesn't it resemble something you may find in a log cabin?
The sign became a mug holder, an old crate to hold the essentials, a reclaimed wood and branch deer head (because taxidermy is all the rage of course)... and you are ready to be served!






A junky, broken lantern became utterly charming with an inserted battery operated tea light!
And a basket of greens say fresh if you plunk the branches in a jar of water.






A super simple gift to make are personalized coasters!
Simply cut scrap wood into squares, and stencil with bits and pieces to custom create designs to suit!






Simply cut scrap wood into squares, and stencil with bits and pieces to custom create designs to suit!






SKI LODGE sign
You don't have to be a skier to appreciate an icy cool Ski Lodge sign!
Add a few hooks, and you have a themed place to hang your coats. Or towels. Or maybe even stockings... hmm....






Don't forget to use those wintery colours and added snowflakes for instant whimsy!
Paint source / Fusion Mineral Paint's Lamp White, Ash (dark grey) and Champness (blue).






One fence board also became a little crate, to store gloves and such. A cute Christmas Lights stencil and Christmas trees snazzed it up in a subtle way.






HOW TO STENCIL:
Stencilling is actually VERY easy! With a few simple tips, your results WILL look pro!
1. Line up the centre of your stencil with the centre of your boards.
2. Tape into place so the stencils stay put.






3. With a VERY dry paint loaded stencil brush, tap on the paint.
Tip: Tap the back of the hand with your loaded brush. If the paint barely leaves a trace, you are ready!






Your goal are super crisp lines.. just like a real sign painter would leave!
Tip: Create a 2 toned effect by adding darker toned paint to the bottom of the letters and lighter toned on top. Blend them both together towards the middle.
* To find the finished sign above, click my profile, then posts in Hometalk.






Find these and more STENCILS HERE







Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/11321743/when-christmas-signs-do-christmas-stuff-thanks-to-an-old-fence site