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DIY Transfer Paper to Make Your Own Large Sign

Wooden Pirate Tavern Sign

I needed a sign hanging out over the sidewalk to catch the eyes of the Trick-or-Treaters - not like they won't see the cannon, pillory, 15' Kraken monsters, or mermaid, but what the he$$? This was a quick, low-cost project -

Wooden Fence Post Sign

Back at the computer, design your lettering using various fonts (in this case I used "Old English") and printed it out to size on 4, 8.5"x11" sheets taped together.

Pirate Boot Sign - 5

Part 2: How to Transfer the Lettering from Paper to Wood There are many techniques for transferring your printed lettering onto the wood board. You could cut out each letter and trace the holes, you could use a projector, etc., etc., I needed the trusty old method - Spray Paint! If you've never done this - it's almost too simple to explain: Spray paint the back of the paper with a liberal coat of matte black spray paint and let dry.

Pirate Boot Sign - 7

Now, take an old ball point pen and start tracing the outlines of the letters. The black paint will rub off onto the board, and there you have it - instant letter transfer.

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Part 3: Paint the Sign Once you have your lines down, it's a matter of painting the sign with acrylic craft paints. A sharpie marker works great for creating outlines and crafting smaller details.

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Pirate Boot Sign - 14

I painted the frame with gray/brown acrylic and installed eye bolts at the top. Coming up next - the sign pole!

Pirate Boot Sign

Here is the sign with some light weathering to it -

Making the Pole

Now - the fun part! The pole was fashioned out of 8' PVC pipe, chain, a plywood scroll design, bed post top (goodwill), and ping pong ball ends (same package as used for the mermaid teeth).

Finished

Add some paint and chain to finish.