DIY Chalk Shower & Wedding Welcome Signs

While obsessively searching through Pinterest for ideas for my daughters backyard wedding, one thing that kept coming up again and again was a welcome sign. There were many kinds of signs: some were printed, some were purchased, and some were even printed on wood for a real rustic look. I chose to go with a giant chalkboard sign like you see outside some country restaurants.  I just like that rustic/country feel and I really wanted to try my hand at some fancy chalk writing.  After some failure, and then a little more trial and error, I came to discover how much I like using chalk paint pens. They come in multiple colors and work really, really well! Beware though: If your surface is porous they may not wash off!

A nice clean surface to start with!

Sign in progress....

Almost done....

The sign the day of the shower :-)

I can't really teach you how I wrote these signs because I really just winged it.  I did do some searching online for different lettering ideas but after trying several of them I decided to just go with what felt and looked right to me.

What I can do however, is share some tips with you that I learned:

• Make sure you have a quality chalk pen. There are a lot of brands out there and some of them were really crappy. Others were simply disappointing.  Practice with the pen before you do the 'final' job.
• If you are having trouble removing some of the paint (after mistakes) try a little rubbing alcohol. 
• As you are working keep a wet paper towel and Q-tip nearby. This helps tremendously with minor mistakes.
• Be sure the board is completely dry before writing anything.  Better yet, dry the board thoroughly with a clean towel that will not leave any dust behind. Doing this also removes any chalk residue making the board super nice and clean!
• Be sure you use the pen on some cardboard or paper before writing on the chalk board. This makes sure that the chalk paint is flowing smoothly. Every few letters, cover the pen, shake it, and then prime it up on the cardboard again. If you don't then the pen will start to run dry and the writing will not be as vibrant. This is ok, but I tried to avoid this happening if I could.​

Products (affiliate links):

• Chalkboard sign
• Fine White Chalk Paint
• Colored Chalk Paint
• ​Green Leaf Ribbon
• ​Flowers were from Michaels Craft Store

Sign was a work in progress over several days...

Sign almost done!

I changed the flower ;-)

Front of Wedding Sign at the Backyard Reception

Back of Wedding Sign at the Backyard Reception

I have to say I was really happy with the way the signs turned out for both the shower and the wedding, especially considering I had never made a sign before! I also know it was a lot more economical than paying someone else to do them!

Check out our other Shower and Wedding DIY's here or on our You Tube Channel!
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Note: These beautiful pictures were taken by my daughters photographer Samantha Brancato.

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Thanks for visiting!
Sincerely,