"Fresh Cut Flowers" Custom Crackle Sign

"Fresh Cut Flowers" Custom Crackle Sign

Posted by DecoArt on Jun 27th 2018

Hello everyone, Catherine Scanlon here today to share a fun technique you use to create custom signs. I was inspired to create this sign by a fun sign I saw in a local shop, and a few signs I have here at home. I'm a big fan of the crackled paint look and I thought you would be too! I'll be hanging this fun sign in my kitchen near my collection of new and vintage signs!

Items Needed:

Instructions:

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Step One for this project is to prep the wood you'll be using for the sign: I started with sanding and painting several applications of White Gesso on the sign for a smooth and very white base and let that dry overnight. The next day I applied my adhesive stencil, burnished it to the board well and applied painters tape to the borders to protect them from any stray paint. 

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Step 2: The next step is to apply the American Premium Acrylic Paint to create the design. I mixed the Pyrrole Red and Primary Magenta to get a different red and applied that to the top line of text. I also applied Carbon Black to the bottom line of text. I let that dry for a bit and removed the stencil. To get a nice black border on the sign I used painters tape to mask the interior of the sign and painted the Black Gesso on the sides and very edge of the front of the sign. When that was dry, I removed the paint and gently sanded the sign to give it a vintage, aged look. It's really important to wipe the sign with a damp cloth to remove any of the dust that you get from the sanding. The dust may cause the Crackle Glaze to chip if not careful. The final step for this part is to apply a THICK application of the Crackle Glaze. Be careful to apply the glaze with the least amount of brush strokes to encourage the porcelain crackles to appear. My layer was so thick I let it dry overnight to make sure it was ready for the next step. 

Alternatively, if you aren't a fan of the crackle, you can complete your sign by applying a light coat of the DecoArt Media Soft-Touch Varnish to seal and protect your sign. 

Instruction Image #3

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Step 3: To enhance the Crackle Glaze I mixed the Raw Umber Antiquing Cream with a little White Gesso to lighten the color, added some water to thin it out and brushed it over the entire sign. This gives the crackles a bit of an aged look that I really like. The final step was to splatter some bits of white and black Gesso on the sign to also make it look like it's pretty old. 

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To hang your sign you can add sign hangers to the back, prop it up on a shelf or add screw eyes and hang it on a sign arm. 

With this fun technique you can create custom signs for any occasion using any adhesive stencil you purchase or cut with your digital cutting machine, there are so MANY things you could do with this! 

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Thanks for joining me today, have fun creating! See you next time!