Sometimes you need a little nudge to see the possibilities for making over a piece. At an auction a while back, the auctioneer was trying to get a bid on a couple of leaves for a table. I hadn't looked at them so I wasn't remotely interested in them. Of course, there was no table to go with them so the auctioneer wasn't having any luck getting a bid, because who really needs a table leaf when you don't have a table to go with it? Apparently, me. The auctioneer looked over at me and said, "Come on, you could do something with these." And that is how two table leaves and a random piece from the end of a table wound up in my SUV.
As Fall started to roll around, I thought this would work well for a "harvest" sign. I began by cleaning the wood to get all the dirt and grime off. Then I sanded it with a 100 grit and then a 150 grit sandpaper to give it a smooth finish.
The next step was to give it a coat of poly. Knowing it would probably be used outside, I gave it a coat of polyurethane for outdoor use.
This photo demonstrates the richness gained by simply adding a coat of poly. It really adds depth to the wood and will protect it for many harvest seasons to come.
I used the Silhouette Studio software to create a stencil for the word harvest. I was able to size the artwork to fit my sign exactly.
I added a light coat of mustard yellow paint. I wanted it to look like it had been on the board for a while and had weathered over time. When the paint was dry, I sanded it with 100 grit sandpaper to add to the weathered effect.
To finish it, I added two additional coats of polyurethane for outdoor use (allowing it to dry inbetween coats). Now it is ready to decorate a porch or entryway for fall!
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