DIY Street Sign Decor – How to Make an Easy Antique Street Sign for Bedroom Wall

Did you ever want to hang some street sign decor on your wall, but were not willing to pilfer one from the street? I may have the solution for a DIY street sign that you can customize.

Thecustom street sign on top of the loo door is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, I have seen some inspiration with road signs for room decor on Pinterest, but I wanted something done on the cheap, and with this street name in specific.

I love worn-out street signs, and I wanted to include street signs as part of the decor, and couldn’t find custom vintage street signs for sale, and I guess in the end, rather than risk jail time, it was DIY or nothing.

Street sign inspiration

This is an actual antique street sign. It’s the Princess Street in Copenhagen. I have seen similar signs all over Europe, but I loved the name and style of this one in particular.

I wasn’t going for an exact copy of this sign, so I don’t mind the differences, it’s not like anyone  is going to believe mine is actual street signage. I mean, those suckers are bolted to the walls, and it’s impossible to pry them off no matter how hard one tries… er, so I’ve heard. 

How to make DIY street signs

How to make the base

For the base I used a piece of wood that had previously been the base of a wall hanger. I painted it it with gray acrylic paint then dry brushed with it with white, rust-red, blue-gray acrylic paints to give it a well-worn look. There is no precise manner to do this, just experiment, and if you don’t like it, you can paint over it again. Imperfection is actually the goal.

You can use any piece of wood that you have at hand for this.

How to make the letters

For the letters, I printed it on a piece of paper, making sure it was mirrored. I then glued it on top of a sheet of thin cork sheet, and cut it carefully with a craft scalpel. The paper will be on the reverse side in the end.

Once cut, I painted the letters with white acrylic paint. I like the texture of the cork once painted, which gave it a rugged look. But you can use thick cardstock too.

How to age and finish

Once I gave it letters several coats of white, which also evens out the texture a bit more, I “aged” them by dabbing them with a coffee filter with used coffee grinds in it (as dry as possible). I gave it several coats, and let the letters dry between coats.

Once the letters had the color I like, I glued them to the wood.

How to hang street sign on wall

The piece of wood already came with holes for hanging, but you can also use hanging hardware, or stick to the wall with double-sided tape if you wish.

I liked the results. This was fairly quick and easy to make, not to mention free, and it gives a fun twist to the bathroom door. 😀

More ideas for easy street sign decor

Check out these other ideas for different styles and methods to make your own DIY signs, and how to hang street signs on a wall.

Source: 1, 2, 3

Video DIY street sign