I’m linking this to SNS All About Crates over at Funky Junk Interiors.
I love antique signs, but the cost is rising on the real deal. This is an easy thing to make, even for people who don’t feel comfortable painting freehand. One of the keys to creating a convincing antique sign is what you paint it on. An antique styled sign painted on a brand new, nicely edged piece of wood is going to immediately scream, “I’m a reproduction!”
This is an original antique sign. Can you believe my neighbors were selling this at a yard sale? I think I paid $2.50 for it.
The cool thing is that the Trostle family owned the famous “cannonball barn” in Gettysburg. If you visit the battlefield, you can still see the holes from the cannonballs fired during the Civil War.
This simple sign painted on a piece of barn siding inspired me to make my own. I’ve been hauling the crate below around with me for years and I’ve never really had a good spot for it. I really wanted to make a sign for my guest room that looked like an antique German gasthaus sign. I spotted this crate and knew the slats would be perfect, so I ripped it apart with a crowbar. (I’m going to get a few more signs out of this puppy.)
I used a cream acrylic paint and freehanded the lettering, finishing the piece off with some sanding and dark walnut stain. Some signs should have perfect and even lettering, but I didn’t want this one to have the “manufactured” look. I wanted it to have the “history” of some plump, red-cheeked Bavarian man asking his wife to paint a sign to hang on their gasthaus. I grew up in Germany, which is where I developed a love of European style.
Yep, that’s me in my dirndl. (Wow, I can see my son in my face big time!)
We were so fortunate to live in Garmisch for two years, right in the heart of the Bavarian Alps. I have lots of memories of traveling through Europe and staying in picturesque, family run gasthauses, so this sign was perfect for my house.
It is a convincing reproduction because it’s on a old piece of wood, the font is right for the style of sign and it’s not perfect.
I used the other piece of crate I ripped off for the sign in my bathroom. I wanted it to look like a piece torn off an advertising crate, so the lettering needed to be evenly spaced. I used my projector for this, but you could use stencils or transfer paper.
If you remember, I made this antiques sign out of an old headboard that I purchased at an auction for $1.00. I wanted to give this piece the “history” of sitting outside of a quaint shop where it was exposed to the elements, which led to chipping paint and faded letters.
So, next time you’re out junking, look for old pieces of scrap wood, tables with damaged legs, even old bed slats. When you’re creating a sign, think about where it hung, where it’s been, and how it was made. This will help you create a story for your piece, which all old pieces have. There is a barn in my town that is half collapsed and I am seriously going to ask if I can have that wood. “Hello. I noticed your barn has fallen down. Umm…can I have it?”
We’ve already established that I’m crazy enough to do it.
45 Responses
Oh you must definitely ask for that wood! How cool would that be? Love your painted signs…they are wonderful!
I think the painted headboard is my favorite.
Hugs
SueAnn
You look so adorable in your dirndl dress! And we could have been sisters with that blond hair!
I love your signs. I am still working up the courage to make one for my guestroom, but I am so bad at lettering I keep putting it off.
That's just another thing I want to do now.
Let us know if you ask for the barn. My friend tried that in Montana and they said no. That's the worsed they can say.
Enjoy your day!
Love the signs.
They are great, I love the picture of you in the alps as a little girl…'Heidi' was my favourite story as a child and your picture just reminded me of her 🙂
You are so very talented! How nice that you got to live in the Alps.
Thank you for this tutorial. I love old signs but like you said the good ones are getting expensive. I have some old wood (and I think even a crate!) so I'm going to try it!
When I grow up I want to be able to make signs just like you! : ) Those are really great. I like how you decorate and put things together. Your new bedroom is so pretty.
Good morning! Stopped by way of Ellens at NotYoMammasHandbag.blogspot.com …So nice to meet you. Love your painted signs ~ beautiful creations. I'll definitely be stopping back. Have a wonderful weekend ~ Rebecca
Looks fab! and you were a cute little girl…smiles.
It is the first time i have visited your Blog … and i see, you have spent a part of your childhood in Germany. So let me send you some greetings from a small village near Munich! 🙂
Alle the best, maren
All your signs are just wonderful. You create beautiful vignettes with them. Love the old wood. Hugs, Marty
Oh, aren't you a little blonde cutie! Love all the pics. Your signs are fabulous. The more I come here, the more unimaginative I feel. Love your guest room. Is it for rent?
We used barn wood from my hubby's century farm (the barn had been in the family for over 100 years). We used it for the flooring in most of our house and to make a dining room table out of it. Here are some pics of that:
http://www.potholesandpantyhose.com/A/Home_Life_Archives/Entries/2010/3/16_Oh%2C_How_I_love_Thee_Mr._Remodel……html
A very marvelous post. I loved it from beginning to end. Thanks for sharing from your history, it adds to the meaning of the piece you made.
Becky K.
Love the signs! The Gasthaus one is just perfect for your guest room! Weren't you a cutie ~ I want to call you Heidi, but I won't {because you don't have the braids going on in that picture anyway}! : ) My neighbor behind us just replaced some stockade fencing and I was looking to see if a couple of the old slats were there. I thought they might make for an interesting outdoor sign {since I'm guessing it is treated wood, so I would keep it outside}.
You do great work on your signs…I love the German guesthouse one and the story behind it…
We lived in a small village near Ramstein for 3 years and Garmisch was my favorite place to visit.
Thanks for the memories.
Hi Miss M! I really love the signs and how you decorated with them…But of course, I love everything you do and that you are so willing to share how to do it!
The lettering on the headboard and guest room signs is so beautiful and I love the fact that you lettered the one sign in cream! PS: You look adorable! Karen
Love your signs, and personal pictures. How cool to have those experiences. 🙂
Yes yes, I love this ! I had never seen your Antiques sign before and I love it !!!
You are a genius! You make the most wonderful things…I adore these signs!
Enjoy!
Cathy
You are a genius! You make the most wonderful things…I adore these signs!
Enjoy!
Cathy
Great post…nice memories and great signs!! I lived in Ramstein in 1966 & '67. I passed through Garmisch on the way to Austria. The hills were alive with the "sound of music"…nice memories!!
Angela
I'm loving the signs!!
I might have to try and make my own!
Looks great! Where did you get those plug in sconces?? I have been looking for some forever!! Help! =)
Bonjour ~ Fabulous post of Vintage Chic! ~ Have a lovely weekend! ~ Chelle
I love your signs. The first time I saw the headboard sign I began a search to find my own headboard. No luck yet! Several years ago Hubby and I stayed a few days in Garmish. Loved the town and the people were wonderful!
You do such beautiful work. I love all of your signs! My husband and I went camping in Garmisch years ago. We pitched our tent at night and I was amazed when we woke up and the mountains were so close! I will always remember how beautiful it was, and we had our son 9 mons later!(just realized I commented under the wrong post and had to move it, how embarrassing!)
Oh, I just want to kick myself! About a week ago I had about 30-40 slats from an old weathered fence hauled off! Now I see what I should have attempted anyway. I LOVE that headboard idea of yours!
Brenda
i love all those signs and the pictures of you as a little girl are so cute!
What a cutie! And I swear I have yet to see something you made that I didn't immediately love/want!
Jeanine
So much great information, thank you! Good luck getting the barn wood, your signs would look perfect on it. Theresa
Aw, what an adorable photo of you as a child! Love the sign…you are so very talented!
Great post, Marian!! We laughed out loud at the end ("I notice your barn is falling apart. Can I, um…have it?") Hehe. And what a cute-as-button-Bavarian princess you were! – <3 Tai and John
Love everything you touch! 🙂
I was thinking of something clever to say in German, but hubs is not in the room and all I can say is broken: "Das ist schön"
🙂
All amazing as that is just you. Enjoyed each piece. Going to an auction today and you gave me some ideas! Thanks for sharing.
Hi! I pop in on your blog often but this is my first time leaving a comment. Love the signs! Now I've just got to go dig around in the shed this week-end and pull out that old wood we've been storing. oh, and the bedroom looks great! Looking forward to see what you get into next! You are a much needed inspiration to me some days!
Jana
Those are all very cute signs! Love the weathered wood!
I LOVE this post. What a great collection of antique signs you're starting to accumulate! I'm inspired! 🙂
Love the pictures from the past too. My post going up tonite has a similar feel, it's like we read each other's minds. Being inspired from the past for certain projects brings new meaning into what we recreate for certain.
Thanks for linking this up to SNS!
FJ Donna
After I stopped peeing my pants laughing at your "floor post" I got to enjoy this one..I think I will spend my Sunday reading ALL your previous posts…love the signs..wish you lived near me we could sure sell those in our shop!We make signs from old fence boards,single or double widths with local town names painted on them..my husband rebuilt one side of his mothers fence last year and the boards were a rusty red peeling paint and as he was putting one on our bon fire I said stop..I know what I can do with those! I better sign off as this is turning into a long winded comment and I know how you don't like that LOL
Natalie
thanks for making my day 🙂
Oh my gosh, you live in Gettysburg, and used to live in Garmish.
We bought our first pair of skis in Garmish back in 1964. Met a German man in a Chicken restaurant and they all wanted to speak English with us. He took us to the ski shop.
Love Garmish, and the great food.
Love this post. In the picture of the original antique sign, on the table, over the books is a metal "do-dad". Do you know the original function of this item? I have one and do not know what it is. Thanks
I think I might have already asked you this, anyone know what it is?
My dad told me he thought it was the part of a pump. So, who knows…
I love all the signs! They're all so fabulous, and the memories behind them make them that much more special. How lucky to have lived in Europe as a child (or at any age). What a wonderful experience that woud be. 🙂
Have a wonderful weekend!
~ Jo