Materials Needed for Background Sign:

• Square wood plaque, approximately 8" x 10"
• Fine sand paper
• Rags
• Wood stain in medium color (the sample used Minwax Golden Oak)
• Black paint
• Masking tape
• Polyurethane
• Paint brushes
• Small nail and hammer
• Hanger

Directions for Background Sign:

1. Gently smooth all surfaces of the wood with sandpaper. Wipe off sawdust with a damp rag and allow to dry.
2. Cover entire plaque with a coating of stain. Rag off excess and let dry.
3. Using masking tape to protect the center of plaque, paint the bordering detail black.
4. Decide where you want the removable portion of the sign to be and paint "Welcome" above this.
5. When dry coat with several coats of polyurethane to seal the wood.
6. Hammer a nail into the plaque at the proper position to hang your removable portion of the sign.
7. Attach a hanger to the back of the plaque.

Materials Needed for Seasonal Signs:

• Heart shaped wood plaque, approximately 7 ½"
• Glue
• Paint brushes
• Sponge
• Hanger
• Polyurethane

Additional Materials Needed for Spring Sign:

• Two small wood hearts
• One oblong wood bead
• Black pipe cleaner
• Flower stamp or stencil if desired
• Sturdy scissors
• White, black, sky blue, aqua, pink, yellow, green and orange acrylic paint.

Additional Materials Needed for Patriotic Sign:

• Thin wooden star
• Masking tape
• Red, white, blue and black paint

Directions for Spring Sign:

1. Follow the directions above for smoothing the wood.
2. Create a wash stain for the background color by mixing the sky blue paint with some water until it you achieve a runny consistency. Using the sponge apply the wash to the heart. The natural grains of the wood will absorb the colors unevenly and help give the impression of a sky. Using a clean piece of sponge randomly dab aqua and white paint onto the heart. Quickly blend in with the wash sponge until desired effect has been achieved. Let dry. Cut a piece from the pipe cleaner, fold in half and slide into the bed to form the antennae.
3. Clip the bottoms off the two small wood hearts to form the wings of the butterfly. Paint a base coat of orange. When dry add yellow circles, and finally black circles inside the yellow and black dots around the wings. Paint the wood bead black and add yellow dots. Let dry.
4. Using your stencil, stamp or freehand paint flowers in the lower left side of the heart. Add details to make the flowers pop from the background.
5. Glue the butterfly in place.
6. Paint an outside border of black on the sides of the heart. Paint the inner border detail white. Let dry.
7. Seal with several coats of polyurethane drying well between coats.
8. Attach hanger to back of heart so that the heart hangs on the plaque at the desired location.

Directions for Patriotic Sign:

1. Follow the directions above for smoothing the wood.
2. Tape off the top left corner of the heart and paint blue.
3. While blue is drying paint the wooden star white.
4. Mark off uneven numbers of stripes so the top and bottom can be painted red. Tape and paint all your red stripes, let dry, move the tape and paint the white stripes.
5. Paint an outside border of black on the sides of the heart. Paint the inner border detail white. Let dry.
6. Seal with several coats of polyurethane drying well between coats.
7. Attach hanger to back of heart so that the heart hangs on the plaque at the desired location.