This was a quick project to make for my chicken coop. I love the farm-to-table idea and thought having it above where I collect my eggs was appropriate. I enjoy repurposing items. This project was no exception. This board was a part of my husband's aunt's fence, then a part of a blackberry trellis, and has now found a new life as a rustic farm sign on my chicken coop.
The first step is to find a board that fits my space and is well-weathered. I then sanded the edges and surfaces with 80-grit sandpaper. I like to take off the slivers but leave the character.
I then measured the board and subtracted 3 inches on each side to leave room for a border. I measured from one 3-inch mark to the other and divided by the number of characters and spaces I had, for my design, it was 13. This equaled about 4 inches for each character.
I then drew in my letters in nice blocky letters that were the width of a ruler and added a little swoop at the corners.
Now it is time to start the painting. I like a white so that it matches my chicken coop well. When painting, I always go in one direction. I don't worry too much about the brush strokes showing because this will have a rustic feel to it.
After the paint is dry, it is time to sand over the entire piece. This will knock down any of the high parts of the paint and give it that weathered look. I sand it until some of the wood starts to show through the letters.
My final step is to spray the entire piece with an exterior polyurethane to help preserve the wood and protect it from the weather.
