Since January of this year when I started this venture, the one question I have been asked the most often is, “What happens when you run out of barn wood?” Of course I thought that was silly. How could I ever run out? Well here I am over 200 signs later and the supply is running low. I have always been curious about working with natural woods, so I did some research and played around a little with techniques and the result was very surprising!
I had a group that was willing to come in and be my 2nd round guinea pigs. Melissa was my very first host and wanted to come back and celebrate her birthday! It was perfect timing!
We started with plain, natural pine. Boards were already assembled based on their design request and ready for their transformation.
Hard to believe this raw natural wood will look completely different after the girls are done.
The girls used various tools and techniques to make the wood appear distressed.
Needless to say they enjoyed this process. They got some serious stress relief!
My biggest concern using stain for these class projects was the smell. After doing some research, I opted for a natural stain option, which meant no smell! Here is a lighter version with fewer coats. So your color will depend on what you like!
Most of the girls went with the Black Tea Stain and it really settles into the wood quite nicely. They loved the outcome! My friend, Deanna, has started her own travel business so we worked together on her design to include her logo, along with the vintage compass.
Another guest used the same compass stencil design and hers looks very different.
Using raw wood also allows us to offer larger signs. This was requested by the birthday girl. One of her guests, Jessica, created hers using the same design, but different colors.
NEW! Family Names with Arrows 12×32
That is the best part, even though they all started out with natural wood, each sign was unique as the person making it!
NEW! A version of Monogram #1 but with arrows.
I also offered a color wash technique. Check this out! Look how the color settled into the knots in the wood. That is the best part. Each piece of wood differs as it has it’s own grain, knots and bumps that only adds to the character of your creation.
NEW! Welcome to our Home 12×24
It is so fun to see people taking risks and using their creativity. That’s what I love about my classes. I want you to feel comfortable and creative!
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