Wood Slatted Sign {Roadkill Rescue}

I was challenged this month on Indy Style (the local lifestyle show I am on monthly) to repurpose an old playpen from like the 1950s. Now, I am not a safety freak but this thing is scary to put a small child or baby in. Holy nelly! But the piece was solid and it had plenty of potential for upcycling. It was getting ready to be tossed in the trash when Dianne submitted it for me to rescue. I hope she is glad she did!

Here is what it used to be…

There was no way I was restoring this piece to its original state, so I busted it all up to use the pieces.

Supplies:

Minwax Polyshade in Mission Oak

Electric sander with 100 and 150 grit sandpaper

tack cloth or other cloth to wipe down wood

old t-shirt for applying stain

Black Premium Vinyl

Transfer Paper

Silhouette machine or Vinyl from Say it on the Wall

Spray primer

1. I decided to use half of the wood slatted bottom to make a vintage sign. I sanded it down starting with 100 grit sandpaper and then finished it with 150 grit. After wiping it clean I applied a light coat of the Polyshade in Mission Oak just to refresh the wood a little.

2. While it was drying I designed some vinyl in the Silhouette studio program to apply to the new wood. The font I used for the last name is Chopin Script and the other font is Chaparral Pro. I then applied it to the sign transferring it with some transfer tape. If you don’t own a Silhouette Cameo machine you can buy the vinyl from Laura at Say it on the Wall. Next I sprayed some spray primer lightly over the letters. Then I immediately pulled the vinyl off.