Hello Remodelaholic readers! Colleen here again from Lemon Thistle. Today I’m bringing you a simple afternoon project to add some fun to your gallery wall. This speech bubble sign is so versatile- you could go bright, paint it instead of leaving the wood raw, change up the phrasing, or even make it a chalkboard (who doesn’t love a chalkboard?). I am such a sucker for natural wood tones and simple black/white details, so chose to go with a natural finish with black edging and lettering on this one- I love how it plays with the gallery wall in my bedroom.
The steps to this project are really simple and the supplies are easy to get your hands on. I would love to see someone take this on in a bright color for a kiddos space.
DIY Speech Bubble Sign
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To make your own speech bubble sign, you’ll need:
- Quality plywood (not OSB; I chose pre-sanded)
- Jigsaw
- Pencil and eraser
- Sandpaper and sander (I used 120)
- Paint (I used chalkboard paint) and brush
- Sawtooth hanger and hammer for hanging
Start by sketching out your speech bubble on plywood. I freehanded this, but you could blow up a graphic you find online to trace on. I played with which way to face the bubble tail and my husband and I both voted for this one. When you are happy with your shape, plug in your jigsaw and get cutting! When cutting a curved shape on a jigsaw, try to keep moving on a smooth motion instead of starting and stopping. Keep your jigsaw on a high setting for plywood. If you’re unsure, just practice on a scrap piece first until you get the feel for curves (as someone who has cut wonky circles in the past!).
When your shape is cut, move to sanding. I just sanded off my many pencil marks instead of erasing, then I took care to sand all the cut edges smooth. Give it a wipe with a damp cloth before moving on to paint.
At this point, you can pretty much do whatever you want. I chose to paint just the edge of the sign with black chalkboard paint before adding the lettering. I actually used a chalkboard paint, but any acrylic based paint would be a good choice. I sketched the lettering out with a pencil before painting over with a brush. If I were to do this again, I would have chosen a much lighter weight acrylic as I found the chalkboard paint didn’t spread quite as smoothly and I had to reload my brush more often. If you aren’t comfortable freehanding a design, you can totally print out a design and transfer it using carbon transfer paper BUT I’m such an advocate for learning. You can do so many things with it! I’m not a natural, I talk all about that and WHY I bothered learning in this post here… but think of all the signs you can make if you take the time to learn!
Finishing touches… the hanging hardware! I’m a hoarder of sawtooth hangers, I use them on everything- they’re so versatile. Then, hang it on the wall.
I’d love to hear what colors you would choose and what you would write on your sign! Or if you’d go chalkboard
More easy DIY decor signs — perfect for gallery walls!
The post Oh, Hello There! DIY Speech Bubble Sign appeared first on Remodelaholic.
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