DIY Street Sign: Antique Sign for Kid's Bedroom

I love worn-out street signs, and I wanted to include one as part of the decor, and I guess in the end, rather than risk jail time, it was DIY street sign or nothing.

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The sign on top of her doo is something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I love worn-out street signs, and I wanted to include one as part of the decor,  and I guess in the end, rather than risk jail time, it was DIY or nothing.

This is an actual sign on that street. It's the Princess Street in Copenhagen.  I have a lot of pictures I've taken in Europe of these signs.

I wasn't going for an exact copy of this sign, so I don't mind the differences, it's not like anyone  is going to believe mine is actual street signage. I mean, those suckers are bolted to the walls, and it's impossible to pry them off no matter how hard one tries... er, so I've heard. 

My husband is the one that suggested this street in specific.

DIY Street Sign: Antique Sign for Kid's Bedroom

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Calories:

Recipe Author: Clara Gonzalez

Ingredients

• Text printed on paper.
• Glue
• Cork ¼ inch thick
• Sharp scalpel
• Acrylic paint White, gray, dark blue, ochre
• Used coffee grounds
• 1 piece of wood for the base, sanded
• Double-sided tape

Instructions

• Print and glue text: I printed the outlined text on my printer, then I glued it with liquid silicone to a thin piece of corkboard.

  I printed a mirror image so the side exposed would be the right one I pressed it with an iron (turned off) to keep the corkboard (which comes in rolls) from curling while the glue dries.

  Using a very sharp scalpel, I cut out the letters as close to the original printout as possible.
  
• Paint background: I used two different shades of grey acrylic paint to paint the board, and make it look like the top, darker paint was old and faded. When going over the gray I kept the brush very dry to leave random areas unexposed.

  I then used ocher and a dark red to paint some “stains” on the board. This is totally free-style. There’s really no right way to go about it.
  
• Paint letters: I painted the letters white with acrylic paint. I gave it two coats, letting them dry in between and after.
  
• Aging the letters: I used a filter full of coffee grinds with all the liquid squeezed out and used to age the letters.
  
• Glueing the letters: I then glued the letters onto the background using
  
• Placing on the wall: I used double-sided tape to place over the bathroom door.
  

I liked the results. This was fairly quick and easy to make, not to mention free, and it gives Nadia's room a little twist. A nudge-nudge, wink-wink.