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Sign painting 101: Lettering tips and tricks

Creating a hand painted sign can be a great way to add character to almost any space. From words to initials and …. well…. the sky is really the limit. With just a little paint and know how, you can turn scrap wood into a piece of art with very little work.

How to paint signs

HOW TO MAKE A SIGN

tips and tricks on how to paint a sign
First things first, I always use an outline. I do it by tracing the outside edges of the letters through carbon paper onto the wood. As you can see, mine is NEVER perfect – I straighten it all up with the paint.
tips and tricks on how to paint a sign For fine fonts like this one above – I used a Liner #1 so that I can get into the corners.
tutorial on how to paint a sign I dip my brush into my paint straight up and straight back out. In my mind it keeps the bristles in the right place (‘course it might just be me…)
directions on how to paint a signM’kay… lemme see if I can explain without going in circles. If there is a sharp angle, like the top one (with the blue arrows), I swipe my brush from the corner in, then from the corner up, and from the corner across. Then I use my brush like a magic marker and swoop around the loop.

On the bottom part, I go from the corners in on each side, connect the corners with another swipe, then swoop around the edges. The swiping in from the corners helps to keep them crisp.

The Shabby Creek Cottage TV

sign painting tips  I use straight strokes to do the straight lines, one beside the next to fill it in and barely overlap the carbon paper lines.
how to paint a custom sign Don’t be afraid to turn the sign to whatever angle you need to get those swoops in the right direction. I always think it’s easier to stroke towards me, almost like writing.

tips and tricks for how to paint your own sign No matter if I’m doing big, chunky fonts or thin precise ones, these tricks always help me keep the corners clean and lines crisp. I hope some of these ideas helps you, too 🙂

Want more tips? Be sure to see the other posts in this series:
Pick the perfect brush with tips in the Sign Painting 101: Brushes
Choose the perfect paint with tips in the Sign Painting 101: Picking Paint

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Filed Under: DIY

About Gina Luker

Gina Luker is a writer, photographer and lover of all things quirky. She's usually found with a drill in one hand and a cocktail in the other while blogging along the way. She's addicted to coffee, polka dots, rock stars, Instagram, and everything aqua.

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Comments

  1. Aimee - ItsOverflowing.com says

    January 19, 2012 at 2:10 am

    Thanks LOTS for hosting!!! Your PARTY is so GREAT! Thanks for making room for ALL of us!!! XO, Aimee

    Reply
  2. Crystal says

    January 19, 2012 at 2:12 am

    Thanks for hosting and for the tutorial. I hope you’re having a great week!

    Crystal
    apumpkinandaprincess.blogspot.com

    Reply
  3. Andrea at Opulent Cottage says

    January 19, 2012 at 2:23 am

    You make it look so easy 🙂 thanks for hosting Gina! I’m excited for Valentine Week!
    Cheers, Andrea

    Reply
  4. Kammy's Korner says

    January 19, 2012 at 2:53 am

    ahhh, you’d think I was am amatuer or something, haha, but I screwed up number 65 if you could delete it so I can repost it? Not only did I name it wrong, but there’s no thumbnail (not sure why) and I’m SUPER DUPER excited about my CRAFT ROOM REVEAL and now I’m super duper bummed that I didn’t link it right! Thanks!! And thanks for hosting and putting up with dweebs like me – haha!!

    Reply
  5. Jaime says

    January 19, 2012 at 2:56 am

    Thanks Gina for hosting as always and your painting tip is very similar to a lettering post I did here:

    http://thatsmyletter.blogspot.com/2011/08/p-is-for-personalize.html

    I don’t use carbon paper, simply let the pressure of the pen leave an indent in the wood. Just thought I’d share, for some reason that post went rampant on Pinterest and now it has over 400,000 hits? Crazy how that happened.

    Reply
  6. Connie @ Salvage Savvy says

    January 19, 2012 at 3:02 am

    Thanks so much, Gina- I absolutely loved [and needed] this tutorial!! And as always, thanks for hosting a great party 🙂

    Reply
  7. Heaven's Walk says

    January 19, 2012 at 3:10 am

    Thanks for all the great tips, Gina! They will certainly help me create a more professional looking sign in the future! And thanks for hosting such a fun party! 🙂

    xoxo laurie

    Reply
  8. Abbie says

    January 19, 2012 at 4:01 am

    Thanks so much for hosting and for fabulous sign painting tips, Gina!

    Linked up a bunch of projects and am looking foward to browsing the creativity!

    Awesome party! : )

    Reply
  9. Scribbler says

    January 19, 2012 at 4:25 am

    Thanks for hosting! What a cute sign — maybe one day I will try that.

    Reply
  10. Rosemary@villabarnes says

    January 19, 2012 at 4:28 am

    Thanks for hosting. Always a pleasure to drop by.

    Reply
  11. countrymommacooks.com says

    January 19, 2012 at 4:55 am

    Thank you for hosting I get a ton of traffic from your party:) I’d like to invite you to my Link & Greet on saturday @CountryMommaCooks…have a great day!

    Reply
  12. Riitta Sinikka says

    January 19, 2012 at 8:33 am

    Hi! So lovely things! I wish you a very happy day! Greetings Riitta Sinikka.

    Reply
  13. andrea says

    January 19, 2012 at 11:47 am

    Gina, thank you for hosting and the easy to follow sign tutorial. I’ll be back later tonight after work to check out the party! andrea@townandprairie

    Reply
  14. Rebekah Greiman says

    January 19, 2012 at 1:04 pm

    Happy Thursday morning to you! I linked up tutorial on Pickling Jalapeno Peppers. It’s pretty easy and the rewards are perfect when it comes time for nachos or chili! Thanks for hosting the party once again. Have a great week!
    Rebekah-www.potholesandpantyhose.com

    Reply
  15. Erin of Salvaged Whimsy says

    January 19, 2012 at 1:20 pm

    Thanks for hosting…and thanks for the wonderful tutorial…I’ve PINNED it :). Take care and have a great weekend.

    Reply
  16. Linda says

    January 19, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    Thanks for hosting. I LOVE VISITING ALL THE TALENTED BLOGGERS AND THE IDEAS.

    Reply
  17. Bethany @ A Fish Who Likes Flowers says

    January 19, 2012 at 2:02 pm

    Gina, Thanks for hosting! Hope you’re having a wonderful week!

    Reply
  18. Amy says

    January 19, 2012 at 2:42 pm

    I love your parties… I could spend hours looking all the projects and ideas out there!
    Amy @ homehappyhome

    Reply
  19. Curtains in My Tree says

    January 19, 2012 at 3:12 pm

    I like it over here also and always look around at others projects

    lucking me I got some painting done this week

    Reply
  20. Christina May Andrews says

    January 19, 2012 at 3:12 pm

    Thank you for the GREAT tutorial!

    Reply
  21. Julie says

    January 19, 2012 at 3:35 pm

    Beautiful, simple sign. What a great, budget-friendly decorating idea that is a little different! And the how-to is great!

    Thanks for hosting!!

    Reply
  22. frugal-interior-design says

    January 19, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    Thanks for the letter painting tips and for hosting!

    Reply
  23. Sharon, aka Bootersmom03 says

    January 19, 2012 at 3:55 pm

    Thanks for hosting! Love the great painting tips!

    Reply
  24. Something Nice and Pretty says

    January 19, 2012 at 4:41 pm

    Thanks so much for hosting, always love your party!

    Reply
  25. Eileen says

    January 19, 2012 at 5:42 pm

    Thanks for the painting tips and for another great party!

    Reply
  26. Pam says

    January 19, 2012 at 7:59 pm

    Thanks for hosting the party! I have a wooden board in my garage that I have been meaning to make into a sign since September. You’re motivating me to just get started on it!

    Reply
  27. cathhasablog@gmail.com says

    January 19, 2012 at 8:44 pm

    Thanks for being our host! I am a new follower of your blog! I would love it if you came and checked out my blog and followed me too! 🙂 Cath at Home is Where my Heart is
    http://cathhasablog.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  28. Ami w/AliLilly says

    January 19, 2012 at 9:13 pm

    Awesome! Thanks so much, Gina, for the painting tips. I always have issues with that. Thanks for hosting. Can’t wait for the party next week. 🙂

    Reply
  29. Beth says

    January 19, 2012 at 9:54 pm

    Found your blog today and decided to link up something. Your link party is almost inspiration over-load, but I love it!

    Reply
  30. Jen @ Creating with the J's says

    January 20, 2012 at 12:20 am

    Thanks for the sign painting tips and for hosting!!!!

    Reply
  31. Kara at Petals to Picots says

    January 20, 2012 at 12:47 am

    Thank you for hosting! Feel free to stop by my site and link up in my I Love Fridays link party 🙂

    Reply
  32. Kerry Rossow says

    January 20, 2012 at 1:27 am

    Holy gravy- the talent at this par-taay is awesome!
    Thank you so much for hosting!
    Kerry at HouseTalkN

    Reply
  33. Courtney ~ French Country Cottage says

    January 20, 2012 at 2:22 am

    Thanks for hosting Gina!

    Reply
  34. nanasewn says

    January 21, 2012 at 12:49 am

    # 15 seems to be a dead link

    Reply
  35. FLO says

    January 21, 2012 at 8:44 am

    I just discovered your blog Gina and it’s fun 😉
    Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  36. Katherines Corner says

    January 21, 2012 at 2:40 pm

    Wow you have over 500 linkers on this great linky that is awesome and so is this letter painting tutorial! Smooches and hugs and wishes for a beautiful weekend xo

    Reply
  37. Debbie says

    June 23, 2014 at 11:42 pm

    Thanks for the lesson. I will try that tomorrow.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. make this: easy outdoor word art says:
    April 2, 2014 at 4:44 am

    […] a paint brush, fill in those letters. If you need help I wrote another post on sign painting to get ya started. Remember those imperfections are beautiful, so don’t try to get it perfect. […]

    Reply
  2. Anchored Soul Designs | Handmade Home Decor | Day 8 – Making Signs with Transfers says:
    May 12, 2014 at 9:55 am

    […] Paint in the lines to complete your design. (Gina also has a great tutorial on how to more easily fill in your letters/design) […]

    Reply
  3. How to make: sweet tea served here sign says:
    June 16, 2014 at 10:32 am

    […] how to paint the letters with Sign Painting 101: Lettering Tips and Tricks Pick the perfect brush with tips in the Sign Painting 101: […]

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  4. For Love of the Trug | worthywoodworking says:
    January 26, 2015 at 9:50 am

    […] jam, etc.)   A perfect phrase to tattoo on the side of this bad boy.  I followed this post from Shabby Creek Cottage to complete this task.  It came out pretty good, but not as solid as I would have […]

    Reply
  5. How to make a custom lighted marquee sign says:
    January 27, 2015 at 4:09 am

    […] Then use acrylic paint to fill in the centers with color one (I used gold) and the outline with color two (I used black). If you need help doing this, be sure to see my post on Lettering Tips and Tricks. […]

    Reply
  6. How to distress a painted sign - The Shabby Creek Cottage says:
    July 15, 2016 at 11:34 am

    […] A painted sign (Click here to see my tutorial for painted signs) […]

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ARE YOU A FARMHOUSE FAN?
Get instant access to this free guide to The Best Sources for a Farmhouse Style Home on a Budget!
YOUR NAME:
YOUR EMAIL:
_____________