Unique Chic And Rustics: My Upcycled And Repurposed Life

Hi everyone,

   So glad your here!! It is hot and humid today here in the big MO, and I think I even woke up sweating today!! Lol!! No, thank God for a good AC, huh!! I feel so bad for my hubby today, just like most days in the summer, as he has to work out in this all day long!! He is a concrete worker in St. Louis, and has been for many many years now!! It's about an hour and a half one way for us!! I don't know how he does it sometimes!! I myself worked out side most of the day yesterday, and it was about the same yesterday outside as it is today, and yes, I was pouring sweat like you have never seen!! The reason I was outside most of the day yesterday, is because I built a 53" Floating Shelf made out of old Barn Wood!! It is awesome, I have to say, but that tutorial is for another post coming up soon, so check back in often, or subscribe to me so you don't miss out!! My hubby was very proud of me, I think?!! Lol!! Not that he would just come out and tell me or anything!!

   Today, I am going to show you how to build a Pallet Sign, out of upcycled pallets!! I have been wanting to do this for a long while now, but never seemed to get around to it. But now, I am so SO happy that I finally did!!

The pallet that I used for this project was made out of old barn wood that my dad had made!! I took a couple out of our barn!! HeeHee, don't tell him though!! Lol!! He told me to take whatever old barn wood that I wanted, meaning what he had tore down from the other old barn, BUT...He never specified!! So, I just took it upon myself to take WHATEVER old wood that I wanted!! You know that you would have done the same!! I just wish now that I would have taken more!! Lol!! Oh Well, I guess I'll just have to make another trip back to the farm sometime soon!! When he's not there of coarse!! HeeHee!! I know, I'm terrible!!

   I used a saw-jaw to take the pallets apart!!

No one but my 5 year old son was here, so I didn't have anyone to take a photo of me actully using the saw-jaw to take the pallet apart, but I promise I did in fact do it!! I still have the scratches on my knees from trying to hold the one end of the pallet, while I was cutting the other! Real Safe, I know, but I didn't have anyone else to help me.

After finally getting 5-1"X6" and 1-1"X4" boards apart, I then took the 6 of them, and measured each and marked them at 39" long, as this is the length that I had decided on that would be perfect. It was going to go on my living room, above my mantle!! I was so excited!! I then cut each board with my Craftsman battery operated, hand saw, which is so awesome and highly recommended!! And NO...I did NOT get paid to say that!! I wish I did though!! Lol!! Wouldn't that be nice!!

I needed a couple of smaller boards to hold these 6 boards together, so I cut me 2-1"X4"s about 27" long. Then, I placed the 6-39" boards the way that I wanted them. I didn't want this sign to be even, I wanted it to look mismatched, if you know what I mean. After placing placing them how I wanted, I flipped them over, placing them exactly the same, but opposite, and place the 2-1"X4" vertical of my horizontal.

After lining up the 2-1"X4" were they needed to be, I knelt down on top of the first one, and marked it, top and bottom, then marked exactly were the screws needed to be drilled in. I marked 4 holes on the 2-1"X4" for each of the 6 other boards, if that makes sense?! Meaning, i was going to drill 4 holes into every one of the 6 boards.

I then took my even more awesome Milwaukee drill, I also have an impact drill!! They came in set my hubby got me from Home Depot!! That was the best anniversary gift EVER!! Anywho, I took my amazing drill, and pre-drilled all the marks I had made, where all the 1 1/2" screws were going to go! I only pre-drilled the 2-1"X4" on the back. I did not pre-drill the other 6 boards.

My son was holding the impact drill in this shot!! Lol

When I was done pre-drilling, it was time for the real thing!! I used my impact drill the screw in the 1 1/2" screws! So, count with me. That's 24 screws per the 2 boards on the back!! Great Job!! Lol!! Then your all done with the building part. It should look a little something like this when your all done!!

Alrighty then, it's time to get your stencil on, or paint! Whichever one you decide!! I did not want to paint it, just stencil, because I wanted that rustic old barn wood look!! Don't cha just LOVE it?!! I for sure love it!! I already knew what I wanted the sign to say. I wanted it to say "Together is our favorite place to be"!! That is so true, and it is definitely US!! We are always together as a family!! I can't think of a better way to spend my life!! Everything we do, we do together, so I just knew that this was the perfect saying for us!!

I did not have and couldn't find the stencil in the font I wanted, or the size, and believe me, I looked!! Not unless I wanted to fork out some cash for one, and this is something I did NOT want to do!! But, what I did have was a bunch of chipboard letters!! So, that gave me an idea!! I would trace the chipboard letters, then paint them in!! Aw Ha!! It was a long process, but so worth it!!

If you look real close, you can see where I traced the chipboard letters!! See 'em?? Then, I painted the letters what color I wanted them to be! "Together" and "Favorite" are a mixture of Steel Gray and White craft paint, "Is Our" and "Place To" is plain White, and "Be" is the color "Patina", and I love Patina everything!!

The very last thing I had to do was figure out a way to hang it!! I have this huge antique mirror that I am going to redo, and I remembered it was hung buy a thick wire/cable kinda thing, and I didn't have any sturdy wire on hand, and neither did my hubby, so I just took it off of the old mirror!!

I drilled 2 of the same screws that I used to build the sign with, only half way into the back 1"X4". One in each of them. I took the wire, wrapping it 2 times around each screw, and then wrapping it around it's self.

Finally, I screwed the screws in as far as I could go, without them going completely into the wood!!

That's it!! Put a long screw into a stud in your wall (Make sure you do in fact put it into a stud) and hang that puppy up!! Voila...Your Very Own DIY Pallet Sign!!! Here it is hanging above my mantle!! I absolutely love it!! I hope that I have inspired you to do your very own DIY Projest!! Please don't forget to comment and let me know how you like it!! Also, I would love for you to like my page on facebook, and pin all you want!! Thanks so much for stopping by, and stayed tuned for more DIY tutorials and more!! Have a Wonderful Day!!