UGLY platter turned rustic bakery sign

Here is the sign I painted for our kitchen; it hangs above the counter where The Welding Man bakes all our bread. Heaven is his home made bread sliced thin and toasted crisp with sweet butter! Yum! Add my sister's home made scrumptious concord grape jelly and you are in taste bud nirvana.

Ahem. Okay, this sign did not always look like this. It started out as a plastic turkey platter, a huge orange and yellow monster measuring 21" wide x 15" high. The kids called it the Chernobyl Turkey Platter. Ugly. The only time it looked good was when it was piled high with turkey, trust me on this. But we only used it once or twice a year and our kitchen NEEDED a dash of style, or wit, or something for right there on that wall...


I could say I spared you the sight of the crazy orange and yellow and brown platter in its former glory but actually, I wasn't blogging back in February and didn't even think to take a pic. But right here is the start, a fresh coat of gloss black spray paint. Hmmmm, not working with the vibe I had for a rustic bakery sign.....



Oooh, better. I went to my tried-and-true-I-like-it-so-there rustification process of crumpled torn tissue paper mod podged to the rim. Which I didn't take a picture of. Man. But here it is with a coat of flat black acrylic paint. Okay, I'm heading in the right direction....


More torn tissue paper decoupage goodness and a wash of white paint to bring out the texture. This is looking rustic and old and downright decrepit! Alrighty then, now we're getting there.....


I used craft paint for the lettering and dry brushed for a worn, aged feel around the letters. Then I used red for little wingdings and doohickeys on the letters, just as you'd find on old hand painted signs. I wanted this to look like a sign you'd find in a small village or town and not a slick commercial sign. I also added a rough edged border in red to make the white pop.


And here it is with pride of place in the kitchen. I love the oval shape and the rim that looks like a frame and the rough texture and the black and red and white! So now, you guessed it, I am on the lookout for more big plastic turkey platters, ugly or not, for rustic, shabby chic signs in the bathrooms and even my craft room.

This week I'm posting this on Funky Junk Interiors sign themed party. I love old signs and she has so many great ideas in her own home, I have sign envy. Come visit and share the love!