Two Faced.....it's a good thing! :)

I know it is only September, but I am already planning for the holidays! They'll be here before we know it! :)

This is a fun little project! All the supplies you need are listed below.

I started with the wood. I didn't even bother sanding it prior to painting b/c I knew I was going to do a really distressed finish on them.

The science behind my paint choice is an exact one....I had 2 nearly empty cans of spray paint. It was not enough to do a piece of furniture and I couldn't stand to throw it out. So...the entire piece was painted my favorite Krylon Blue.

This sign is going to be "two-faced" so it can be in use longer. I love seasonal decorations, but storage is a premium. The back side got a coat of green spray paint.

Next create your design (assuming you are cutting your template from vinyl). I have a commercial machine, but you can certainly do this with your cricut or silhoutte or whatever you have. :)

When weeding, treat this like a negative. Take out the parts you want to show on the final product.

Now that your vinyl is prepped, apply your transfer tape and remove the backing.

Apply the vinyl mask to the wood. Make sure you get it down onto the wood REALLY good. If you don't the paint will bleed under.....trust me on this one.

Next, I drybrushed paint onto the mask. I did it very lightly as I want the final product to look very aged and worn. You can decide how much paint you want on yours.

Here is a closeup detail shot of the tree. I flicked the ends of my white paint brush to create a speckled look on the tree. I wanted to give it a hint of "snow".

Allow the paint to dry to the touch, then remove the vinyl mask. It is already looking so good! I was tempted to clear coat it and call it a day.

Flip the sign over and repeat on the backside. I used orange and red paint on this side to bring in some deeper fall colors. Again, I used a dry brush and minimal paint. I did red on the top and bottom and orange through the center and blended them into each other.

Remember how I said make sure you apply the vinyl well......I was rushed....the paint bled. I wanted to sand it down and start all over, but decided to just press on and see how it turns out.

After both sides were dry, I got my orbital sander and hit the edges. On the green side, I sanded it so some of the natural wood and some of the blue came out. I love it!

Next, I applied my Antiquing Glaze.

I started in the upper left corner and worked my way over.

Here is the Merry Christmas side after glazing.

I love how the glaze gives it a dirty look. The glaze settled into the wood's natural eyes and grooved, just like years of dirt and wear would.

Here you can see how the blue peeks through.....I love that!

And here is my disaster of the day! This side just did not want to cooperate. I wanted aged and rugged, but I think this is a bit on the overboard side.

See how my wiping the glaze away took most of the upper portions on several letters......I am twitching to repaint and start this side over.

The paint bled under the vinyl mask, I over glazed and over wiped.....

The perfectionist in me hates it! The sloppy laid back part of me kind of loves it....I am not sure which one will win out. But for today, it is staying this way.

* if you would like the vinyl for this project (or the file if you have a vinyl cutter) let me know! :)