How-To Projects | February 8, 2021

Modern Farmhouse Chic: DIY Shiplap Sign

Wooden signs with heartfelt sayings and motivational words add warmth and rustic charm to the walls of your house. Sure, you can browse the aisles of your favorite home goods store and find dozens of beautiful farmhouse signs. But you won't believe how easy (and cheap!) it is to do it yourself. 

Our friend Kristen Chalut of @thechaluthouse created this DIY Shiplap Sign and is sharing her plans and step-by-step instructions with you! Keep on reading to see how she built it and download her full project plans and template. 

THINGS YOU'LL NEED

ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

Cut the 1x3 pine boards into (4) 22" pieces using a miter saw. Sand down each of your cuts to remove any rough edges. Wipe off any sawdust and paint the (4) 22" boards in your desired color. We used Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace.

Now, use your miter saw to cut (2) pieces of lath about 8" long. These pieces will connect your (4) 22" boards.
Lay your 1x3 boards face down and determine how much space you want between each piece. We used a nickel as our spacer between each of the boards.

Place the 8" pieces of lath vertically on the left and right sides. Use your drill and wood screws to connect the pieces.

PRO-TIP: Pre-drill holes in your lath pieces to prevent splitting.
Using an orbital sander (or a piece of sandpaper), sand down the remaining lath to use for the frame.

Measure and cut the lath to fit the exact measurements of your connected boards. Your exact measurements will vary based on how much space you leave between the boards but should be approximately 22.5" for the top and bottom frame pieces and 12.5" for the side frame pieces.

Paint or stain your frame as you'd like. We used watered-down Waverly Inspirations Wax Sealer and Protectant in color Antique.
Now you're ready to cut out the words for your sign. Print your template (standard printer paper is fine) with the words/phrase of your choice. Our template for "P.S. I Love You" in the project plans.

Attach the template to your plywood sheet and use a scroll saw to cut out each word. If you don't have a scroll saw, you can use a jigsaw.

Clean up any rough edges on your words using a rotary tool and sanding bit attachment. Paint the cut out words in the color of your choice. We used Waverly Inspirations Matte Chalk Finish Acrylic Paint in color Ink.

FINISHING TOUCHES

Once everything is dry, put it all together! 

Attach the frame to the sign using a nail gun or hammer, then arrange the words on your sign. Once you have them in place, use E6000 glue to attach.

Your sign is complete and ready for its new home in your house!

Add a modern farmhouse touch to your entryway or gallery wall with this DIY Shiplap Sign. If you build your own, post a picture on social and tag us with #DoItWithHART.

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