From scrap wood to laundry room sign
After all the garage organization that’s been going on around here, I have been long overdue to take a break and get my craft on. The driftwood candle holder I built last week didn’t quite cure the itch, so I tackled another quick project I wanted to share with you today.
About two years ago (probably more), I bought an adhesive vinyl sign for our laundry room. It was just a few bucks on eBay. I never put it up because I didn’t like the idea of just slapping it on the wall. I wanted it framed by or mounted on something. But what?
Well last week, while puttering around the garage, I stumbled upon the perfect solution.
This board used to serve as a shelf on one side of the garage. But I have other plans for that wall (coming soon), so it was fair game for this project.
I feel about raw boards the same way a painter must feel about a blank canvas … so many amazing possibilities. 😉
I started by positioning the vinyl sign on the wood to see where I would need to trim it. Luckily, the width was perfect. I only needed to cut a bit off of one end of the board, which I did using my miter saw.
Next I went to town on the board with my orbital sander. I rounded the edges, too.
I applied my driftwood recipe to the piece to bring out the grain and give it an aged look.
To complete the driftwood finish, I added a coat of liming wax, buffing it to a soft sheen.
After that dried, I basically just lined up the vinyl on the wood and carefully peeled off the backing.
It turned out nearly perfect, which is extremely rare with any project I am involved in. 😉
I added two small screws and some wire to make it hang-able. Of course, you could go all fancy and use saw-tooth hangers or Command™ strips. I didn’t have either of those handy so …
Here’s the final result:
What do you think of my on-the-fly, DIY laundry room sign?
Wow! Wow! Wow! I love how you weathered the wood. Your sign looks SO great.
Aw, thanks for the kind feedback, Kelly. I’m glad you like the project.
I like this. I can see many possibilities/versions of this in my future!
Good job!
I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT !!!!
You have truly inspired me to get busy around here with some projects that I’ve been pondering on.
I love your blog and read it all the time.
Blessings to you and your family !!!
That’s so sweet, Betsy. Thanks for the kind words.
Hey love the post. Just wanted to know what lime wax you used? thanks so much
The brand I used was Flag, but I’m sure others are comparable.
Love it! Looks great! It’s so awesome when a project comes together so easily 😉 ….. Rare I know ….but we’ll take it! Great job!
did you buy the vinyl phrase or make it?
I bought it from eBay. It was before I had my own electronic cutting machine.
It looks great Susan. I think the wall is a little bare though. Maybe add a scenic framed photo above it or 3 home interior butterflies or birds or something with greenery or colors. I’m sure you can come up with something. Even a shelf above the photo with some small knicknacks would look cool and inviting! So many possibilities! One cool idea would be to hand an old fashioned washboard! Aw! Now I got you thinking, right?
hang, not hand. LOL!
I love it. I was just thinking of how you did this project for your mirror frame and was going to look it up today. Reason for thought? I wanted to create shelving over the toilet. I have been remodeling the guest bathroom and many (well actually, almost all every project from you with a little twirk here and there) of your postings, I am using….THANK YOU
I also purchased a vinyl ‘sticker’ for the bathroom to go over the bathroom door and I Will use the same process that you have shown. Thank you for sharing your ideas, projects, family, and you.
{Blush}. Not ‘twirking’…it should read “a little tweaking”. No, I do not twirk, but I do tweak. 😉
Ha ha, Noemia. Yes, a very big difference in definition noted. 😉 I’m so glad you like the projects. Best of luck with yours. One thing I did do differently that I want to mention. In addition to using my driftwood concoction of steel wool and vinegar (stewing for at least 24 hours or more), I added a smidge of dark brown stain to the concoction to “brown” the wood up a bit more. This is not necessary, but it’s what I did to achieve my specific look. This was done prior to the liming wax. Hope this helps and thanks so much for stopping by.
It is adorable! I really like the gray weathered look you got with the liming wax. Where would I get such a thing? I have never heard of it and I have now seen two projects using it this week. I am looking at a revamping of my laundry porch ( yes, porch. Old farmhouses can be a real challenge
Yea, I guess liming wax and I are having a real moment right now, lol. 😉 I order mine online through eBay, I think. It was awhile back. The brand is Flag. I’m not sure if you can get it in stores. I didn’t find it in any where I live. I would just google liming wax and then click the shopping icon to find sources.
Very cute, Susan! Love it! and that you repurposed something and did a past due project all in one 🙂
hope you are doing well!
Thanks for the sweet feedback, Christina. I hope you’re doing well, too. Happy fall! 🙂
I love it. I recently put vinyl lettering on my great-grandmother’s old cutting board (it’s large), and hung it on the wall behind our dining table. It says, “The fondest memories are made when gathered around the table.”
What a fabulous idea, Cindy. That sounds so beautiful!
Thanks! It is on my Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/234539093070279870/