Do you love to travel? Looking for a unique way to display where you’ve been? Have you ever seen one of these ‘directional sign posts’? We’ve seen a couple now in our personal travels and have been inspired to create our very own! So we did. And we’ve lived to tell the tale, so we thought we might share the process with you.
What you’ll need:
- wooden pallet
- saw (any kind will do, but be sure to practice safety first!)
- assorted acrylic paints & brushes
- outdoor clear coat
- 4″ x 4″ x 8′ wood post
- shovel/post hole digger
- cement/heavy duty flower pot/stone/rocks/sand/dirt
- a level
- screws (we used 1-5/8″)
- drill
- step stool/ladder
Step 1: Cut up your pallet
You’ll need to start by obtaining the pieces of wood you’ll be using for each place/directional sign you’re going to create. You can of course go out and buy new pieces of wood, but pallets can be found mostly anywhere these days for free! (This is after all a budget blog.) Not sure where to look? Check your local Craigslist or Facebook Yard Sale page; you’re sure to find some kicking around.
When cutting up the pallet, you’ll want to aim just before the joint where the horizontal pieces meet the edge pieces (pictured below). As with any time you are using tools, it is important to rock eye protection and gloves to minimize injuries 😉
How many pieces you cut is entirely up to you! If you’re undertaking this DIY directional sign post project in the first place, you probably have a few places in mind. It’s worth cutting all of the pieces available to you from the pallet so that you have extra. This way, you can continue to make more as time goes.
Step 2: Paint your signs
Depending on your preference and the condition of the pallet you used, you can start painting! If the wood appears quite dirty, you can use water or a wood cleaner to brighten it up. We used some weathered pieces for added effect. You can also prepare the pieces of wood with a base coat or two of primer for a cleaner canvas. As you can see, we went for the weathered look and painted directly on the wood. This approach tends to preserve a more organic, natural look.
If you are looing for some inspiration, there are plenty of examples of signs, fonts and accents available via a quick Google Images search for ‘directional sign post’. Kat is artistically inclined and free-handed all of the signs you see on our directional sign post. But don’t sweat it, you’ve probably undertaken this project with the knowledge that there was a level of craftiness involved.
You’ve got this!
Plus, it’s more personal because you’ve put your own, personal spin on it! Also, you don’t necessarily need to add pictures, you can simply use words. This is craft freedom at it’s best! Take ours for example, we refrained from putting the number of km/miles on the signs (like some of the ones you’ll see). Why? We have no doubt that the sign will be moving with us at some point, so this way we won’t have to repaint them when that happens.
Now, you may be asking how we decided on which direction to place the arrows… We totally winged it! And it’s clear by the current installation pictured, it ended up a little heavy on the one side. If you can, start by writing out the list of places you plan to paint a sign for and label them N, E, S, W (North, East, South West) so that you can use this to help determine the direction of your arrows. That being said, we plan to add plenty more places to our directional sign post and can consider where they are currently located when painting future ones. Ultimately, it should even itself out.
After you’ve put the finishing touches on your pieces, you’ll want to add a coat of clear to preserve your work. We opted for KRYLON COLORmaxx Clear, an indoor/outdoor spray on product, available at your local hardware store. Depending on how many pieces you plan to clear will determine how much product you purchase (we used one can for 10 signs). There are a variety of options out there, including clear weather coating, but we went this route and will plan to update this post if we see any issues with that decision.
Step 3: Install your post
Depending on where you are planning to install the post, there are a various number of ways that this can be done. So, it’s worth doing some research before starting installation. You can bury a couple feet of the post in the ground for a firm structure. Adding stone or cement to the hole can add some stability to your foundation. Cement however can make moving the post difficult if you ever choose to move it.
We opted to bury a cement pot and fill it with stones to weigh it down and stabilize the post within the pot. We then added sand to fill the empty space in the pot and to add extra weight.
Note: It’s important to continuously check in with the position/angle of your post using an angle throughout the installation process.
Step 4: Attach your signs!
We’ve reached the final step in this DIY project, attaching your directional signs to your post. You’ll want to have a step stool or ladder available to install the pieces at the tippy top. Unless you are very tall.
Note: You’ll need a fair bit of pressure on the post to get each screw in, so this is a good time to test the stability of your post. If it leans easily, you may need to re-evaluate your burial job.
Before attaching the first sign, you’ll want to get your bearings to make sure your signs make sense. We started by finding true North on a compass and using that to guide the direction we had the signs pointed. After that, you’ll want to start attaching them in a relatively random fashion, alternating between post sides (see photo). And voila! You now have your very own directional sign post!
Note: You can also use a hammer and nails but we used screws for ease of removal in the event of damage or relocation. It’s entirely up to you!
We had a lot of fun with this project and hope you do too! We’d love to see your final products as well. Drop us a line below to tell us about your experience went or shoot us an email with a photograph. We’d love to share your directional sign post as well 🙂
This is such a cute idea! I can’t wait to try this once the weather warms up!
Thanks Corisa! We cut up the wood pieces last fall and saved the painting for a winter project. Now that the weather is getting nice again, we were able to install it. We love it!
I am not artistic in any way, but will try. I have a points travel blog. Saw you on Facebook for new bloggers page. Want to meet more bloggers. I am going to try this.
It isn’t difficult at all Tracy! You can decorate them however you like; you can use stencils, vinyl stickers, anything that will stand the weather. Or create one to display indoors with paper! Happy crafting 🙂
This is so cool! I am pinning this to share and so I can remember the directions to make sometime. Thanks for sharing such a cool DIY!
Happy to share Kristina! Thanks for stopping by 🙂 Have fun with it!
That would be such a fun DIY!
Hi Rebecca! We’ve really enjoyed the creative process so far. Thanks for stopping by!
Ah! This is so fun. I’d love to make one for my backyard of all our favorite places. So cute!
Thanks for stopping by Summer! It’s a really easy project. Have fun with it!
I love this idea! Your signs are just perfect. Your paint choices are great and I love the personalizations! I especially like that each sign is a little different size and shape.
Thanks Beth! We wanted to have fun with it and can’t wait to make more!
I love this! Pinning this for a summer project! My directional sign will likely be places from my favorite books and movies — totally geeking out now! The Shire, Hogwarts, Westeros, so many choices!
Thanks for stopping by Monica! That sounds EXCELLENT! You really can do anything with it. Have fun!
This is such a good idea! I want to make one and put it in my garden. Thanks for the instructions.
You bet! Thanks for stopping by Cindy. Feel free to drop back in with any questions and good luck!
What a great idea! I would love to create something like this as a memory for our travels. Now, if only we had the backyard to put it in…
Thanks Mar! We put ours in a stone flower pot, held in place with rocks. You could just as easily do the same on a patio. Or maybe, in the mean time, your little adventurer could create her own pint sized version 😉
This is really cool, and I’m kind of inspired now! Since I have a Disney blog it would be really neat to do something with Disney related places. Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland, Wonderland, etc…
That’s a great idea Becky! Just have fun with it 😉
This is so cute. So many ways to customize this!
Absolutely! It can be personalized by colours, fonts and accents. Thanks for stopping by Sabrina!
What a great idea! Very creative. #outdoorsymommy
Thanks Lindsey! It’s been up for almost a month now and we love it!
Why buy them when they can be done? It’s definitely fun and makes the holiday season a great time to get together!
We couldn’t agree with you more Cristina! This is a fun craft for all skill levels and a great way to add a personal touch to the garden!
I am always loved seeing these in the Caribbean but never thought about having one myself! This is actually really cool. I may actually try to do one of these this spring!
Candy Rachelle
Keeping Up With Candy
http://www.keepingupwithcandy.com
Absolutely Candy! You can show off all the places you’ve been in the Caribbean for starters! Happy crafting 🙂
What a fun idea. I would love to do this with our outdoor area leading to the guest house.
That sounds like the perfect place for it Michelle! We actually have ours right next to our Airbnb entrance. Makes for great conversation 😉
I was never really good at crafty things, I have clumsy fingers ;p But I love this idea – such a good and inspiring one especially to plant down in your own garden!
We bet you could nail this on Sheryl 😉 It’s a great project for all levels. Happy crafting!
This is really nice and creative. Thank you for sharing your DIY talent.
Thanks for saying so Dan! Always happy to share and inspire 🙂
This is such a creative DIY. I love it. I’m trying to think of what I would put on mine if I were to make one.
Thanks Ashley! There’s so many different ways to approach this. You can give city names, states or countries, anything you can think of!
What a cute craft idea! I love how you decorated it…so colorful and nice!
Thank you so much Catherine! It was really easy to put together, for any skill level!
I have seen this styled sign posts if many places and always wondered how to make one, so that for your tips and ideas
Always happy to share and inspire 😉
thats awesome. i would love one of those at my house. reminds me of where i grew up.
So glad you like it Katrina! We firmly believe every garden should have one 😉 And it’s so easy to make!
I’ve always loved these types of signposts. Now that I know how to make them you can bet I will!
Awesome Amber! Always happy to inspire 🙂 Happy crafting!
I have a question. I noticed you have a variety of lengths on your signs, how long are the shortest and longest? I am terrible at making things look right and not too big or small.
Hi there Liz! Would have to say the signs range form about 1-2ft in size, with an average of about 18 inches. We tried to mix it up based on the various city name lengths. Hope that helps!
You all mentioned in your blog that you used the Krylon Colormaxx Clearcoat. After one year are you still happy with that? The Florida sun is powerful, and didn’t know what would be the best clearcoat? My signs are painted and have “cured”, and other than hitting an irrigation waterline with my post hole diggers, I’m good to go with the exception of clear coating 😊.
Thanks so much for your blog and sharing of ideas.
Hi Sandy, thanks for reaching out! Glad to hear your signs are coming along 🙂 And sorry to hear about the digging fiasco 🙁 The Krylon Clearcoat is still holding up for us, yes! The signs aren’t sitting in full sun all day but they get sun in the afternoon. You could try a polyurethane, but I always worry it’ll alter the colour of the paints (tends to yellow). Maybe try a couple with both and see how it goes? Good luck!
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So glad to hear that Corey! Would love to see some photos when you get done! Stay well.
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Hi, I really really enjoyed this blog.
Can you tell the colors of enamel spray paint you used? I don’t want to copy your idea but some of your colors are perfect for a directional sign I’m making for a Nativity.
Because the houses in the Nativity are tan, I thought bright colors would look nice showing the direction of Jerusalem, Bethlehem etc.
Thank you,
Lori
Heiskell, Tennessee
Hi Lori, thanks for reaching out! The paint on the boards is acrylic, from small bottles of craft paint I purchased at Michael’s/Walmart. To be honest, I don’t recall the names of the colours at this point as it was so long ago. Let me know if you have any other questions about the process that I might be able to assist you with. Good luck with your Nativity!