DIY Farmhouse Laundry Sign

• (1) 14³⁄_4″ x 17 ³⁄₄ ” x ¹⁄_8″ Hardboard, Plywood, or MDF
• (2) 1″ x 2″ @ 27 ³⁄_{4 “}
• (2) 1″ x 2″ @ 16 ¹⁄4 “
• (2) 1″ x 2″ @ 7 7/8″
• (4) Triangles

Hardboard is also known as furniture backing. I love using it to make signs especially big ones because it is very lightweight. It also has a very smooth surface and looks really nice when painted.

I like to use vinyl to make stencils because it doesn’t bleed when I paint over it. When I’m making large signs I ungroup the design and rearrange it to fit within the 12-inch cutting width of my Silhouette Cameo. This means a little more work later on because you have to measure out the word spacing before placing the vinyl on your sign, but it’s not too bad.

I used contact paper as a transfer tape for this project because it releases the vinyl really well and my transfer tape is terrible. It sticks to the vinyl so bad that the vinyl won’t stick to whatever I’m applying it too. If you know of a good brand of transfer tape please let me know in the comments below I need to get a  new roll.

I lightly sanded the hardboard because it has a pretty slick surface and I wanted the paint to adhere to it really well. Roughing up the surface gives the paint something to stick too.

I sprayed the hardboard with two coats of flat white spray paint and then let it dry overnight. I wanted to be sure that it was fully cured before I applied the vinyl too it. Otherwise, it would peel the paint off when I removed the vinyl.

When the paint is good and dry you will want to mark guides for spacing your vinyl. That way everything will line up nicely. Here is a printable guide with all the spacing measurements to make this part easier. Don’t worry about the lines showing in your final design you will be spray painting black over them.  Also, marking lines on the transfer tape to match your guides makes applying the vinyl super easy. Just line them up and press it on.

Now that your sign is marked and measured out, apply the vinyl to the sign using your guides. Remember to run your finger around all the edges of the vinyl to ensure that they are sealed and there are no air bubbles. We don’t want the black paint to bleed onto the white.

After the vinyl is sealed and in place spray your sign with flat black spray paint. Repeat this 2 or 3 times allowing it dry for 15 minutes in between coats. Give it about an hour dry time following the final coat.

Now for the best part, remove the vinyl and see your finished masterpiece. This was my favorite part!

The purpose of using Pre-stain is to prevent splotchy uneven staining. Depending on the type of wood you use you may be able to skip this step. Most softwoods will benefit from preconditioning. It temporarily seals the wood and allows the stain to absorb evenly.

You can apply it with a brush or a cloth. Let it absorb for five minutes then remove the excess with a soft cloth.

Brush on your desired stain using a paintbrush. I used Old Masters Wiping Stain in the color Provincial. This stain is super forgiving so you don’t have to use pre-stain if you don’t want to. Keep in mind that it will stain a much darker color without it. I wanted a lighter color so that’s why I used a Pre-stain.

Use a brush or cloth to apply the stain to all your pieces. Let it set for 5 to 15 minutes and then wipe it off with a soft cloth. The longer you let it sit the darker the color will be. Make sure you wipe it off while it is still wet though.

To hold my frame together I used Gorilla glue clear non-foaming glue and brad nails. This glue is awesome because you get the benefits of the original Gorilla glue without the foaming. I also like that this one is clear so you don’t see it if it does ooze out a little bit.

I started with the Frame pieces, applying a little glue and then shooting 1 1/2″ brad nails into the ends to hold it in place.

Then I attached the triangle pieces in the corners and rectangle blocks in the center of the long pieces. These are for gluing your hardboard sign too as well as providing spacing. This way the hardboard sits directly in the center of the 1×2 frame. Creating a nice 3/4″ border around your sign instead of 1 1/2″ that would just look weird.

Apply gorilla glue to the spacer blocks we were just talking about and use quick-grip clamps to hold the sign in place while it is drying. Let the glue dry for 2 hours to then remove the clamps and you’re done. Now all you have to do is hang it on your wall.