Oversized Pallet Wood USA Sign (And a GIVEAWAY)

It's always a good day at Two It Yourself when I have an awesome and easy knockoff project for you AND a giveaway!  Let's get straight to business...basically because I just can't wait any longer to show you how easy the DIY version is to make thanks to the BLACK+DECKER AutoSense drill.

How to Make New Wood Look Old

Earlier this week I shared a 15 minute DIY towel hook.   Now I can let you in on my little secret....about 14 minutes of that project was spent getting the new wood to actually look old and distressed. 

The scrap wood I used to hang the hooks on wasn't actually 'new' wood from the lumber yard.  It was wood I had in the garage, but it looked relatively new aside from a few splotches of paint.   The surface was smooth, there were no splinters or dings or nail holes.  I didn't want the wood to look this new though, I wanted it to look old, worn, distressed, loved...

DIY Wood Baby Name Sign

My friend just welcomed her third child - her first boy.  She's in for it.  I tried to warn her, but she's used to quiet, calm, doll baby-playing girls.  Life's about to get a whole lot more crazy! I know this from first hand experience...I had the quiet and calm for two years, nine months and one day and now...this is my daily life.

Bless his little heart.  He's undies-on-the-outside-of-his-jammies-wearing superhero one minute and a selfie-taking princess the next.  Sometimes he wears underwear on his head and sometimes not at all. 

Anyway, she has her precious baby boy and I had a wonderful excuse to make a painted wood sign.  I wanted to do something a little different than the chunky wood baby frame I made for another friend, but I still wanted to include all the baby's birth info.

DIY Chunky Wood Frame (Makes a Great Personalized Baby Gift)

After I had both of my children I received some really beautiful gifts.  I loved every one of them, but those I cherish the most are the ones that are personalized.  This sign for instance is one of my favorite.  A friend of mine had casually asked about my son's nursery theme during a conversation and then ordered a sign on Etsy with an airplane tugging a sign with his name on it.  I just love it.

So when a friend had a baby recently I thought - ya know, I wanna be the one that gives that gift.  Of course, I had to make it.  Honestly the basic chunky wood sign was easy to make.  All that text did make the project a little hairy at times, but I have a few tips to make it easier.

DIY Large Christmas Sign {Pottery Barn 'Peace' sign Knockoff}

If you've been following Two It Yourself regularly you know I love a good knockoff - especially when it's a Pottery Barn one and especially when it saves me oh...$129!  I kid you not, this 54" Pottery Barn Peace Sign - as gorgeously hand painted as it is - is triple digits.  Well, guess what my friends....I just made a DIY large Christmas sign for FREE! (Even if you don't have any supplies you can make this for just a few bucks...for the paint and stain.)  I may be bias, but I think my DIY version is equally as charming.

As much as I love me some PB, I decided to use the sign as inspiration, but not completely knock it off.  Instead of PEACE I went with BE MERRY and I have a different finish.  That's what's great about this large wood Christmas sign - it's completely customizable.