Hand Lettered Wooden Sign {with a Jane Austen quote}

This post was sponsored by SelectBlinds.com as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.

Home. Four little letters that mean a whole lot. There are so many things we associate with home…it’s where the heart is. It’s more than a place, it’s a feeling. Hopefully, out of all the places in the world, home is where we feel the most safe and comfortable. We can relax and just be ourselves, even when that means wearing sweatpants and eating ice cream straight out of the carton. We can leave our worries outside and focus on the joys of family and friends…and pets too.

One of my all-time favorite authors, Jane Austen {Pride & Prejudice, Emma, etc.} said it this way, “There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.” Can you relate? Especially as an introvert, I sure can! I wanted to turn this fabulous quote into a decorative sign for our house; here’s how I did it and you can too.

You’ll need:
Unfinished Wood Round
Delta Ceramcoat Chalk Paint, White
FolkArt Multi Surface or Acrylic Paints
Fine Tip Black Permanent Marker
Pencil, Block Eraser
Sponge Brush
Paintbrushes, assorted sizes

Step 1: Paint a coat of white chalk paint onto the surface of your wood round.

It’s up to you how close to the edges you paint, but I like to leave about 1/2″ so that you can still see a little bit of the natural wood. Let it dry completely.

Step 2: Lightly sketch your design in pencil.

I actually sketched on paper first while I waited for the chalk paint to dry so that I had an idea of the design and layout I wanted. Then, I sketched onto the wood itself. Pencil erases very cleanly from the chalk paint, so don’t worry if you make a mistake! For this particular design, all you have to do is start with the simple outline of a house. Then, fill in the words in a combination of print and brush lettering.

Step 3: Paint the house.

I used FolkArt Acrylic Paint in Seamist, but you can use any color that works with your decor. Just be sure to choose something that is light enough for the black lettering to show up on top.

Step 4: Trace your lettering with a fine tip permanent marker.

Depending on how dark your paint is, you may still be able to see your lettering through it. If not, just lightly sketch out your words again and then trace them. I used the thin end of my Tombow Monotwin for the print letters and the thicker end for the script. Then, I went back and thickened the down strokes of the script words to create the hand lettering look. {For more details on how to do this if you’re new to lettering, check out my Beginner Hand Lettering post!} When the marker is dry, use the block eraser to get rid of any stray pencil lines.

Step 5: Add embellishments.

I just added a few curling vines, hearts, and dots to the top and bottom of the round to accent my message. You can use a stencil to do this, or you can freehand like I did. Just sketch with pencil like you did before, then use a fine brush to go over your lines with acrylic paint.

That’s it! Once your paint is completely dry, your sign is ready to display anywhere in your home you like. You can hang it on the wall or place it in a stand; wherever you put it, it’ll serve as a great reminder that home is the best, most comfortable place to be.

One of the things that helps make home a relaxing, comfortable place is knowing that our house is as safe as we can make it for everyone who lives here. As you all know, we have one kiddo here in the Artsy Family, seven year old Little Crafter, and we also have two neighbor boys who spend a good bit of time in our house. We also have Flynn, the incredibly energetic kitten, who is into everything…and I do mean EVERYthing. It’s incredibly important to me that the kids and our cat are safe as they live and play here, which means I am not a fan of corded blinds. Within days of getting Flynn, we realized that he thought the cords were toys, which can be a real danger for both children and pets. That’s why our family supports SelectBlinds.com in the #GoCordless Movement .

On March 31, 2016, SelectBlinds.com became the first custom window covering provider to go 100 percent cordless. They are encouraging families to join the #GoCordless Movement to help prevent needless deaths and injuries of young children and pets from window covering cord strangulation.

Not only is every window covering on their website cordless, SelectBlinds.com is committed to helping families and organizations make their buildings safer. Each month, SelectBlinds.com is partnering with Parents for Window Blind Safety for the Project Cordless giveaway to upgrade an entire home, apartment, military housing unit or daycare facility with cordless window coverings at no charge. Know a family or organization who could benefit from a free upgrade to cordless? Nominate them today! To nominate, submit a 30-second video on the SelectBlinds.com website and you could play a part in making home a safer place to be.

What about you? What makes your home a comfortable, safe, and special place?