Make a Pallet Sign in 10 Easy Steps

Did you see my bi-fold door and dresser Coffee Station Cabinet? I made an easy pallet sign for it. “But First. Coffee” Today I’m going to show you how easy it is to make a Pallet Sign in 10 Easy Steps.

Generally my really easy projects don't include tools, but you could use a jigsaw, or even a handsaw to make this pallet sign.

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Dismantle Pallet

If you have some pallets you need to dismantle, be sure and see my post Pallet Projects PLUS tips for dismantling pallets using a Duckbill Deck Wrecker.

Remove Nails from pallet board

The nails on these boards had already been cut off—I think it was a repurposed pallet! But, if you need to remove nails, it's easy to do on a set of saw horses. Simply tap the nails through from the back-then pull them out with pliers or channel locks.

Sand Pallet Board for a Nice Pallet Sign

I use a Ryobi orbital sander but you could use a sanding block or sandpaper.

Cut Pallet Board

Carefully cut your pallet board. I purposely left nails in my board. Be careful when cutting old pallet boards, nails can be hidden. I used a compound miter saw, but as I said earlier, you could use a jigsaw or even a handsaw.

Whitewash Pallet Sign Board

Paint your pallet board. I chose to whitewash my board. I keep a bucket of whitewash handy for quick jobs like this. It’s regular latex paint that I diluted with water. You could use craft paint. For a quick project like this, a cheap chip brush is perfect because it doesn’t waste much paint on clean up. In addition, they clean up quickly because they aren’t loaded down with paint. I reuse these brushes for months and months.

Apply Stencil to Pallet Sign

Cutting stencils out of contact paper is the best way for me to do a simple project like this. I found a similar But First Coffee stencil on Amazon.

Paint Stencil

Martha Stewart foam pouncers are my favorite way to paint stencil. I’ve been using these for years. They actually come with a plastic holder, but I never use them anymore. You could use a stencil brush to apply your craft paint.

Remove Stencil

It’s best to remove your stencil while the paint is still damp. There was a little bleeding, but I’ll take care of that later. You can see I used my favorite self centering tape measure to place the stencil on the board.

Remove Oodles and Boodles

Using a hook tool, I removed the inside of the “O”. Did you know they’re called oodles and boodles?

Drill Holes – add Wire

Can you see that I lightly sanded the wording to make it look older? Drilling small holes and adding wire with little curly q’s is a great way to hang a pallet sign.