Know what feels great? Back massages do and jeans that fit just right. But that’s not really relevant. I think it feels really great to make something beautiful from stuff you already have laying around, don’t you? Granted, I have more superfluous stuff than most, but still.

Continuing my quest to decorate for fall without spending much coin, I thought I’d share today how I made a custom wood sign for zero dolla (make you holla). You may not have all these things shoved into various storage closets at your house, but then again maybe you do!

*Find the free printable at the end*

1. Cut down scrap wood to desired size (this is 1/4″ birch).

2. Stain and let dry.

3. Design some text, enlarge it, print it out in full scale and tape the papers together.

4. To transfer the design to the wood, I used transfer paper made by Saral (find at craft/art stores). Basically it’s a sheet of thin paper with blue chalk on one side. Place it on the board — chalk side down — then use tape to secure your design to the board on top of the transfer paper.

5. With a pencil, trace the design on the print out. This will leave a chalk mark to use as a guide.

6. To make the design pop, I traced the blue chalk lines and filled in text with an oil-based sharpie paint marker.

I love sneaking words of hope into decor that’s otherwise just seasonal. “Let us fall into the arms of the Lord, for his mercy is great” 2 Samuel 24:14

In the event you don’t feel up for cutting, staining, and tracing, but you kinda want this design in your casa… you’re in luck! Click the image below to print out a letter size version that will fit nicely into an 8×10 frame. Happy Fall Ya’ll!