How To Make A Multilingual Wood Welcome Sign

I’m finally posting my first project of 2013! Hoooray, it’s about time! I’ve been working on my winter front porch for a while now, and I keep running into road blocks, so I thought I’d share the Multilingual Welcome Sign I made using a piece of scrap plywood I found in the garage. I love recycled projects!

Today, you’ll find a tutorial on how to make a multilingual wood welcome sign using scrap wood, dark walnut stain, white paint and a stencil!

I happen to have a slight obsession with mixing crisp white with wood (proof of that can be found here, here, here and here).  And I love how this one turned out. Expect to see more of this look from me this year!

I’ve been searching online for the perfect subway art for a while and when I came across this multi-lingual welcome art on the Silhouette Store I just fell in love. The graphic work is beautiful and I adore how the languages are in a different font. I think it will be the perfect addition to the front porch as it welcomes everyone!

Ready for a quick tutorial?

I started with a piece of scrap plywood that I found in our garage. Mine measures 23″ X 11″.

I stained it with one coat of Dark Walnut by Rustoleum. I only used one coat because I wanted to see the variations in the wood grain.

Next, I used my Silhouette to cut out the subway art onto vinyl. You’ll want to use a 24″ cutting mat for this. I don’t have one so I had to piece it together, I don’t recommend it.

Now here we go into lots of flip-flopping…

Peel off the excess vinyl so the subway art is the only thing left on the backing.

Then, apply the transfer paper on top of the art.

Turn it over and peel off the vinyl backing.

Place the transfer paper with the subway art onto the stained piece of wood (after it is dry). Press firmly transfer paper onto the wood and get all of the bubbles out.

Carefully pull back the transfer paper to reveal the subway art. *Note: VERY carefully pull back the paper, VERY slowly. Some of my vinyl started to slip so I had to peel it off the transfer paper in a few spots. You’ll need to take your time on this step.

If your vinyl is secure to the surface you can probably skip this step, but I applied a clear layer of Mod Podge on top of the vinyl to help keep it in place and prevent any paint from bleeding.

Lastly, I applied two coats of white latex paint that I had left over in my garage.

Let it dry overnight and then carefully pull off the vinyl letters to reveal the wood beneath.

And you are finished! C’est fini!

 Thanks for stopping by today :)

About Taryn Whiteaker

Taryn Whiteaker is the voice of style behind TarynWhiteaker.com (formerly Design, Dining and Diapers) ! Taryn is a previous PR/Marketing professional who got back to her creative roots after becoming a mom and now shares her passion for home decor and design for the world to see. Taryn lives in the greater Seattle area with her husband and three kids and loves coffee, the outdoors, and exploring with her family.