Best Way to Makeover a Dollar Tree Sign % % % %

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Last Updated: March 4, 2020

Best Way to Makeover a Dollar Tree Sign

Oh the joys of shopping at the dollar tree! I got so carried away when I realized I could use their board to make my own, cheap! It was before Halloween so there was a range of signs to pick from and I went crazy! I bought over 40 signs for my stash. I was so proud! Then I went to paint them….All YouTubes I saw the ladies just nonchalantly sanded the glitter off of the boards. Easy peasy, right? WRONG! The signs with a lot of glitter, forget it! It’s not worth the effort and it just won’t come off. At least not for me!

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So the first sign I tried only had a little glitter on it. I took the sanding block to it and away I went. It was coming off ok. Next I used a power hand sander to get the glitter off of these signs thinking this would be better.

Wrong again. The letters seemed to be raised just a little and can’t be sanded down. After a pitiful attempt to paint this sign multiple colors, the raised letters showed right through.

Use the Back!

After that disaster, I thought ok just do the backs and the signs will be reversible. Take that sticker off and your good to go.

Wrong one more time! It doesn’t peel off easy and it leaves a sticky residue. I tried goo gone which took the sticky off, but left the board rough! I painted this one Black and then sanded down the rough parts and painted it again. It still had a smaller rough spot so sanded once again and painted.

Finally a Solution

So the next sticker on the back I just peeled as much as I could and sanded the sticky spot. I peeled some more until all came off really quite easy. Then sanded the whole sign so there was not just a spot sanded that might show. Spray paint first coat, sand when dry and hand paint second coat with acrylic or chalk paint. I promise this worked just hard to see in the photo.

Spray paint sand and paint by hand a second coat acrylic or chalk paint then using a dry brush or white wash method, the sticker is no longer visible.

Cover the Dollar Tree Sign

Now I tried applying contact paper to the front of a sign just to make the final sign a little nicer. Start by sanding as much glitter off as possible. Next expose just enough to stick to the sign and then smooth it as you pull the backing paper off.

This didn’t do as well as I hoped. Anyway, it is going to be a good way to cover the sign and use the back for the new design. Where the glitter is bumps up and it also has a few bubbles I can’t seem to scrap out.

Let’s Walk Through My Best Way

So after all of this, I have found that its impossible to use the front of the sign for anything at least with the ones I bought. It is best to cover it with neutral contact paper and use the back side for your new creation.

To paint the back, peel the sticker and sand the rough spot down smooth and give the entire back a sanding. I prefer to spray the sign with my chosen color first, then sand the surface and paint by hand the second coat. I use acrylic paint, but there is no reason not to use chalk paint if you prefer. Just be sure the edges are covered. Dry brush or color wash your sign for a distressed look to total ensure there is no sign of the sticker.

Sealing the Paint to Prevent Chipping

Seal the entire piece with a coat of mod Podge. Choose your design, cut and transfer to the sign being careful of your placement cause you only get one shot! I fold the design in half and crease it slighting and use that to line it up on the surface.

Finally, I glued the ornament cap back on, made a bow and attached some greenery to dress it up.

The Best Way For Me to Makeover a Dollar Tree Sign

I hope this helps you if you decide to makeover a Dollar Tree sign. They have so many cute shapes that offer so many possibility! What do you think? Are you doing to try one? Please share your photos and thoughts in the comments below.

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