DIY Buffalo Plaid Cozy Little Cottage Sign

*This post contains affiliate links.

I Love Plaid

My theme for this Christmas is red and black buffalo plaid. Plaid items are great for the holidays, because they can be used throughout the winter.
A Woolrich Buffalo Plaid Mini Quilt Set began my buffalo plaid trend this year.

Woolrich Mini Quilt Set

I enjoy using signs in my home decor, especially weathered/rustic or vintage ones. After I bought the bedding, I had to have a red and black buffalo plaid sign too. There were plenty of options on the internet, but I couldn’t find one that conveyed the exact message I wanted. So I decided to make my own.

I believe in using what you have, rather than running to the store every time you want to make something. We already had an autumn sign that read, “Pumpkins, We Grow Em, You Pick Em.” It was the perfect size for my new project.

Rather than paint over a perfectly good sign, I painted on the back of it. We can hang it with the pumpkin side facing out in the fall, then flip it over when we decorate for Christmas.

Gathering Supplies

Before you begin any project, gather your supplies (if only I could apply this rule to making recipes-I’m always missing an ingredient I thought we had in the pantry). You will need a wooden sign of some sort, black, red, and white acrylic paint, acrylic sealer, a straight edge, a paper cutter (optional), sandpaper or a sander, clear tape, scissors, glitter, some type of lettering (vinyl, stencils, lettering printed from microsoft word), glitter, and paintbrushes (1/4″ angle brush, liner brush, 1″ foam brush).

Wooden Rectangle Sign

Step 1- Paint the Sign
It was fairly easy to change the sign from orange to red. It only required one coat of Apple Barrel Gloss Red acrylic paint; applied with a 1” foam sponge brush.

Paper Cutter

Step 2- Paint the Vertical Stripes
First I measured and placed a pencil dot in the middle of the sign, every 1.5”, horizontally, from left to right, all the way down the length of the sign. Using the pencil marks as your guide, create stripes by taping off every other 1.5” section with clear tape. Then, paint the untaped areas using Apple Barrel (not gloss) Black paint and the same (rinsed-out, of course) 1” foam brush. Remove tape, then blow dry the wet areas until thoroughly dry.

 

Step 3- Paint the Horizontal Stripes
Since the board was 7” tall, I divided 7” by 3, which equaled 2.33.” I estimated this to be roughly 2 5/16,” then measured by this amount from the top and bottom on both sides, and marked each measurement with pencil dots.

Divide your board height by 3, and measure from the top and bottom using this amount, placing pencil dots to mark the measurement on both the left and right sides of the sign. Using the pencil marks as your guide, place clear tape over the the middle stripe, leaving the top and bottom areas of the sign exposed for painting.

Paint the exposed top and bottom stripe using the Apple Barrel Black paint and the 1” foam brush. Remove tape, and blow dry.

Use sandpaper, or a sander, to rough every other black square. I cut a corner from my sander, and used it to rough every other black square.

 

Step 4- Lettering
Letters can be done with vinyl, stencils, or with the Microsoft Word program. I chose Microsoft Word because I wanted to use a variety of fonts and letter sizes. To make your words exactly like mine, follow these steps:
Open the Microsoft Word program on your desk top, or laptop computer (anything attached to a printer) and choose the blank document. Using the buttons at the top, select layout, and change the page orientation to landscape. Then click/select the home button. Your font size should read “11.”  Place your curser in the box where it reads “11,” and change the font size for each word, or group of words as follows:
For the word COZY, select Dubai Medium font, type in 200 for the font size, and type “COZY” in capital letters on the blank page. Then print, and set aside.
For the word COTTAGE, use the Aharoni font, type in 200 for the font size, and type “COTTAGE” in capital letters. Then print, and set aside.
For the words WELCOME TO OUR LITTLE, use Kunstler Script font, type in 150 for the font size, and type in “Welcome To Our Little” capitalizing only the first letters in each word. Then print, and set aside.

Step 5- Assembling and Transferring the Letters to the Sign
Assemble your words in the proper order. Use a straight edge or a paper cutter to keep everything straight and evenly spaced. Use clear tape to piece the words together.
Turn the paper face down, and rub yellow or white chalk thoroughly over all the letters/words.

 

Carefully turn the paper over and tape it to the sign. Make sure you have everything where you want it. Use the end of a mechanical pencil, without the graphite, to trace around each letter. You will be surprised at how well this letter tracing/transferring method works-I sure was.

Step 6- Paint the Words
Paint the words with Apple Barrel Gloss White. The thick letters will take about 4 coats. Blow dry in between coats. Touch up smudges, and wipe off chalk before adding the last coat. On the last coat, paint one letter at a time and add glitter. Blow dry, then tap off excess glitter.

 

Step 7- Spray With Protective Coating
I used Aleene’s Acrylic Sealer to seal and protect my sign. In a ventilated area, hold the spray can 10” to 12” from the sign, and spray in a back and forth motion. Allow the sign to dry between coats, if you’re adding more than one.

Aleene’s Acrylic Sealer

Step 8- Hang and Enjoy!

If you liked this post, subscribe to Love My Little Cottage here.

To read my post about winter plaid, use this link: https://lovemycottage.wpengine.com/red-plaid-the-iconic-winter-pattern/

Merry Christmas

Kristie