Fall is just around the corner and it’s one of my favorite seasons. For me, living in farm country, it means harvest time! All the wonders of creation performing their grand finale and we get to reap the benefit of such splendor. There’s nothing like a cup of hot cider on a cool fall evening, a hearty pile of pumpkins, or a long hayride with our loved ones. That’s what I envisioned when deciding what to create for this month’s Power Tool Challenge. (there’s all sorts of DIY goodies for you at the bottom of this post!) Here is my treat to you, a fall harvest sign.
For my project, I wanted a rustic harvest sign that would bring back memories and also create them too.
DIY TIME
Want to create one of your very own? I’ve got the DIY details for you! Just grab your jigsaw, some scrap or new lumber and let’s get to work.
(note: I used chippy siding for my project and this is totally up to your interpretation. Have fun with it and mix it up if you’d like. I’ve added the details for using a 1″ x 6″ x 8′ raw pine board in the materials list below. Home Depot can cut the boards for you for free.)
Here’s what you’ll need to make a harvest sign:
- jigsaw
- 2 – 1″ x 6″ boards 24″ long
- 2 – 1″ x 6″ boards 18″ long
- woodworking square
- tape measure
- 5″ x 7″ paperboard for template (a cereal box, notepad backing, etc)
- pencil
- sandpaper
- safety goggles
- hook and eye hangers (6 hooks, 6 eyes) – you could also use wire or an old hanger cut up.
- flush mount picture hangers
- chalk
- paint/paint brush
- stain (if using raw lumber)
Let’s make your template first. First, grab your paperboard and follow the sizing in the picture to cut it into a house shape:
Now that you’ve got your template, let’s put it to work. You will be using this to create two different boards. Then, for the first 24″ board, you will put the template with point facing outward (like an arrow) and lined up to the edge and trace.
Next, cut off corners, and lightly sand to remove rough edges. One board done!
NEXT STEPS
First, grab your second 24″ board and place the template facing inward and lined up with the outside edge. Then, trace and cut. When cutting, run your saw down in one side, and then come back out and start a fresh-cut going down the other. That will give you a nice, crisp, point. Also, do this to both ends and lightly sand again.
All your boards should be cut and you’re ready to decorate. Yay!
If you’re starting with raw lumber and want to create an aged effect, just head to my layering tutorial and choose the colors you would like. Also, to mimic the look on my sign, you would want a dark stain (any old stain will do) and a flat white paint.
Feel free to play with the layout. We took a vote in my family on which we preferred, but here are some options:
In the end, the effect we’re going for is a rustic sign that looks like the farmer grabbed up some scrap wood and put this together to sell his goods. Likewise, you most certainly can get funky with it and use fonts and such to transfer typography (I had a hard time not doing that, but wanted to keep it easy to follow). I have a tutorial on how to do that here.
Just grab some chalk (blackboard or sidewalk chalk will do), and lay out your design. Feel free to change-up the text too – make it suit your style and home.
However, since I have contrasting boards, I used black paint on the white boards with a square brush.
…and white with colored inset on the darker boards.
ASSEMBLY
Finally, to hang your boards together, use the hooks and eyes to connect, as seen in the picture above. I’ve got eye hooks and s-hooks shown below, but I had hooks on hand and used those instead. When using hooks, just make sure one is facing forward and the other facing backward so your sign stays on if you’re hanging it in the wind.
Finally, for the mounting hardware, just place your picture hangers 8″ in from the ends of your top board and ¼” down from the top edge.
THE REVEAL
Now you’re ready to hang and enjoy! Isn’t it cute?
In addition, you could even add eye hooks to the top edge and mount it off of a post as a directional sign. Your family will love it! ♥ Not the DIY type? Then you can find this sign available in my shop.
I hope you had fun with this harvest sign project. In addition, pin and share so others can build too! Head below for the Power Tool Challenge DIYs.
Also, more of my fall DIYs like my harvest sign:
Now before you head off, take a stroll through DIY lane. I know you’ll be whipping out your tools when you see all this fall goodness from my blogging friends.
I love this, Larissa! It’s the perfect backdrop for your Fall porch! XO
Thanks, Christy! It’s fun to create and decorate, especially for my favorite season.
I love these signs Larissa! And I’m a little jealous of your stockpile of chippy, old wood ; )
hee hee hee…my hubby hates this stash because of it’s chippyness, but it’s got a whole lot of potential!
These signs are so cute, Larissa! Simple to make, and the perfect weekend project for easy fall decor!
Thanks, Cher! I really could go nuts on these, but love the simple projects too. I’m so glad you stopped by!
Larissa you obviously love living in the country, we did try it ourselves back in the UK, living in the middle of the boondocks with farms all around us, but I couldnt get used to the quiet, the mud and the darkness. Living in the country sounds like a great idea but in reality it can be quite a lonely place, especially if you move into the area and you arent born in the place…you will forever be an outsider! I was so happy when we moved back to the town, albeit in another country and not a big town. Nevertheless I have made more friends living in a town in a country where I cant even speak the language very well, than I ever did living in the UK which is my birth place and on the outskirts of a small village in the middle east of England!
Seriously they were weird…we called them the shining people, not wishing to offend it was said with laughter and not with nastiness…when I told a friend where we were moving to she said OMG dont they have 6 fingers and 6 toes up there…I just laughed my head off (its the english sense of humour). She had a point though everyone calles each other “me ducks” amongst other things! I actually saw more wildlife living in town than I saw in the country, however i am digressing.
I just wanted to say that I love what you do, I love reading your blog, and watching you progress with your projects and your painted furniture is beautiful!
I do love living in the country and all that it offers, having grown up in the boonies. But now, I’m a city gal in a small urban setting located amongst farm country. I guess when you’re born in the country it never leaves you. 😉
oh larissa, apple picking is my favorite thing about fall, and your signs are just what i need! in fact we are off to hudson valley in 2 weeks, and apple picking is going to happen! =) these signs are so rustic and beautiful, and your fabric pumpkins are the most stunning pumpkins of blogland, truly!!
You and me both, Ananda! I hope you have a grand time soaking it all in. Thank you for stopping by!
Love love love yourFall directional signs Larissa, especially that you used chippy boards and hung them all together. I’m sure it’ll be gone in no time from your shop!
Gotta love chippy, right? They did go fast, but I’m making up more. Thanks for the love, Marie!
This is great! I love how it looks with your other fall décor!
Thank you so much, DeDe. It just isn’t fall with apple pickin’ and pumpkins! 🙂
What adorable signs!!Love that you made them together like that.
It was a fun project and suits a purpose too. Thank you, Mary!
Your signs truly look like they’ve been around for years and years. They make a terrific fall display.
Yay! That’s what I was going for, Paula – thanks!
Larissa I love your signs, they are so perfect for harvest time!
Thank you, Amy. Gotta love fall!
Your signs turned out amazing! Love that you hand painted the words. It gives them so much charm!
Thank you so much, Tuula! They’re fun to do and reminiscent of days gone by. So glad you stopped by!
Love love love your blog!!! Super great ideas, love the name! Following you now and looking forward to more great things! 🙂 Found you over at the best of the weekend! 🙂
Cathy
So happy to have you, Cathy! Thank you for the copliments and encouraging me today. 🙂
These are adorable – just perfect for fall! You ladies knocked these projects out of the park for this challenge. Always so much fun to see everyone’s ideas – and ladies rocking the power tools!
Hi Jenny! Thank you so much for stopping by! It’s always fun to break out the tools and create, and better yet, to inspire.
Larissa, What a charming sign, as a matter of fact, the orchards and farms around here should take a few lessons in sign making from you, lol!
You are too funny!! hahaha!!