Many years ago I made these family name signs for all of my family members for Christmas. We only get together to eat dinner on Christmas Eve and then open presents on Christmas Day. So I started a tradition where I hand make something each year and pass it out on Christmas Eve. That year it was these signs.

We had an old wood pallet laying around that we cut up for the signs. I created my lettering in Photoshop and used my Cricut and adhesive vinyl to cut out a stencil that I could then stick to the wood. The lettering could also be created in Microsoft Word, printed and then the letters cut out with an exacto knife.

I used a stencil brush and acrylic paint to apply the name. When using stencils, it’s best to use very little paint on the brush and dab the paint rather than brush to avoid excess paint bleeding under the stencil. NOTE: I used a random piece of pallet wood and made a quick sample stencil to show how I painted the letters. I forgot to cut my stencil with an adhesive back so I was just holding the vinyl on the wood which was not ideal but you get the idea.

Once the paint was fully dry, I used a razor blade to scrape off any bleeding or uneven lines.

Finally, I went over the whole board with sandpaper to distress and blend the paint with the wood.

I didn’t put any type of hanger on my signs. The pallet wood I used is about an inch thick and stands on its own. Below shows a few ways I have styled it around the living room.