Wedding Gift Idea: Custom Family Signs

It’s officially wedding season and this summer we are packed full of wonderful celebrations for friends and family. This is definitely the year for weddings in our family and with that comes lots of wedding gifts! I am generally the type who buys directly off a registry because I want the couple to like my gift, BUT when I know someone’s style perfectly,  I take the plunge and make homemade gifts. They are more fun and sentimental anyway!

I went to several bridal showers this past weekend and for one of them I made one of the ever-so-popular custom family signs to celebrate the year the couple became one. I’ve seen a ton of these signs on Etsy and all over and I’ve always loved them, so I decided to give it a try myself. The bride-to-be is so fun to make things for, she is shabby chic to its fullest and loves pink! So yes, that’s the direction I took with this sign/towel rack, but you can customize these any way you like.

I added beautiful ceramic rose knobs to the sign which gives it a whole new purpose. It can be used for an entry way hook or towel rack or just a fun decorative piece. It makes a little more versatile.

So in case you have a bridal shower or wedding coming up, I’ve included a few step by step directions on how I made mine.

Supplies Needed:

– 12″ Wooden Plaque

– Rustoleum Kona Stain

– Snow White Americana Acrylic Paint

– Peony Pink Americana Acrylic Paint

– Satin Varnish

– Paint Brush

– Power Drill

– 3 Knobs

I started by priming the surface in Rusteolum Kona stain. I only did one coat since it would be covered up. Let it dry.

Then, I gave it a coat of Snow White Americana Paint and let it dry. If you have beautiful handwriting you could easily paint directly onto the sign, but I chose to create a vinyl stencil using my Silhouette. The Peony Pink was the perfect touch to this sign.  

Once all of the paint layers were perfectly dry, I used 100 grit sand paper to distress the edges and show the dark stain underneath. I kept the distressing really minimal.

Once the sign was just how I wanted it, I applied a layer of Satin Varnish to seal the wood.

And how cute are these rose knobs? I found them at Hobby Lobby for $5.99 a piece and they were 50% off. They were just what I was looking for.

While we are on the topics of wedding gifts, do you give handmade gifts or go off the registry?