DIY Welcome Home Porch Sign

In today’s post: Learn how to make this pretty welcome porch sign – you don’t need any power tools to make it! This is a simple way to add a little farmhouse chic to your front door.

I’ve been wanting to make a welcome sign to add a little personal touch to our front porch. Last time I was at Hobby Lobby I saw a cute version that said “welcome home” and used a small wreath for the “O” in home. It was cute but I didn’t love color of the wood, so (as usual) I figured I could make my own version. I don’t build things very often so I knew I’d have to figure out a really easy way to make this wooden sign without using power tools.

Supplies

The cost for this easy DIY welcome sign will vary depending on what supplies you already have on hand. If you have to buy every single thing, your cost may run $40-$50. However, if you already have a nice wood scrap that will work plus some paint and stain on hand, you’ll be able to make this for under $20. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Wood board that is 12 inches wide and 4 ft long (more info on this in the box below the photo)
• Wood slat or scrap that is about 2 inches wide and at least 2 ft long optional
• Wooden letters H, M, E: I used Park Lane brand letters from Jo-Ann that are seven inches tall, on sale for just over $2 each.
• Mini boxwood wreath that’s a similar size to the letters: I found mine at Jo-Ann. The wreath form is about 6 inches wide on the back; the leaves measure about 9 inches across on the front. Regular price was $10, on sale for $6.
• Small wood cutout “welcome”: I found this at Hobby Lobby for $2.50.
• Stain/paint/paintbrushes: I used a stain+poly in one step along with a cheap foam paintrush to stain the board and white spray paint to paint the letters.
• Wood glue and hot glue: I used wood glue to attach all the wood and hot glue to attach the wreath

How to Make a Porch Sign

Begin by gathering the supplies listed above. If needed, have your wood pieces cut to size. Remember that if you purchase your wood from Lowes or Home Depot the employees can cut it to size for you in the store, which means you won’t need any tools to complete this project.

• The wood board should be 4 ft tall and 12 inches wide (or 11.25)
• You need two wood slat pieces that are long enough to span the width of your board

Stain the wood

The first step for this sign is to stain your wood – or you can paint it if you prefer. If needed, sand the wood first and wipe it clean. (The wood I purchased did not need any sanding). Then stain or paint the wood, as desired. When staining or painting wood inside, I cover my kitchen table with a couple of trash bags. Then I place the wood on top of inverted plastic cups. That makes it easy to paint/stain the sides and front of the wood in one go. I used a cheap foam paintbrush to apply the stain so I could just throw it away when I was done. You’ll stain the wood board and both wood slats. It’s best to let the stain dry overnight.

Paint the Letters + Word

Next you’ll want to use white paint on the letters and the “welcome” cutout. I had white spray paint on hand so I used that. You can also use acrylic craft paint, it will just a bit take longer to applye. I used a couple thin coats of spray paint. Allow these to dry completely.

Glue It All Together

Once everything is dry, you can lay out the different pieces of your sign on the wood board and decide how you’d like to space everything. I started by gluing the wood slats across the top and bottom of the board, about an inch and a half from the edges. I used wood glue to attach the slats and placed a can of food on each to weigh it down for a few minutes as the glue dried.

Then I spaced out all the other elements: the “welcome” word, the letters, and the wreath (which stands in for the “O” in “home”). You can eyeball this if you’d like, or if you are using the same supplies I used you will have about an inch and a half in between each item. You’ll want to have a ruler handy to make sure you are centering everything. Again, I used cans of food to weigh down the letters after I glued them on.

Add the Wreath and Display

Finally, I glued on the wreath. I used hot glue because I wasn’t sure whether wood glue would adhere well to the back of the wreath form.

And that’s it! This sign is meant for outdoor use, but it’s best to display it on a protected area of your porch. Like any wood, it will eventually fade or warp if it’s left out in the rain and snow for long periods of time.

Options

If you’d like to further personalize this wooden welcoming sign, consider these options:

• Swap out the colors. Try painting the board white for a white background and using black paint for the letters – or choosing colors that coordinate with your home.
• Instead of gluing on the wreath, add a hook to hang the wreath on, and then swap the wreath out with other holiday items during different times of year (use a pumpkin cutout for the “O” during the fall, or a heart cutout for Valentine’s Day).
• Decorate this fun sign for Christmas by adding holly berries or other seasonal florals to the wreath.