Too Much time on my hands: Beach Cottage Sign

When we were back east in June, my Aunt Karen handed over the keys to her house on the bay in Virginia and let my family and parents stay for a few days. We had a fantastic time and I wanted to find a way to say thank you.

I thought it would be fun to make something beachy, since I live in Denver and never get to make anything beachy.

I started with a solid wood sign I found at my fave thrift store for $1.89. It said "Home is Where the Heart is" and had lots of flowers and country stuff all over it. Just not my thing, but a great piece of wood and a nice shape to start my transformation.

I sanded, primed, and painted it with two coats of a creamy white.

Then I added 2 coats of a lovely soft blue.

A-Ha, my favorite part, the sander. I went after it and roughed that thing up good!

Since I was going for a weathered look, I decided to use Citra-Solv to transfer the saying onto the sign. I did some experimenting and have more info on Citra-Solv transfers here.

I used Open Office to create the saying I wanted for the sign (cottage by the sea) and then printed out the reverse image and had my husband copy it for me at work (SHH, don't tell). An ink jet printer copy will not transfer, so definitely use a copier or laser printer and don't forget to reverse the image!

Next, I just taped the copy upside down and applied the Citra-Solv concentrate in a thick layer. Depending on your surface, too much will bleed, and not enough will not transfer, so you need to be careful. It really depends on the finish on the wood you are transferring to. The rougher the finish the easier time I have had. A shiny finish will bleed more and the ink will rub off.

Then I used my brush to rub and burnish the ink onto my sign. I lift and check as I go to make sure everything is coming off clearly.

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about people!

Next, I grabbed my faux glaze and tinted it with a medium walnut wood stain. I painted it on and rubbed it off in certain places. I just had fun finding the worn out look I was going for.

I added these simple hooks to each end.