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How to Make Rustic Woodland Signs

Last fall, I gave birth to my second son, Mr. Brayden.  That meant I was lucky enough to also get to design his nursery (!!!), and we decided to go with a modern woodland theme.  One of these days I’ll get around to finishing the blog post with the big reveal….ahhhh, never enough time….or energy. #momlife

While the majority of the room was going to have a modern flair, I did want to add some rustic touches as well.  Enter these DIY signs!  They were so inexpensive and easy to make, and having them flank both sides of the window adds such a nice element to the room. Here I’m sharing all the details on how I made them!

How to Make Rustic Woodland Signs | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

How to Make Rustic Woodland Signs

Supplies:

 

My Mockup

Since I’d be cutting out the stencils in stencil film with my beloved Silhouette Cameo, I created my designs in Silhouette Studio.  I wanted the signs to be stained dark, then have the woodland images and accompanying phrases painted in white with orange stripes at the top and bottom.

The font I used is called Casual Brush.  I just love the hand-scripted look and how….casual….it is.

The four images are a part of a dingbat font called True North Extras.  Dingbats are the bee’s knees, for real.  I use them whenever possible instead of tracking down individual clipart or SVG files.

[If you’d rather have vectors instead of the dingbat font, you can snag those here.]

The woodland animal/image and saying combinations I decided to go with are:

  • Bear/Be Brave
  • Crossed Arrows/Aim High
  • Moose/Run Wild
  • Mountain/Explore

How to Make Rustic Woodland Signs | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

The Wood Boards

Now that my designs were complete, I headed over to my local Home Depot and scoped out the lumber department.  There I grabbed a 1 x 18 x 48 laminated pine board that only cost around $13….

How to Make Rustic Woodland Signs | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

….and had a lovely employee cut it into four equally-sized smaller boards (just under 12″ wide).  It was free and one less job for my very pregnant butt to do at home, so thanks Mr. Home Depot Guy!

So, $13 ÷ 4 boards = $3.25 per board + tax + the rest of the supplies that I already had on hand.  You can’t beat that!

How to Make Rustic Woodland Signs | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

Staining the Boards

Once I got home, I sanded each of the boards and then stained them in my favorite dark color.  I just love how that wood grain POPS now.  Pretty, no?

How to Make Rustic Woodland Signs | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

Cutting & Painting the Stencils

Now it was time to get my stenciling on!  I’ve already shared a full tutorial on how I cut and use stencil film to make painted wood signs, so check that out if you’d like all the deets on that process.  Stencil film is pretty darn amazeballs.

Tips for Using Stencil Film with a Silhouette | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

The Completed Rustic Woodland Signs!

Once my stencils were cut and applied, and the images, words, and stripes were painted, I let them get nice and dry.  Then I applied some light brown furniture wax to finish everything off.

And here’s how they turned out!  The white really POPS off the dark stain and wood grain, and the orange stripes add a nice jolt of color that will contrast nicely with the gray wall and navy curtains in Brayden’s room.

How to Make Rustic Woodland Signs | Where The Smiles Have Been

How to Make Rustic Woodland Signs | Where The Smiles Have Been

How to Make Rustic Woodland Signs | Where The Smiles Have Been

How to Make Rustic Woodland Signs | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

Hanging the Boards

Command strips are my favorite method for hanging pictures or other home decor items because no holes!  Plus, unlike nails, they give you some wiggle room for adjusting the final placement….ya know, just in case you don’t exactly measure everything correctly.

They’ve worked great for holding up heavy items like my son’s busy board and medium-weight items like our family growth chart ruler, so these not-so-heavy-signs wouldn’t be a problem either.

We added two large strips to the top of the boards that would be hanging high on the wall, and four strips on the lower boards.  You can never trust kiddos and their curious little fingers….

How to Make Rustic Woodland Signs | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

Brayden’s Modern Woodland Nursery!

Here’s how the finished signs look hanging up in Brayden’s modern woodland nursery.  I just LOVE them so.  They really amp up the theme and are so graphic.  Another inexpensive and easy DIY for the win!

How to Make Rustic Woodland Signs | Where The Smiles Have Been

How to Make Rustic Woodland Signs | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

To learn how to add legs to an IKEA shelf, check this out!

The Super Easy Way to Add Legs to an IKEA Kallax Shelf | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

If You Enjoyed This….

Make sure you check out my Project Gallery for lots of my other crafty creations, including these!

FREE Silhouette Cut Files at Where The Smiles Have Been!

 

DIY Farmhouse Sign: Personalized Love & Shenanigans | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

Personalized Baby Door Hanger for Hospital & Home | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

Home Sweet Home Sign with FREE Cut File! | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

Colorful Grandkids Make Life Grand Wood Sign Photo Display | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Where The Smiles Have Been | Crafts. DIY. Home. Mom Life.

Jen

Wednesday 1st of May 2019

I was wondering if you had a free cut file for these signs? I am new to all of this, so maybe I missed seeing a link to one?

Bethany

Monday 23rd of July 2018

I love these signs and your blog! I am looking to purchase a cutting machine. Is there a specific reason why you prefer the silhouette over the cricut? I am not sure which to get. Thank you!

Ashley

Tuesday 3rd of April 2018

Will you sell me the 4 stencils please?

Jennifer Smeltzer

Saturday 23rd of December 2017

Love these!!

Kristin

Sunday 11th of June 2017

Would you be willing to sell the vinyl stencils for the four wooden signs? I would buy them in their form but since it seems like you don't make creations to sell, I was curious if the vinyl was available for purchase.

Christine

Tuesday 13th of June 2017

Hi Kristin! Sorry but I'm not selling anything right now. I just don't have the time thanks to life with my two little boys! I hope to someday (soon) open up an online shop....just gotta find the time! :)