Harvest Porch Sign From Scrap Lumber and Pallet Wood

Fall is just around the corner and I wanted to make a seasonal version of the ever popular Welcome Porch Sign. This is a quick and easy project that you can complete over a weekend.

I completed this project 100% with materials and supplies that I already had in my shop (and under my house). I had a bunch of scrap lumber laying around from some previous projects and from my adventures scavenging pallets and discarded construction job lumber (with the builders permission). I have a paint cabinet where I found some exterior paint and primer that were the colors I needed! I also had all the "glue and screws" type of supplies that I needed. This was the perfect project (at least in my mind) to free up some space and give all those leftovers a new life.

Who says that recycling has to look second rate! This sign turned out great with actual 3D wood letters instead of the typical vinyl or painted on letters... we're just fancy like that!

I created a "HARVEST" porch sign. You may want a different message on your sign, in which case these measurements will need to be adjusted.

You also might not have the exact tools that I used, in which case you'll just need to work with what you have.

I have included the measurements and techniques that I used, but I have also included other options to hopefully help the most people take advantage of this Instructable.

Grab yourself a cup of cider and let's get started!

Tools

• circular saw (or jig saw)
• band saw (or jig saw)
• nail gun (or hammer)
• graphic software and printer (or pencil and paper)
• sander (or sandpaper)

Supplies

• pallet wood (7 pieces at least 9" x 6")
• construction lumber (2x6 at least 70" long & 2x4 at least 30" long)
• sandpaper - 120 grit
• printed letters (H-A-R-V-E-S-T)
• spray adhesive
• Tite Bond III Waterproof wood glue
• paint brush
• primer
• exterior paint (brown and white)
• exterior screws (24 - 2" )
• Loctite polyurethane adhesive
• nails

I used the slats from a pallet for the letters, and some scrap 2x6 construction lumber that was going to be thrown away for the back and cross braces.

We'll be cutting three different types of part

• Back (2)
• Cross Braces (3)
• Letters (7)

1. Using your circular saw:
2. from your pallet wood slats, cut 7 - 10" pieces (or the number of letters in your message). Make sure the slats are wide enough. Mine were 6" wide.
3. from your 2x6, cut two (2) pieces* 70" long for the sign back
4. from your 2x4, cut three (3) pieces 10" long for the cross bracing.
5. Sand all the pieces and knock off the sharp edges.

*Note: I have a table saw, so I resawed "one" 2x6 into two pieces that were 3/4" thick. This is an advanced (and dangerous) operation, so I don't recommend it unless you are experienced.

So if you just want to hit the easy button, print out the attached HARVEST.pdf file. It has the HARVEST letters already sized to the dimensions of the wood blanks mentioned earlier. Otherwise, read on.

There are lots of options for this step. I used PowerPoint to print out my letters, but you can use any other software that prints letters. You can also hand draw the letters with pencil and paper; you can purchase stencils online or from your local hobby store.

Here's are some tips to keep in mind.

1. If you don't have Adobe software or Microsoft Office, most computers come with a graphics software. Windows has WordPad, Paint or Paint 3D. Mac has Pages and TextEdit. Those will work just fine.
2. Choose a font that you can cut out. This will depend on the tools you own and your experience. Block letters are the easiest; cursive will be the most difficult.
3. Make sure you size the letters to match your pallet wood slats and the height of your sign.
4. When printing or drawing, you just need an outline of the letter. No need to waste printer ink filling inside the lines.

Now it's time to cut out the letters. Cut your patterns to a size that will fit on your wood pallet blanks without hanging over the edge. Then using the spray adhesive, attach your letter patterns to the pallet wood blanks.

Next, use your band saw or jig saw to cut out the letters along the outlines on your pattern. For the letters with inside sections like the "R" and the "A", I just cut the letter in half as straight as I can (see red lines in images). Then cut out the middle section. When you're finished, just glue the two halves back together using Tite Bond III, which is waterproof. Take a look at my finished "A" and "R"... you can't even tell.

Finally, use your sander to clean up the edges and make them nice and smooth.

Now it's time to paint. A couple tips before you start.

First, I just use a cheap chip brush so that there's no cleanup. I keep a box of them on hand for projects like this where a cabinet grade finish isn't required. One caution with the chip brushes... use your fingers to "comb through" the bristles fairly vigorously, before you start, to knock out any loose bristles. This will greatly minimize, but not completely eliminate, stray bristles getting into your paint. Just keep an eye out for them and remove them while the paint is still wet.

Secondly, in between coats, wrap your paintbrush in a plastic grocery bag and it won't dry out while you're waiting. This way you just need one paint brush for each color of paint.

Ok, Lets Get to Painting!

Grab your primer and paint everything with two coats of primer. Since this sign will be outdoors, you want it to last a long time, so make sure you take the time to apply lots of coats! Follow the instructions on your primer for how long to wait in between coats.

Next, grab your exterior paint and paint everything on all sides with 2-3 coats. You will want to paint before assembly so that there are no unpainted places between pieces where water can seep in and cause rot.

Once your final coat has had time to dry, move on to the last step!!

Assembly Step 1: Assemble the Back

Choose the best side of your 2x6 pieces and lay them with that side face down on a clean flat surface. Be careful to not ruin your new paint job! Lay the two (2) 2x6 pieces side by side and make sure the tops and bottoms are even.

Note: I used some 1x material (see images) that I had laying around for my cross braces. Whatever you have laying around will work, just make sure you're screw length is correct as noted below. When calculating your screw length, remember that 1x material is really 3/4" thick and 2x material is 1 1/2" thick.

Grab your three (3) cross brace pieces and lay them across the 2x6s about 4" from the top and bottom and then one in the center. Using your drill with a screwdriver bit, put four screws per cross brace to attach everything together. Make sure two of the four screws go into each 2x6.

Pro Tip: Before you drive that first screw, check to make sure it isn't going to go through the 2x6 and stick out the front... very unprofessional! If your screw is just barely too long, you can angle the screw to keep it from protruding.

Assembly Step 2: Attach the Letters

Flip your 2x6s over and arrange your letters. Use the line between the two 2x6s to center your letters, then just arrange them top to bottom with even spacing. You can measure the space between each letter, but if you just stand back, you can eye ball it and get it close enough. As one of my favorite YouTube personalities, Jimmy Diresta, says... "if it looks straight, it is straight."

Next, grab your construction adhesive. Grab one letter at a time, flip it over and put a bead of adhesive on the back along each section of the letter. Then turn the letter over and place it back in place. Check for center and spacing and then nail it with a nail gun using small brads. The nails are primarily used to keep pressure on the adhesive while it dries so you can quickly attach all the letters. If you don't have a nail gun, just grab something heavy and place it on the letter until it dries. The adhesive should hold without nails, it will just take longer if you don't have enough weights for all your letters. Of course, you could also use a hammer and some small nails... just be careful you don't hammer too hard or too tight and split your letter in half!