Hey you! Ya, you.. I order you to
I made something. Something really really awesome. Wanna see?
I found a piece of typographic statement art on pinterest* that was so amazing I even used it when I talked about mean comments last month. I’m really bummed though because the original source has been deleted and I can’t find who to credit anywhere. If you know who made this, please let me know so I can give them credit!
I LOVE love love this saying so much (“awesome” is kinda *my* word, ya know) that I just had to recreate it. I put my own spin on it though by changing the color and making it more rustic looking. Dare I say I like my “copy” even better than the original?
I’m still trying to narrow down a new home for it, so I tried out two places for my picture taking. I love it in the kitchen but am not sure I like the gray on gray action going on. It looks great against the yellow, though.
I have been falling in love with this rustic throw-back look ever since I discovered Rodney White last year. I think this style is my new *thing*. You know, like how orange and the word awesome are my *thing*?
So are you dying to know how to make this art for yourself? Are you awesome enough? Can you even handle it?!
I wanted to make a huge piece of statement artwork but I had a budget of exactly ZERO dollars. Isn’t it amazing what you can come up with when you are forced to get creative?!
The previous owners left this random fence in our garage. It blocked off one section for their dogs. I moved it outside against our big fence where it has sat… for over a year.
I’d been meaning to drag it out to the curb for the trash men, but there was something that held me back every week. I just knew one day I would want this wood for a project. Man am I glad I saved it! And being outside gave it a perfect weathered look.
I pried off several fence boards with a pry bar.
Then I took a hammer and hammered all the nails out of them. I had Travis take some pics of me hammering the nails out, but OMG I look so fat crouched down that I refuse to post them online. So just imagine me with a hammer.
When that was over, I drug them into the garage and lined them up to get a visual of how the sign was going to look. I figured 6 posts looked pretty good to me. But the tops of the posts… yikes. Not the look I’m going for.
Easy enough to fix. I just chopped off the tops of each board with my compound miter saw. You can totally do this with a hand saw though too.
Now they are ready to be nailed together. Grab some 1×2’s or whatever wood you have laying around that might work and lay your boards over the top of them. Then just go to town nailing them to the scrap 1×2’s.
Don’t mind the total wonky-ness of the crooked 1×2’s. Whoops. I guess you can take a few extra minutes to make sure you are nailing them on straight. But oh-well! It works good enough for me. I would have tried to make the back all level and even but honestly, I was outside and in the garage and it’s still blasted-hot here in Texas, and I was so over the elements, so I was in “get it done and get inside asap” mode.
Okay, so now you need to think about what color you want your letters to be. Paint the entire front of the sign with your letter color. I chose white.
When the paint is dry give it a quick light sanding to make it more worn and rustic looking.
And now the fun begins! Now it’s time to start on the phrase.
I busted out my new Silhouette CAMEO** and a roll of vinyl. This was the first project I did with the CAMEO and I was itching to give it a good ol’ test run with something big and hard. Er, I didn’t mean it like that! You know what I mean. I wanted a big project to see what this Silhouette could handle. 🙂
The CAMEO worked great. I’m still shocked at how easy the Software is to use. I had the sign made up and cut out in probably about 30 minutes or so.
If you are using the Silhouette and vinyl to cut your stencils you will now need to add the transfer paper to the vinyl. However, there are a variety of ways you can make this sign without a Silhouette. For example, you can print the words out, cut them out, trace them onto the board, then hand paint them. The Silhouette just made the job a lot quicker and easier.
Not to derail the post, but I just have to show you how messy of a crafter I am! Yikes! This is pretty much what my space looks like whenever I tackle any project. Not kidding.
Now you get to attach the letters to the board!
I’ll be totally honest here, I used Silhouette’s Premium vinyl, which has worked great on all my other projects, but it wasn’t so great on this project. The wood was not smooth enough and the vinyl just WOULD.NOT.STICK. to the boards. At all. It was a huge pain to try to get the letters off the transfer paper and onto the board and took lots of time and patience.
I needed a way to get the letters to stick better or the project was going to be a total bust, so I used the same concept in my tutorial for painting perfect lines… I painted the base coat over each of the letters to seal them. Any paint seepage would be the same base color so when I painted the 2nd color over the top, the 2nd color didn’t seep under the letters.
After the base coat is applied around each letter (two coats just to be safe), it’s time to paint your 2nd color. I used some leftover paint from when I was trying to pick the perfect paint color for my family room. In hindsight I would have probably really loved using a tangerine orange color to match my new curtains, but like I said before, this was a FREE project so I used what I had.
The moment of truth. Did painting the white around the letters prevent seepage of the greige color?
I used this handy hook tool Silhouette sent me in one of their starter kits. It looks like a dental scraper thing and it was perfect for lifting the vinyl off the board.
Oh I’m loving it already. And guess what?! No greige seeped under any lettter!!! Worked like a charm.
The vision in my head had the art just a little more aged looking, so I took it back to the garage and gave it another sand down. Totally love the new look, but don’t get me wrong, the non-sanded look was great too.
When you are done sanding you will want to wipe it down really well to get all the dust off and then finish it off with a coat of clear top coat. Here’s what I used.
And that’s it. That’s all there is to it. Ha. I say that like I casually made the sign in just a few hours. Actually I worked on the sign over a several day period of time. If you make one it’s not a quick hour-long project, but the time you put into it will be worth it in the end.
Here’s how it looks from the side.
I really love the phrase for a few reasons. The first is because it’s quirky and random. And it has the word “awesome” in it. And I love quirky random awesome things. And second, because it reminds me that I can choose how to feel. I don’t have to allow sad feelings to take over my day. I can choose to be happy instead. It’s a nice reminder each day to smile and be happy and not let myself get down, especially if I get a mean comment.
I’m just going to be awesome every day. I’m going to:
So, tell me, are you into this worn out throw-back look that is sweeping the nation? Do you like to hang phrases around your house, or are you more of a picture person? And the most important question… Do you think you will attempt to paint your own statement art similar to this one? I hope you do! And if you do I hope you send me the pics of it. Now go and help spread awesomeness.
edited to add:
I also made a yellow one for a client! Check out the yellow “awesome” artwork here.
The conversation in my house just went like this:
Me: Look at Allison’s print she made. It’s awesome.
Billy: No it’s not, dude, don’t lie!
Me: It is too! I need to tell her!
Billy: Are you posting?
Me: Ohhhh, Absolutely!!!!
We miss your awesomeness! Ben too? Tell him without a doubt an infatic, Ohhhh, absolutely!!
The phrase is from How I Met Your Mother! Its a barney stinson line!
I love the sign and the phrase!!
Very cool
Hugs
SueAnn
I LOVE this project!! Wonder if I have some old fence sections laying around? 😉 Bookmarking this post… btw, I like the gray on gray. JMO. 🙂
Happy Friday!
Seriously?!?!? YOU need to make a sign that says; I know you hate me because I’m awesome! You have a way of improvising…and it just works!! A is for Allison’s Awesomeness!!!!
XOXO
That IS awesome! And how lucky of you to have that extra fencing there for free.
I love it! I’ve really liked that quote for some time and I’ve wanted to put it up in my son’s room. Now, I know how to get it done. Thanks!
@Ashley Reminds me of the old makeup commercial from the 80s or 90s – what was it, “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful”? Maybe Allison should make one that says “Don’t hate me because I’m awesome”. Maybe a t-shirt like she made Kinsey but with this on on it…heh heh
@Ashley Reminds me of the old makeup commercial from the 80s or 90s – what was it, “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful”? Maybe Allison should make one that says “Don’t hate me because I’m awesome”. Maybe a t-shirt like she made Kinsey but with this on on it…heh heh
OMG that is so… AWESOME!!!!!!!! I totally should.
Oh, and one more thing. Love how you got the hole in the wood lined up right with the “A” in start.
Hey, I was going to say that! Love the way it turned out! 🙂
This saying is on my “must make” list…for my son for Christmas! Your version is great.
I loves it girl! Very very cute where you already have it!
YUP! The sign is awesome just like you Allison!! Have an awesome weekend!!
The quote is from “How I Met Your Mother”… said by the very awesome Barney.
🙂
Very cute sign
I had NO IDEA! Wow, thank you!!! I’ve never seen that show, but I hear it’s great.
That really is awesome!!! I love it placed over the green table! And the tip to paint a coat of the base paint over the letters is one I will definately put to use! Thanks! ~ Barbara
Yup. Totally from How I Met Your Mother – Because everything that comes out of Neil Patrick Harris’ mouth is pretty much awesome. Just say’n. I love your sign!
great job with this project! I love it! Also, I was wondering who won the Cricut giveaway last week – I’ve been looking but can’t find the info.
That is an AWESOME tutorial!!! It looks great in your space!
It looks great & I also love how the A has a random knot hole on it at the opening of the A that looks like you so did it on purpose lol. I <3 it!
All I have to say Allison is AWESOME!
As always, you gave a great tutorial. I can’t wait to get my hands on the Silhouette Cameo. I have already seen so many wonderful projects using it this week.
I would love it if you would come and link up your giveaway to my friday giveaway link party!
http://justusfourashe.blogspot.com
So needed this little bit of awesomeness today! Thanks for sharing!
Lisa @ Over the Big Moon
You are always awesome and this project is surely awesome! It looks great in both places, but I really like the gray on gray. I think the white trim makes it pop. Would love to try this someday soon.
Love the sign! I think it looks awesome on the gray wall. Awesome is my word too! I thought it was a California thing, “cool” is another word I use {probably way too much} I was just on Rodney’s facebook page! How funny is that? He started a new blog…it was good until I got to the last pages…not a fan of this one but I LOVE his work. I want to get an original of his work, that would be awesome and so cool!
Yep from How I met your Mother, although people usually just attribute the quote to Neal Patrick Harris who plays Barney. 🙂
Wow! What a totally awesome project!!! TFS!
Allison! I have GOT to win that silhouette! Geez that thing is amazing. I would be labeling forever on it, too! It looks AWESOME! You did an AWESOME job!!
Becky B.
http://www.organizingmadefun.com
Organizing Made Fun
Love the sign and love your blog – awesome! I also left a note on Silhouette about how they were a referral from you and that I really need something like this to pull me out of my “rut beyond ruts”…thank you. Debbie
I keep meaning to make this since because we’re such big How I Met Your Mother fans!
allison! I love your sign. Love what it says and love how it turned out! You lucky girl to have a cameo! 🙂
gail
I think it is great that you used wood left by the past owners! Great sign.
LOVE this!!!!!! I may have to make one myself!
Great sign. I just might have to add something like that to my (very long) list of DIY projects to do!
That is so fabulous !
I love these rustic kinds of decor !
– KAT –
Im doing a giveaway post now
come check it out
Yup that is definitely AWESOME! The original is cool BUT I do like yours more…but that could be because I love everything rustic:D I think I need to make one for myself as well!
Looks great, “awesome” tutorial too! 🙂 What the heck is on your dining room table?!??! It looks like “Thing” from the Adam’s family giving a peace sign! ha ha I couldn’t tell if it was your hand, your kids’ hand or what. I’m dying to know the story behind that one! 🙂
Michelle
http://www.thrifty101.blogspot.com
Love, love, love!!! Just found your blog and added you to my bloglist! I am usually a quilty/sewing type of gal but we are getting ready to “makeover” the inside of our house and you have some fabulous ideas. I just bought paint last week and it look almost like your gray…funny! Anyways, thanks for sharing so much of your creativity with us. Smiles~Beth
I think I am the strange one in the blogging bunch because although I think the typography art looks great I could not have any in my space. I am the type that will read and reread the phrase over and over until I want to scream just because I see it in the corner of my eye. It distracts me. I can handle a monogram though. 🙂
Love it! Great job!
I love any kind of Wood Pallet art and esp. if it includes cool quotes or typography, you nailed all three! Great work, thanks for sharing!
you’re mom’s awesome. and so are you. that is all. 😉
Haha! Thanks Ash. xoxo
I’m using WordPress. I love it! I’m about to do a redesign, but the one I currently am using is just the WP Premium theme by templatic and was free. I just changed all the colors to all white, and then got rid of the page tabs and created my own “tabs” by making text images in gimp.
I LOVE this project! I’m hopping over from YHL and have to say that this WILL be happening in my house. LOVE IT. Like, so much. Alright. I’ll stop now.
Great job! I love this! Just another reason why I “need” a Silhouette machine!
AWESOME! 🙂 I love it. Isn’t that a quote from How I Met Your Mother?
This looks fantastic! I’m going to have to try this sometime soon! Thanks for the (pin)spiration!
Clicked over from YHL…
I believe Neil Patrick Harris used it in a commercial as well… I don’t watch the show but when I saw your sign I immediately pictured him in my mind saying it.
Anyway, it looks really good! Nice job!
-Amanda
I LOVE this.. I have the same yellow sign pinned to make… Great job!
I LOVE it!!! I like how modern/rustic it looks! You did a phenomenal job!
I absolutely love it! I need to get myself one of those machines!
I saw your link on YHL and had to stop by.
This is …. wait for it …. Awesome!
I love it – I love all subway/typography art, but I really love this quote, the rustic look and the colors you used.
I didn’t have a lot of time or money for my challenge entry, but I covered a lamp shade in fabric which you can check out here if you would like: http://www.redheadinruffledflats.com/2011/11/pinterest-challenge-changing-shades.html
LOVE IT!!! Thank you so much for the turorial! I am definetly going to make one myself! 🙂
I love what you made it out of. Nice job of using what you have!
This is so great! I’m obsessed with ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and have used this as my mantra ever since Barney started saying it lol You made this look so easy! 🙂
DUDE,
FREAKIN’ AWESOME!!
🙂
Awesome! I made a painting with this quotation for the last Pinterest Challenge: http://placeofverdure.blogspot.com/2011/08/be-awesome.html
I love how you made yours on the fence boards; mine was on canvas. And man, I’m so jealous of your stencil machine! That would have made the project so much easier and more polished looking. Yours turned out great!
this.is.incredible. like something you could buy in a high end expensive home decor store. i could never be this crafty! kudos to you!
WOW! You absolutely nailed this! I agree that it came out better than the original!
I LOVE this…my awesome would have to argue with you that awesome is kind of his word though! haha This is a quote from Barney Stintson from How I met your mother! This would be so “awesome” in our man cave! haha great job!!!
I just wanted to let you know that I am featuring this on Sassy Sanctuary today. Love it!
Te he, yep totally awesome.
I’m seriously dying here I love this so much! I say a picture of Neil Patrick Harris saying that and I fell in love!
I am so going to have to copy this one my dear! I love how you used fence posts, way cool!
Megan
I love this project. Thanks for sharing it.
Have an awesome day!
Jan
http://kansasprincessjan.blogspot.com/
the line is from Barney Stinson from ‘How I met Your Mother’ series. You would want to check him up. Hilarious. & yes. THIS LOOKS SUPERB & DEFINITELY GOING TO DO THIS ASAP x
I saw this piece of art a while back too and tried to trace it back myself. I need to have this for my daughter. If you make me one, I’ll pay you the big bucks I promise. Would you consider the offer? Name your price.
Thanks.
Wow, that is pretty cool. I’ll email you privately and we can discuss!
Love it! Must do …Thanks!
That’s what I always remember when I see this too! I don’t think I could hear it without thinking of the show, but I love the show so much, I might just make it anyway! 🙂
that gave me chills… I’ma try that…
I wanna make a sign that says…from Weezer..
“If you don’t like it, you can shove it..but you don’t like it, you love it..”
{Hope I didn’t just offend the daylights outta you..}
The quote is from Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother!! AWESOME 🙂
It was on ETSY, I actually ordered and paid for it this summer and never received it:( The guy closed his shop after telling me it would be shipped in a week . Luckily paypal refunded me because I filed a complaint on the 44th day (have to within 45 days) but I was devastated I never got my sign:(
I love this! This phrase reminds me a lot of something Barney Stinson would say. That’s the character played by Neil Patrick Harris on How I Met Your Mother. If you watch even a couple of episodes, you’ll totally get how “Barney” this phrase is! I think I will have to totally copy you on this because it’s so….(wait for it)….AWESOME!
Great sign/art ! I’m so impressed.
what font are you using for when you write about the pictures? it looks like rootbeer float which is a thickers product but i can’t find it to download. please help!
Hi! I want to make this for my boyfriend for our anniversary next month. Huge HIMYM fan. I don’t have a silhouette, I was wondering if you thought I could print each letter and cut around them lay them on the board and paint over them in the base color, kind of like you ended up doing with the vinyl? I really love your stuff!
I never thought of painting with my base color first, Brilliant! I will have to try this. I usually reverse weed and make a stencil.
I also have to add, I recently discovered Rodney White too. I love him! I want be him. Ok, I want to be the female version of him!
I’m a new follower here and Pinterest.
Jo
Any chance you would make one of those and ship it to DC?!
Yes! I ship all over the Continental US for $30 (the art is $175). I will also ship worldwide for the actual shipping cost.
This is so cool. I love this idea. Not sure I’m willing to do this just yet (time and mess) but it really is AWESOME. And I always use the word “awesome” to describe everything! Nice job.
What font did you use for this project? It looks fantastic!!!
Hello Creative Genius. I just did a sign using your technique and I want to make it more rustic by sanding it; however, I don’t want to ruin it by using the wrong grade of sandpaper. What grade do you use when you just want to rustic-up something?
I have always hand painted signs but just got my Cameo and am dying to make something (not in my handwriting) with it! I love this saying! Thank you so much for sharing! I hope you don’t mind me knocking it off- I’ve got a friend who keeps requesting I make her something “orange” and will appreciate it!
OMG YOU’RE AWESOME! I’m going to make ‘my awesome self’ that exact same sign and thank you every time I read it. I landed on this site through Pinterest – the night I started pinning was the night I stopped watching TV.
I just found your blog this morning and I am *totally* inspired to make this awesome sign! I don’t have the vinyl cutter thing, but I’ll try it with just printed letters on paper (just the outline of the letters) and paint them down using your “crisp painted line” technique (also AWESOME!). I think it will work since you said the vinyl did not stick anyway. I saw a ton of these “saying signs” in a shop in Old Town Spring (north of Houston) recently and loved them. Now I know how I can reproduce some of them myself! Thanks for your excellent ideas!
Stunning typography examples! i like them so much)))
Keep rocking!
I love it! I have a couple palettes from brick pavers that we bought that could work for something like this! Problem is, I don’t have the awesome Silhouette! I think I need to get one. I love all of the different colors you showed. Beautiful job!
I know this is an old post, but this is super awesome! And we have some fence panels that my husband wants to get rid of, but now I’ll have to keep one or two for a great project like this!
Great job. And I love the saying you used.