I saw a similar sign at a wedding I went to recently and I though that is cool then I saw a similar pin on pinterest (where so much of my inspiration comes from; thank you Shanty2Chic for the inspiration).
I decided this would make a lovely birthday present for my step-father's 60th birthday. I liked Shanty2Chic's take on the purchased item I saw at the wedding so I merged the two formats and came up with this easy project.
TIME TO COMPLETE: = ~1 hour (this includes drying time)
FINISHED SIZE: 1" X 6" X 33" (W x H x L)
MATERIALS:
Wood Board - (I used a cheap piece of pine 1" X 6" X 33" (W x H x L))
Saw
Sandpaper
Paint Brush
Paper Towels
MinWax wood finish - ebony (Home Depot)
Acid Free Black Core Foam Core
Photo Paper (I used 4 X 6 glossy HP)
Printer (I use a Kodak ESP 7)
Elmer's Spray Glue Permanent
Furniture Tacks
Photo Cutter or Scissors
Yard Stick
Utility Knife
Cutting Board
Medium Picture Hanging Wire about 36" in length
2 Small Eye Screws
Hammer
Small Screw Driver
PROCEDURE:
1. Begin by choosing the photos you want to use. I used the site recommended by Shanty2Chic for Free photo images of letters.
2. Download the images you choose. I decided to create my sign in black and white you could chose color or another photo look.
3. Modify photos using your favorite photo program (recently I found FotoFlexer, I really liked it). Since I was using a 1" X 6" board I went with 4" X 4" photos.
4. Once your photos are cut to size space them out on your yard stick to determine how long your wood board needs to be. I suggest measuring each letter to make the spacing even for a balanced look.
5. Cut your wood to the desired length (33" = 4" (photos) X 7 (photos) + 0.5" X 6 (between spaces) + 1" X 2 (ends)).
6. Sand edges for smooth look.
7. Stain wood using MinWax stain and a paint brush, remove unwanted stain using paper towels to get desired color. Allow to dry completely.
8. Cut foam core to exact size of your photos.
9. Spray each foam core one at a time with spray glue and attach a photo. Be sure to line up edges and smooth photo you don't want any bubbles.
10. Repeat step 9 with each photo.
11. Once your board is dry and you photos are mounted you are ready to assemble.
12. Using your yard stick align your photos on your board, paying special attention to your spacing, you want the photos to be spaced evenly.
13. Once you are satisfied with the photos' placement begin attaching the photos to your board with furniture tacks. I choose silver tacks you could mix and match or find decorative tacks. I also considered spray painting my tacks black, but changed my mind.
14. I looked the look of pressing the tack into the photo a little to create a dimple.
15. Add your eye screws and attach the hanging wire.
That is it a lovely name sign. I got some nice comments at the birthday party my step-father liked it too.
