- Monica + Two
Best Workshop To Make A DIY Wood Sign With ZERO Experience
Do you ever see all those awesome DIY wood signs on Pinterest and wish you were crafty enough to make one? I never thought I would be able to make a wood sign until a friend invited some mommy friend and I to a workshop at Board & Brush in Lake Forest, CA. Let me show you how I went from having ZERO experience to making one of these fun DIY wood signs for my front porch. It was so much fun and a lot easier then I thought it would be. Its a fun, instructor led, hands on experience I loved and Im excited to share it with you.
Prior to my visit I got to select the sign I wanted to make from over 100 different projects on their site. You are sure to find something you need or want and you even have the choice of customizing your project. I went with a simple welcome sign for our front porch.
As soon as I walked in I immediately felt crafty. There are beautiful wood signs hung on the walls of the studio with all types of sayings, colors and styles. They have 3 large tables in the middle of the studio that served as work space. In the middle of the tables you can find most of the items you will need to create your masterpiece like sand paper, brushes, stain cloths, hammers, some stains, and even power tools.
On arrival we were directed to hang our things in a back room and put on some aprons that the studio provides. They had our workspace ready with the wood piece(s) we would need as well as the stencil we needed for our projects. We were ready to start but not before ordering some drinks! They sell beer, wine and soda, so we started with a drink to celebrate the good times ahead. FYI they had a very yummy Rosé that I very much enjoyed.
If you are a beginner like myself there is no need to worry. I had no idea where to start but that's the beauty of this studio. The staff was very patient and walked us step by step through our projects, even lending us a hand when we needed it. The staff helped guide us and showed us how to properly use all the tools needed to create our wood signs. They even took the time to show us all the stain options and what it means to apply a wash.
Then the real fun started! They started by guiding us on how to distress, sand and properly stain our wood.
Some of the ladies even had to drill wood pieces together. If you have never used a power tool before, again no need to worry. They were happy to help anyone who needed the help. Clearly my friend Chrystin had it all under control, like a total pro.
Then they showed us how to apply a wash. I went with a grey wash and im very happy with how it turned out.
I would say applying the stencil was the trickiest part for me but they demonstrated how to secure them in place without creating bubbles and walked around and offered help if needed.
After the stencil was in place we started painting with our color of choice.
And finally once the painting was done it was time to remove the stencil and see our finished product. The stencil had to be removed carefully and then I had to go back and carefully remove parts of the stencil that did not come off with a razor like tool.
And 3 hours later, lots of laughs and some wine here are all our projects! What do you think?
We were all so proud of what we made and had so much fun in the process. It's a great activity to do with friends/family and a great way to bond. So cheers to boding with friend and creating a beautiful piece we could all be so proud of.
When I got home my husband and daughter could not believe I had created this sign all by myself, they were definitely proud and were excited to place it in our front porch.
It was such a great experience I highly recommend. Thank you so much for having us Board and Brush Creative Studio! I can't wait to visit again to make my next project.
I'd like to mentions that one of our friends was not able to make it and the staff was so kind as to help us and guide us to complete her project. They definitely went the extra mile.
Ok so after seeing and reading all of this are you ready to book your own workshop at Board and Brush in Lake Forest?
Here is their address:
25432 TRABUCO RD #104 LAKE FOREST, CA 92630
(949) 742-3101
Follow this link to see dates available and to start choosing your project https://boardandbrush.com/lakeforest/#Calendar-workshop
You can also look for other Board and Brush location near you by following this link https://boardandbrush.com/studio-locations/. They have locations all across the U.S .
Board and Brush also does private workshops, birthday parties, bachelorette parties, corporate events and more. For questions or to book your private event feel free to call them at (949) 742-3101 or send them a message here https://boardandbrush.com/lakeforest/#contact
As always, if you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments below.
Talk to you later!