Old Pallet Gets Repurposed To Cool Porch Sign

Chris
by Chris
First of all, it's not really a pallet, but a pole cover that the utility companies use when replacing power poles, but a pallet could very easily be used for this project. The pole covers are just thrown out after a couple of uses, so my utility company was happy to let me take this one - the best part - IT'S FREE!!!!
The finished product.
Below is a picture of the pole cover in all it's original beauty - kind of distressed looking already before I did anything to it.
First I wiped it down to get any debris off it. I didn't sand it, just left it with all the flaws and rough edges. Then I dry brushed on a coat of cream colored chalk paint to give it a white washed look.
Then I went to my computer and printed out the words I wanted to use, enlarging them as necessary. I used two different fonts to mix things up a bit. In this picture I have placed the hinges on the board just to get an idea of where to place the letters, they haven't been screwed on yet.
After figuring out where the letters would go, I took a charcoal pencil and filled in the back side of each stencil.
Then place the stencil, charcoal side down, on the board, secure it with some painters tape and go over the outline with a sharp object. You're just trying to transfer the outline of the letters to the board.
Once all the letters were transferred, I took some black acrylic craft paint and filled in each of the letters.
I found these awesome hinges online and had the husband screw them onto the board for me.
I hung it on my porch and the neighbors are already placing their orders!!!
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  3 questions
  • Nancy Flemming Nancy Flemming on Mar 22, 2016
    Did you sand at all after painting? How do dry brush chalk paint?
  • Kristen Miller Kristen Miller on Dec 15, 2016
    I love the simplicity and the final product is just darling! My question is where did you get the hinges online? Also have you tried paper transfer from inkjet prints? That is what I want to start doing, I am a professional photographer and painter and have so many pictures and it looks like a very easy way to transfer the letters too, because you don't have to trace and fill-in you just have to glue them down then scrub them off, have you looked into that? Thank you in advance for your answer to my question and again, great job thank you for sharing
  • Andy Risser Andy Risser on Nov 29, 2017

    What fonts did you use?

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  • Joan Joan on Aug 06, 2015
    love it !
  • Nancy Flemming Nancy Flemming on Mar 22, 2016
    Love it, I have apiece that looks just like what you started with and have made my daughters initials out of styrofoam and crinkled brown paper painted brown and dabbed a coppery colour. Hoping to achieve something similar for the background.
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