One of my biggest decorating money savers is all my homemade decor. If I see something I like in magazines or pinterest, I make it because 9 times out of 10 I can’t afford to buy it in a store. I see a lot of technical tutorials about how to make rustic signs and it makes it seem like it’s difficult to do. It really isn’t.  I make signs/wall art all the time out of scrap wood and even pallets. I never use specialty paint or use special brushes or have a special technique for distressing. I use whatever I have leftover, sometimes wall paint, sometimes spray paint, whatever. I’ve used old fence posts, 2x4s, pallets, etc. Just make sure it’s not rotted or infested and you should be good to go. I also don’t use anything chemically treated. You should never bring that stuff into your home.

I have a ton of stencils from past projects that I usually use for my signs, but I have also done a few freehand. You dont have to be artistic to use a stencil :-).

It’s really as simple as painting your sign, stenciling, writing or drawing whatever it is you want, sanding a bit on corners/edges to give a distressed look (if that’s your style), then spraying a clear coat to protect your paint. It is literally that easy so don’t be put off by complicated tutorials that use complicated methods or expensive materials.

You’ll have custom pieces in your home that you won’t find anywhere else that won’t put a dent in your wallet. Here’s a few I’ve done.

I made a heart stencil for this pallet. I stained the heart, then used the cutout to cover it while I painted the rest red. The letter is a wooden letter, spray painted white and screwed straight onto the pallet.

I made these for my awesome mother in law’s awesome new kitchen!

This is our old table top. I wrote a bible verse that is just perfect for our military family.

And a few more…

When you’re doing your DIY projects, don’t throw anything away. Being a scrap hoarder has saved me so much money!! Happy scrapping y’all!