DIY fairytale signpost made with reclaimed wood

Maybe it’s because I’m still in the post-Disney trip mindset. Or maybe because I’ve been reading a new fantasy series (well, new to me, any other Wheel of Time fans out there?). Or it could just be because I’ve been wanting to do this project forever and this month’s Team Creative Crafts roundup was the push I needed to get it done. Regardless of the reason, I am so proud of this DIY fairytale signpost I made that uses reclaimed wood! I’m excited to share it with you and make sure you read all the way to the end for a fun giveaway!

DIY fairytale signpost

This DIY fairytale signpost uses reclaimed wood for the location plaques. Truth be told, they’re pieces of pallet wood leftover from this old project. Yes, I’m a bit of a craft supply hoarder. But the plus side of that is that the only material I needed to buy for this project was a 2×2″ wood post. Everything else from the vinyl to the stain to the nails I already had. That’s my kind of craft project! Really the hardest part was trying to decide which locations I wanted to feature on this DIY fairytale signpost.

| DIY rustic wood dessert stands |

Making stencils with my Silhouette machine.

materials needed:

reclaimed boards for name plaques (I used pallet wood)
7′ length of 2×2″
hammer and nails
sander
wood stain
paint
vinyl cutting machine or stencils (optional)

If you are using a cutting machine to make your own stencil make sure you thread out the letters and keep all the “negative space” on the vinyl. After sanding my pieces of reclaimed wood with 60 grit sand paper I placed my vinyl stencils. To get a nice painted result I recommend painting over with a clear coat of Mod Podge first, then painting once that first layer is dry. Then I like to remove the vinyl stencil before the paint is 100% dry.

| DIY blanket ladder |

Once the paint was dry on the location names I took a light stain and covered the whole thing. You could also stain first, but I wanted to protect the painted names on the boards by covering them with stain. Using a darker stain with white writing would be pretty also! Once everything is completely dry you can nail your location plaques to your 2×2″ post and place it where you’d like in your yard or garden area! For longevity I also recommend placing the base in concrete in the ground so your wood support doesn’t rot in the ground.