Do's and Don't of Painted Sign Making Primitive Mountain Quilts and Crafts

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Last Updated: December 18, 2019

Painted Sign Making

After getting my Cricut Maker I was excited to get started Sign Making-What’s the right way? OMG! What technique was I gonna use? What would work best? Don’t forget to check out more tips for sign making at the bottom of the article.

My first try was removable vinyl and it did OK, there was a little blurring where the paint ran under the vinyl.

painted sign

So I searched Pinterest and YouTube for help. OK, brush Mod Podge on the project first to seal it and prevent seeping. This turned out somewhat sharper lines but not perfect. The obvious solution is to use permanent vinyl and make your design. My test for durability has been through cold, snow, rain and sun and has not come up yet. Still under observation as it’s only been out there a month so far.

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What’s the Right Way?

Next I tried reverse painting. The board was spray painted with a silver and I didn’t care for it. I cut the word home with some frillies and transferred it to the board. Remember to weld the words in design space so they cut out as one and group so they are all one unit to move and size.

design space stencil

Since this is a practice piece, I choose to spread Mod Podge on half of the stencil to see which side comes out better. I let that dry overnight just for good measure. Next, painted it with Martha Stewart all surface craft paint. Results, the Mod Podge side was a disaster. Paint peeled off outside of the stencil. That doesn’t work! The other side did ok, but the lines are not totally crisp.

sign

White Washed Sign Making

For this sign, I took a piece of wood and painted it black. Next was to thin the cream-colored paint to 3 parts paint and one part water. Paint this mixture over the thoroughly dried black paint and then wipe it off until you get the desired effect. I just used paper towel to do the wiping.

Find the center of your sign, bend the stencil at its center and carefully match them up. Smooth the stencil outward from the middle on each side. Smooth down and remove the transfer tape. It’s very important at this time to burnish the stencil thoroughly. Run the smoothing tool all around the edges of the design. Also use your finger to make sure there are no places the paint might seep. It’s a good habit to use Mod Podge to seal the design to help prevent seeping.

After that has dried, pounce small amounts of paint on the design until it is filled in and covered well. Let the paint dry 10 to 15 minutes and remove the stencil against the grain of the wood. This helps the paint not to peel. I like to use black paint because you can touch up places that you might have missed or the paint peeled a little.

Lots of Free Sign Designs

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Stencil on Stained Wood Sign Making

Stencil on stained wood, carefully center the stencil then remove the transfer tape. I used a sponge to pat just a bare minimum of paint on the stencil as was done on the white washed sign. Did this twice, let it set for 10 minutes or so and peeled the stencil off going against the grain of the wood. Improvising with a stick pin for a weeding tool, I plucked the remaining stencil from the board.

stick pin

touch up

There were a few bare spots in the paint so I took a sharpie and carefully filled them in. In my haste, I forgot to use the Mod Podge, but the results are fine. Using the Cricut stencil vinyl seals against smooth wood very securely. Just be sure to burnish the stencil so there are no bubbles around the edges that would allow seeping. My edges are nice and crisp. This one turned out so good, I’ve offered it for sale at my Etsy shop.

peel against the grain

Vinyl on Stained Wood Sign Making

Some letters paint better in stencils than others. These letters with the small line in them could present a problem. Bigger, chunkier letters are best to use for painted stencils.

stencil placement

For that reason, I choose to do this sign in permanent vinyl. After weeding it, I used a piece of previously used contact paper. Burnish well on both sides of the lettering and peel back the cover layer. Go slowly and at a 45 degree angle. Stay as close to the project as possible and watch for pieces that don’t want to stick. Play with this process until you get the hang of catching and making those places stay. I use the scraper tool to hold the edge and peel back slowly smoothing if needed. Hard as I tried, I still got some wrinkles in the vinyl. The vinyl doesn’t really want to stick to the stain because even though it’s been dry for days, it’s got an oily feel still.

removing transfer tape finished sign

Vinyl on Painted Wood Sign Making

Simplest of all sign making techniques is to place permanent vinyl directly onto your surface and the sign is done. Well, it does take a little practice putting the vinyl on straight. Permanent means you get one shot!

So far my test for the vinyl against the elements points to durability. It’s been through it all and nothing shows any sign of peeling or damage. I see more painted vinyl signs for the yard in my future!

Whether you decide to stencil or use vinyl for your sign, just take your time as you go. Rushing will be a sure way to mess something up. You can achieve so many different looks when you use different techniques for sign making.

3 signs

More Helpful Tips for Sign Making

Make stencil same size as project to help center the design
Use paint thinner to fix seeps
Roll a tennis ball will smooth stencil down
Use blow dryer to make vinyl stick better
Use used transfer tape for easier removal
When sealing the stencil, paint towards the stencil. Try to make it bleed using a thin layer.
Dab first coat brush second to even out paint
Go against the grain of the wood when peeling the stencil. This helps the paint to not peel up with it.
Let paint sit 10-15 minutes after painting the stencil then carefully remove it

Summary of Best Techniques

In conclusion, using quality supplies is always going to be a good thing. In the case of stained wood with a painted stencil, my best results were with using Cricut stencil vinyl and Martha Stewart all purpose acrylic craft paint. That resulted in smooth, sharp lines. It might cost a little more, but a great sign the first time, in my opinion, is well worth it.

Application of paint should be a small amount pounced straight up and down until the stencil is covered.Let that coat dry and apply a second coat the same way or use a brush to achieve a smoother look,

Permanent vinyl on painted wood is the fastest way to make a nice sign. Take your time and get your design placed straight and burnish thoroughly to ensure the vinyl is sticking properly to the surface. Mistakes are hard to fix or disguise.

Don’t Forget Your Free Design

What are your thought or tips about sign making? We’d love for you to leave a comment below.

Happy Sign Making!

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