So, you’re thinking about DIY kitchen signs, huh? Let me tell you, it wasn’t some grand vision of culinary art that pushed me into this. Nope. It was more like a slow burn of irritation, culminating in a moment of, “I just can’t look at that thing anymore!“
You see, I had this one sign. A gift. You know the type. Probably mass-produced, with some generic saying on it. Mine was a particularly sparkly “Coffee is Life” disaster. And after the third time it fell off the wall – nearly taking out my actual coffee pot – I decided its life was over. Plus, my kitchen needed a bit of a refresh, something that actually felt like me, not something picked from a bargain bin by someone who vaguely knows I drink coffee.
Getting Started, or So I Thought
First, I did what everyone does: scrolled endlessly online. Saw all these perfect, farmhouse-chic signs. Looked easy enough. “I can do that,” I muttered to myself, full of misplaced confidence. The next day, I marched into the craft store. Big mistake. It’s like a glittery, glue-scented maze designed to make you buy things you don’t need.
I eventually grabbed a few things:
- Some plain wooden plaques – the cheap ones, because, you know, experimenting.
- Acrylic paints – a nice, calming blue and a classic white.
- Brushes – a pack of assorted sizes, because who knows what size I’d actually need.
- Sandpaper – because the plaques looked a bit rough.
Got home, spread out some old newspaper on the kitchen table, feeling all crafty. I sanded the plaques down a bit. So far, so good. Then came the painting. I wanted a nice, smooth base coat of blue. Easy, right? Well, my first coat was streaky. My second coat was better, but then I smudged it. Deep breaths. It’s just paint, I told myself. It’s supposed to be fun.
While that was drying (for what felt like an eternity), I started thinking about the lettering. I’m no calligrapher. My handwriting looks like a spider crawled through an ink puddle. Stencils! Yes, stencils would be my savior. I remembered I had some old letter stencils tucked away from when my kid was into making posters. Dug them out. They were a bit bent, but usable.
The Actual “Making It Happen” Part
Okay, paint dry. Plaques looking decently blue. Now for the white lettering. I wanted simple things: “EAT,” “BAKE,” “BREW.” Short and sweet. I carefully taped a stencil onto the first plaque. Dabbed the white paint on with a small brush. This part was actually quite therapeutic. Slowly peeling off the stencil to see the crisp letters underneath… well, mostly crisp. A bit of bleeding here and there, but hey, it’s handmade, right? That’s code for “perfectly imperfect.”
I repeated the process for the other signs. “BAKE” went on smoothly. “BREW” gave me a bit of trouble – the ‘R’ was being difficult, but I managed to wrangle it into submission. I even tried a tiny bit of distressing on the edges with sandpaper once everything was super dry, just to give them that slightly worn, loved look. I didn’t want them looking too new, you know?
The final step was sealing them. I had some clear matte sealant spray from another forgotten project. Took them outside, gave them a quick spray, and let them air out. They actually looked… good! Like, surprisingly good. Not store-bought perfect, but good in a “I made this with my own two hands, despite the near coffee pot tragedy” kind of way.
Hanging them up was another mini adventure involving a level that kept lying to me and realizing I only had overly large nails. But eventually, they found their spots on the kitchen wall, replacing the sparkly void left by the banished coffee sign. And you know what? Every time I look at them, I feel a little bit proud. They’re simple, they’re mine, and they didn’t cost a fortune. Plus, no more signs attacking my appliances. That’s a win in my book.
