If you read my recent post ‘My Instant Garden Bar Area’, you’ll have seen the cool wall art ‘Roll With It’ sign that I made to help style up the area. It was super cheap, quick, and easy to make. We all have pictures hanging inside the house, so why not outside! Read on to make this DIY outdoor wall art and add some decoration to your garden too.
(I’ve included some affiliate links in this post, shown with an asterisk (*). If you click on them and make a purchase, I get a bit of money in my back pocket, to help towards future creations to share with you on my blog.)
I made my wall sign from things I already had lying around the house. This is what you will need:-
- 400mm x 400mm x 6mm MDF Sheet
- String
- *Gold/brass Paint
- *Black Acrylic Paint
- Text Stencil
- Craft knife
- Paint brushes
- Polyurethane Varnish (or PVA glue)
- Drill and 4mm drill bit
Step 1 – Make the Hanging Holes
Drill 2 x 4mm holes at the top edge of your MDF, about 70mm in from the edge, and 10mm down from the top.
Step 2 – Paint it Black
Paint your MDF with 1 to 2 coats of black acrylic paint. Leave to dry.
Step 3 – Print Your Text
Create and print out some large text. Place your piece of paper on a cutting mat, so as to protect the surface underneath (you can use a magazine or piece of cardboard, if you don’t have one), then using a craft knife, cut out the letters on your template. For the R and the O, keep the middle of the letters. Then cut any excess paper around the edge of your text.
I’m not left handed by the way, but I have to use my right hand to take the picture 😆
Step 4 – Stencil Your Sign
Arrange your stencils on the painted board. You can tape them down so they don’t move. I just held mine in place.
Using a small brush, paint small strokes away from the edge of each letter into the centre of the stencil, so as to avoid bleeding, and create a textured paint effect (it doesn’t matter if you get a little bleeding, as the writing’s not meant to be perfect). When you’ve finished each word, carefully remove the stencil, and move onto the next word, working from the top to the bottom of your MDF board. When finished, leave to dry as per paint instructions.
I had to use my right hand here though so I didn’t smudge the paint. Have you ever tried taking a picture with a DSLR camera using your left hand!
Step 5 – Protect Your Pic
To protect your picture from the outside elements, you’ll need to next apply a coat of polyurethane varnish or PVA glue to seal it. Don’t forget to also coat the edges and back. Leave to dry.
I wouldn’t however, recommend leaving your picture outside during the winter.
Step 6 – Hang it Up!
Tie some string, around 60cm long through the holes and cut off any excess. Your DIY outdoor wall art is now ready to hang in your garden!
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