Are you a sign-lover, like I am?  I think it has to do with my love for words.

I love how a simple word or phrase can carry so much meaning.  One quick glance at a quote or song-snippet and you’re giving yourself (and your children) a quiet reminder of something important.

This week I finally got around to doing a little project I’ve been wanting to do for a while.  It’s so simple that I thought you might like to make one, too.

Fortunately for me, my husband is a sheet metal mechanic (a legacy his father gave him, and one he is passing on to our son.)

His Part:

1. I asked him to cut me a piece of metal from some scraps he had.  He cut a piece 14 x 32 inches, and used his brake to round the edges.**

2. He then drilled 2 holes near the top, and I hammered the sharp edges of the holes down on the back.

3. He cleaned the metal with an acid wash he has, and scrubbed it with an abrasive pad, then rinsed thoroughly and let dry outside.  This took some of the shininess away.

My Part:

I wanted the look of brushed-on watercolor words without actually brushing on watercolor words.

1. So I planned out the placement of the words by laying paper on the sign, like this:

2. Then I sketched out the verse on the pages.

3. I moved the pages out of the way, and just freehanded the same words, now that I had an idea of where I wanted them, and what the spacing should be.  If free-handing scares you, read on!

Here’s the trick that gave the words that brushstroke look…

It’s a chiseled-edge (oil-based) paint pen.

And here’s the best part:
When painting on the metal, if you keep a damp paper towel handy, you can wipe away mistakes while they are still wet, and start again!  Just don’t wait until the letters dry!

4. Then I threaded some jute twine (doubled) through the holes and tied knots, and that’s it!