How To Make Wood Pallet Signs

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This detailed tutorial on how to make large DIY pallet signs will walk you through building, painting, and sealing in a few clear steps. Using a few supplies from the home improvement store, you can have your own unique rustic décor to display in your home!

Chalkboard Distress Merry and Bright Christmas Sign using recycled pallet wood.

Table of Contents

When I envisioned my Christmas mantel display, I knew right away I wanted a rustic pallet sign that matched the rest of the vintage display.

They are easy to make, inexpensive, and they only require some basic tools, but the creative options for home decor are endless!

The best part of this project is that this beautiful sign is made from a few wonderfully cheap rough cut fence slats! It’s a technique I have used before with some of my other wood wall decor projects. Since this entire project is essentially scrap materials, it probably costs about $15 to make.

DIY Sign Supplies

Links are provided to examples of the tools that I use often. There are a few ways to personalize this project for your DIY pallet sign idea, so I have included alternative methods.

Tools

A Wood Cutting Tool – jigsaw, circular saw, or chop or miter saw. Sometimes, you can have the wood cut at a home improvement store.
Brad Nailer – Wood glue may also work if you don’t have a brad nailer.
Hammer and Nails may also work instead of a brad nailer.
Paint brush
Cricut Air or Explore Maker or Silhouette Cameo Design Cutting Tool – I’ve outlined other options below if you can’t make custom stencils. However, I highly recommend getting one!

Materials

Transfer material
2 or More Paint Colors – one for the background color and one for the letters
½-inch-thick wood slats– I purchased pine dog eared fencing lumber because they are super cheap, but if you have real pallet boards, that would be perfect.
Contact Paper or Adhesive Vinyl – You can choose between permanent and removeable vinyl depending on whether you want to hand paint the stencil.
Hanging Materials – wire/screws

Pallet Wood Sign Step by Step Instructions

The full instructions are in the printable how-to card at the bottom of this post, but I include tips, my reasoning, and techniques that I did specifically for this project.

Step 1: Make and Size Your Design

I started by making a stencil for the DIY pallet sign idea. I used the fonts Chopin Script and Mayonnaise Condensed on my Silhouette Cameo. I blew it up to the size of the sign. I highly recommend removable vinyl like this one and transfer paper for vinyl stencils.

I won’t get super technical here as there are a few different models of both the Cricut and the Silhouette cutting machine.

How to make a stencil for cricut or silhouette studio.

If you don’t have a Silhouette machine, there are definitely ways of wood sign making without a cutting machine.

You can draw something free hand, if you’re good at that.
You can also use a projector like this one and project the image in your board and trace, then paint.
Or have an etsy shop (like this one) cut out a design for you with vinyl. Just make sure to ask that the vinyl is removeable without damage if you want to use it as a stencil.

Step 2: Cut the pallet wood to size

I used leftover fencing flats from our fence project because they are cheap and rough cut. I cut them to size (26″ x 4″ each).

Step 3: Build the frame

The back of this frame is leftover wood slats from the fencing. Because the slats are so thin, rather than screwing them to the boards, I used a TON of wood glue. While screwing or brad nailing would be better, this sign has held together for 7 years of hanging without problem.

Back of natural wood plank sign on beige tiled floor.

Step 4: Paint the background.

Detail of DIY sign with chalky white distressed finish.

This particular DIY pallet sign has a distressed, rustic touch to it. First, I sanded the rougher surface fairly smooth, but not entirely so it would look like old pallet wood boards.

To paint, I used a warm grey chalk paint. I painted with a natural bristle brush and got in all the grooves and sides of the wood. That coat dried for 2 hours.

I brushed a thin coat of the milky white chalk paint over the entire board, but I didn’t worry too much about getting in the grooves. While the white paint is tacky, but not dry, I took #2 steel wool and lightly brushed areas to reveal the grey color underneath and highlight the character of the wood until I was satisfied.

Step 5: Paint the stencil

If using a vinyl stencil, there are a few tips to get transferred correctly:

Remove the part of the stencil you want to paint from the backing paper and toss. Then you are only left with the “negative space”.
Lay transfer material over the stencil. The design should not stick just yet.
Peel back the top 2-3 inches of the backing and position the stencil where you want it.
Working a few inches at a time, carefully peel the backing material down and press the stencil into the board.
Smooth any bubbles as you go. Remove the transfer material after the stencil is completely on the board.
You can see better photos of this techniques in our DIY map art tutorial here.

Detail of DIY pallet sign with chalky white distressed finish and outline of Santa's sled stencil.

For this particular sign, I wanted a perfectly imperfect hand painted look. Therefore, I cut the stencil in paper and traced the design on beforehand painting with a brush. This makes the lines a little more uneven and the design isn’t perfectly opaque. It suits the distressed style.

Closeup of Merry and Bright red and white distressed Christmas sign with red lettering.

How To Hang a DIY Pallet Sign

I drilled holes through the slats on the back and tied a flexible wire around them. This helps it to hang flat.

You can also add two screws to the back of the frame and tied a wire around them. The pallet is quite heavy, so I recommend hanging it on a sturdy screw that is directly in a stud.

Sign Making Tips

Either gently remove the vinyl while the design is still wet or when it is completely dry, not just tacky. The paint is more likely to pull away when it is tacky.
If you desire, you can seal the paint with a poly made for painted surfaces that won’t yellow. Fusion Mineral Tough coat is one of my favorites that is guaranteed not to yellow, but I have also used Spray Polyurethane. This one from RustOleum is my favorite.
Instead of painting the stencil on the background, you can permanently attach the vinyl.

I have several DIY sign tutorials, so you may want to check these out for more ideas:

How To Make Outdoor Wood Signs
How To Create DIY wood signs with plywood
20 Wall Decorations made from Scrap Wood
DIY Welcome Sign for the Porch (reversible too!)

Links to Free Files

Silhouette Cut File (.studio) – a preview won’t load but you can download.

Making a sign is definitely much larger than 12×12. The file includes the original Jpeg and it is traced for your convenience. However, in order to use it, you will have to resize it your desired size and then tile it for cutting. You can tile in the business version of silhouette or here is a great video about how to tile in the Silhouette Design Studio.

2. Merry and Bright Sign (SVG version)

This one you can use with a Cricut, a Silhouette cutting machine, and adobe Illustrator, as well as other design programs.

3. PDF 8×10 Printable with chalkboard background

This file is available to all newsletter subscribers as part of my free printable library! Sign up below to check out all the freebies and join our creative community!

FAQs

How do you attach vinyl to wood pallets?

To transfer vinyl onto the pallet, first peel off the part of the stencil you want to paint (the negative image). Then lay the transfer material and remove the stencil backing. Lastly, carefully position the image and pressed the top edge onto the pallet wood. Working top to bottom, press the rest of the vinyl onto the image smoothing out any bubbles before moving down.

Can pallet wood be painted?

Yes! I recommend a light sanding to remove any stains or grey wood for the best bond with the paint. Primer may need to be used if the paint calls for it.

What kind of paint do you use on wooden pallet signs?

For wooden pallet signs, it’s recommended to use acrylic paint or chalk paint, as they adhere well to wood. You can also seal the finished sign with a clear varnish or sealant to protect the paint and enhance its durability.

How do you join wood pallets together?

Wood glue, screwing, or nail pallet boards together. As mentioned earlier, though, mine has lasted over 7 years with just wood glue!

What do you use to write on wood?

The easiest ways are using vinyl stickers or a stencil for painting. You can make create stencils yourself or order via Etsy.

Do I need to prime the palette before painting?

Unless you are using a paint that specifically does not need a primer on raw wood, then you need to prime. Chalk paint is an example of paint that does not need priming.

How do you keep wooden palette boards from rotting?

To prevent wooden pallets from rotting, store them in a dry, well-ventilated area and keep them off damp or wet surfaces. Additionally, you can treat the wood with a wood preservative or sealant to protect it from moisture and decay.

How long does palette wood take to dry?

It’s best to wait a few days and test the wood moisture before painting. Outdoor wood should be 15% or lower on a moisture meter.

Weekend DIY project. A pegboard organizer in the craft room above the desk workspace.

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PS I love seeing your creations! Be sure to take a photo and tag #cravingcreative on Instagram! You can also stay in touch with me through following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and subscribing to the newsletter!