Hocus Pocus...Halloween Sign Using a Wood Pallet

How to Make a Halloween Sign Using a Wood Pallet

Today I will be giving instructions on how to make a Halloween sign using a wood pallet. First, I would like to tell you a little bit about how I decided to make my first wood pallet project. I came across a sign (see image 1), that I thought was very cute. I remembered thinking; “I can do this.” I had a wood board sitting by my trash can, which I thought it would be perfect for the sign. So, I decided to make it. Usually, I find new things to do, I get obsessed with them, I quickly get bored, and I move on to the next hobby. When I made my first sign, I was hooked and quickly fell in love with the process. I find doing Do It Yourself (DIY) projects for my home, fun and relaxing. Therefore, I like sharing this new project idea with you. I hope it motivates you and inspires you to make new signs for your home.

I will begin by listing all the materials that you will need to complete this project. Most materials should be available from your own previous projects or very inexpensive to obtain at your local hardware store. Some materials are home supplies such as a computer and a printer.

Materials :

1. A pallet

2. Sand paper

3. Paint of your choice (I used black chalkboard paint, purple, red, and white)

4. Number 2 pencil

5. Paint brushes (assorted sizes are recommended depending on the size of your font)

6. Mod Podge (this is optional but I highly recommend it)

7. A computer with any type of word software

8. Inkjet printer

9. Paper to print

10. Tape

11. A handsaw or chop saw (whatever is available to you)

12. Screws or nails

13. Screwdriver or hammer

14. Tape Measure

Now, I know that not everyone has pallets laying around their backyard but, you can find pallets at various places. They are either very inexpensive or free. I normally find them near construction sites, behind Home Depot, Lowes, or any grocery store. If they are not by a dumpster, make sure you ask someone if it is okay for you to take the pallet. For my project, I used a pallet that I had in my backyard, so it looks weathered. I did, however, drive around to find a pallet for this project. I saw some leaning (see image2), in front of a convenient Asian Market. I went inside to ask how much for the pallets. They said, “they are FREE.” So, I took 3 to have extras for my next project.

Once you obtained the pallet, it is important to know how to dismantle it. To do this, you will need:

A hammer
A crowbar (If necessary)

Step 1: Do not feel intimidated by the pallet, it is very easy to dismantle it without breaking the boards. You must, however, be careful not to hit the boards too hard otherwise you could crack the boards. Stand the pallet in an upright position. With your left hand, hold the pallet tight and with your right hand, using a hammer, hit the boards to push the boards off the nails. Remove any extra nails with the claw part of the hammer. Click here for a different idea on how to dismantle a pallet.

Once you have dismantled the pallet, you will need to measure your boards and figure out what size sign you want. My sign is 23” high by 16” wide. Use the handsaw or chop saw to cut the boards to your desired size.

Step 2: With the sand paper, sand your boards to make them as smooth as you like, (this could take a while). I have an electric sander, which makes the job faster. If you are planning on making more wood projects, then, I highly recommend considering the investment (See image 3). From the same pallet, you will need two separate boards to nail together all the boards. Cut the extra boards 2” shorter than the width of your sign and nail them or screw them to what will be the back of your sign. (See image 4.)

Step 3: After the boards are nailed or screwed together and, smoothed out, use a large paint brush and lightly brush the boards with what you chose to be your base color. This will give it an antique look. Or, you can competely paint the front of your sign and once it dries, sand it off. This will also give it an antique look . (See image 5.)

Once the paint is completely dried, it is now ready for -what I call- the fun part. This is the part that makes me forget about everything and just focus on my project and what the end result will look like.

I came up with the idea of making this sign, by going on Google and typing, “pallet sign ideas.” People are so creative and I just love seeing all the cool things they make with wood pallets. I found a sign that said: “A witch and her little monsters live here with one handsome devil!” and I decided that I was going to make it for Halloween. Now, there are super expensive machines that can make all kinds of stencils and would make this process faster and easier. But, since I do not have the expensive machine, I will show you the two methods that I have used to transfer letters to wood.

Step 4: On your computer, you are going to create a word document. Once you have chosen a quote, it is important to consider the size of your sign and the size of your letters. (This is where our basic math will be handy), remembering that the size of the normal paper is 8 1/2” x 11” makes it easier to figure out how the words will fit onto the board.

The first method you can use to transfer letters to wood, is using a pencil. when your document it is ready for printing, print and cut it to arrange your words. Turn your paper over and heavily shade over the entire quote with a pencil. Once you have finished, flip your paper over again and tape it onto the board to secure it. With the number 2 pencil trace the letters hard enough to leave an imprint on the wood but not too hard; you could rip the paper. Click here for a short tutorial. I personally like this method if I am using different color paints.

The second method is as equally easy as the first one, but, it involves flipping the letters of your document backwards. To do this, you will need to make a text box on your entire page. Make your text box clear and write your quote in it. Arrange your quote and adjust the font size as needed. Here are the steps to flip your words backwards using Microsoft Word:

1. High light your text and right click on the text box.

2. Click on Format Shape.

3. Click on Text Options.

4. Click on Text Effects.

5. Click on 3D-Rotation. Set the X Rotation to 180° and click enter.

Voila! your text is backwards and ready to print!

Step 5: This is the method I used for my sign. Once your document is printed, cut and arrange the words onto your board with the letters facing the board. Tape and secure the paper. With a brush, lightly brush water over the letters. Just enough water for the letters to begin to show. With the handle of a small brush or a round Sharpie cap, trace the letters. I found it easier to do one word at a time. (See image 6.)

Now, after last step is done (see image 7), you can use a small brush and paint the quote with black paint to make it darker or leave as is. to give it a gloss finish you can brush Mod Podge the entire sign and you are done. Or do as I did, and add more decorations around it. It is up to you how you want to arrange or decorate your sign.

Extra notes:

1. You will find this to be, an easy to moderate project, depending on your craft skills.

2. If you are using a chop saw and/or an electric hand saw, for your safety, please review the "Safety Manual" on how to use them.

3. If you are using the “second letter transfer method,” do not over saturate your paper or the ink will run. Also, if you are using the “second letter transfer method” and want to use color paint, lightly sand off the disired word enough were you can still the letters. Then repaint using your desired color. Do not use color ink. The ink will run and the colors come out faded.

4. The extra decorations on my sign, were done free hand and by using both the first and second letter transferring methods. Also, after my sign was done I Mod Podged the entire sign.

Enjoy!

Image 1. This is the sign that started it all!

Image 2. These were the pallets I found at the convenient store.

Image 3. This image is a collage. The top picture has the sanded boards. The bottom left picture has the boards before sanding. The bottom right pircture is my electric sander.