Revisiting the Subway Sign

We have all seen a million subway signs floating around.  They are still hanging on the walls of great stores like Z Gallerie.  On a trip to Restoration Hardware I spied this {for nearly $800!} If you have been with me for quite some time, then feel free to ignore this post! I have been receiving a number of emails lately on this project, so I thought I would re-post it with a few clarifications below. Hope this helps!

As soon as I saw it I wanted to casually say, "I'll take that please!" Only in my dreams. I have a crush on subway signs right now, but not on their prices. So the wheels started turning and I decided to make my own. And since I was doing it myself, I decided to use street names that my hubby and I lived on as babies and growing up. I am a huge believer in artwork holding some personal meaning. So I got busy and the next day this was hanging in my living room

I am thrilled with how it turned out and even more thrilled with the $34.00 price tag! Here's what you need to make your own:

matte mod podge

a foam brush

place to print your sign

coffee { yes, coffee . . . or tea}

one rag

canvas { i used 24" x 48"}

 

I used Publisher to create my sign. One simple text box and you are ready to go. Just make sure you keep the same ratio with your canvas and text box. For example, my canvas is 24" x 48" so my text box is 5" x 10". My length was twice the width on both. Make sense? You are still using a regular page to format this document. You will not need to enlarge it until you go to print it at Staples or wherever you choose to go. Once you have typed out the street names, change the text to white and fill the background with black. Here is a look

I took mine to Staples to have it printed. The key is keeping it black and white. It is far cheaper to print. The poster cost me a whopping $4.00! Next step is to cut it out very carefully.

 

 

Apply mod podge to the canvas and adhere paper to the canvas. Do not panic. It will look bubbly and wrinkled. Keep the faith.

Let this layer dry (I waited 30 minutes). I know some people suggest smoothing it out. Not a bad idea. Then you are ready to put a layer of mod podge over the whole sign. This is where I was sure the project was toast. It looked HORRIBLE because of the wrinkles. Again, keep the faith. They will go away.

 

After it dried, I wasn't thrilled with the stark contrast of the black and white. Trying to figure out what to do, I saw my leftover coffee sitting in the pot. Perfect. Using a rag {so that it absorbs into the rag and comes out as you squeeze} I applied it to all the letters.

The coffee gave it a nice creamy aged look. So there you have it. Simple, meaningful, and inexpensive! I would like to paint the sides of the canvas black . . . will get to that in my spare time.

 

 

 

 

Linking it Up:

Thursday:  The Shabby Chic Cottage

Friday:       The Shabby Nest

                         Just A Girl