From Pallet to Distressed Beach Life Sign

Pallets, they sit in my garage for a fair amount of time. And then one day I go out and just start painting and VIOLA!!! 

Distressed Beach Sign!

My first pallet to distressed sign was back in September 2012, From Pallet to Distressed Harvest Sign.

I did the same steps with this sign, although instead of creating the font on my computer I free-hand drew the letters onto the bare wood, then traced onto the contact paper. 

My first coat of paint was a dark slate primer, then a sloppy coat of cream that I sanded off with my orbital sander. Cutting and placing the lettering for "LIFE" and "BEACH."

Second coat of paint is a Sea Foam green, I let this layer dry completely before placing "is better at the", also using paste wax I apply around the letters with a rag that will create more dimension around the lettering. 

"Not going to lie, the second, third and fourth layers were done in my pajamas early in the morning. I was just so excited for this project I didn't even put on my paint clothes, I sat painted and drank my morning coffee."

Third layer of paint is a dark blue. Repeat application of paste wax when dry. 

And a fourth layer of paint of a lighter shade of blue. This layer is not applied thickly but rather light, like you are just hitting in various areas. 

Don't let the last coat of paint dry completely, just when it is tacky to the touch...begin to peel off the lettering gently. Once all of the lettering is off, begin to distress. It gives it a great blended look. 

My favorite way to distress is to begin with steel wool, rub all over the sign to remove the paste wax. Then I can use either a wire brush or manually sand with a piece of sand paper. If paint is still thick in areas and you want a more distressed look, you can use an electric sander, although this will go right down to the wood, so be delicate. 

So what do I do after I am finished?

I carry this sign down to the beach for some photos! And boy did I luck out on the weather. BONUS: it was a complete workout carrying this thing. 

~Amanda