DIY Wood Plank Sign {You Are My Sunshine}

You're probably sick and tired of hearing about my son's gallery wall I've been attempting to put together.  But I think I'm finally making some headway.  I'll share as soon as it's complete, but here's what I just finished to add to the wall.

My in-law's bought some really cute wooden signs at Swiss Days this year, and they looked so simple to make.  I've been wanting to make something like this for a long time, so I was glad for the inspiration to finally do it.

My father-in-law has a big wood pile in his field, so whenever I need some good, old barn wood I head to that pile.  I found some pieces and had my husband cut them for me.  Each plank is approximately 4" x 16".  Then, he attached a few small wood strips on the back to connect the planks.  Click here for a video clip from Studio 5 (a local lifestyle show here in Utah) that uses the same method I did to attach my planks.

I used my Cricut to cut out my lettering in vinyl (like my shiny red vinyl?  I'm not even sure why I bought this, but it came in handy for this project).  I used the Classic Font Cartridge for the letters.  

LETTERING

YOU ARE MY (3" capital letters with cream paint)

sunshine (2" lowercase letters with yellow paint)

Just like I stated with my Bug Jar Caddy, I've learned to use as little paint as possible on my brush when using the vinyl as a stencil on wood, and just dab the paint on. I don't use any brushing motions at all.  You probably have your own method, so do whatever works best for you.  This is what I've found helpful.  I also peel off my vinyl immediately after I've painted.  I don't let it dry first.

The little sunshine I used for the dot on my 'i' came from PicMonkey.  I found it in Overlays.  It was actually in the Stars category, but it looks like a sun to me.  I printed it out in yellow, cut it out, and then used Mod Podge to adhere the gold glitter.

I was pleasantly surprised with how this turned out.  If you're like me, often times you have a great idea in your head, but the end product doesn't quite reach your expectations.  Well, not in this case.  I love everything about this sign, especially the rustic, simple feel, and the bit of pop the glittered sunshine provides.  It was so easy to make, and it didn't cost me a dime- even better!  Now I need to make some more signs.  I'm thinking a Halloween one would be fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you found a little something worth your time.

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