Welcome sign

A vintage print can make a great welcome sign for your home entrance way by simply adding some hand painted letters!

Resene upcycling for good with Sarah Herring - Project 70

Welcome sign made from a vintage painting.

You will need

Retro artwork in frame
Printed letters that spell ‘WELCOME’ (or whichever message you would like to say)
Scissors
Clear drying craft glue
Baking paper
Resene testpot brushes
Resene testpots in your choice of colours – Sarah used Resene Goldmine metallic and Resene Retro
Resene Aquaclear Natural

Before

Turn an old painting into an inviting welcome sign

Finished project

Top tip: Be extra careful with old art prints like this as even the highest quality masking tape can lift the fragile colour off the picture. The project has been created so that masking tape was not required to avoid the risk of this happening.

How to make a welcome sign

Step one: Give the whole item a good clean and make any repairs needed to the frame.

Step two: Repaint the whole frame in two coats of Resene Goldmine metallic using a testpot brush. This is a great way to refresh the original gold frame while keeping the character of the piece.

Step one

Step one contd.

Step two

Step three: While the frame is drying, print out your chosen letters (Sarah used ‘WELCOME’) and then cut them out. You could print onto paper or a fine card, whichever is easiest for you to work with. Work out your preferred letter placement and jot down the measurements.

Step four: Lay the letters down on some baking paper for painting so they won’t stick. Apply two coats of your chosen colour to each letter – Sarah used Resene Retro.

Step two contd.

Step three

Step four

Step five: Using a clear drying craft glue, fix the letters carefully into place onto the artwork. You can wipe away excess glue with a wet wipe.

Step six: To secure the letters in place so they won’t lift off, apply three coats of Resene Aquaclear Natural. This product dries totally matte so it doesn’t change the finish on the artwork at all. Or you could use Resene Aquaclear in a higher gloss level if you prefer.

Step five

Step five contd.

Step six

Upcycling for Good

You can find a huge range of treasures, from ornaments and picture frames, to furniture and toys at your local Salvation Army store that you can easily upcycle with a little Resene paint and some imagination.

"Our Family Stores are full of treasures generously donated by members of the public. We value these donations and try our hardest to re-purpose and sell as much as possible. We’re all about re-using and recycling, so teaming up with Resene on Upcycling for Good was a perfect match. Resene’s products and tips are a natural fit with our pre-loved furniture and accessories, which are usually great quality but could sometimes do with a lick of paint to ensure they fly off the shelves.

Each year, nationally, our stores save 16,000 tonnes from landfill. This initiative increases the value of the donated product, improves the range of goods for our customers, and furthers The Salvation Army’s mission and Resene’s community activity.” Gareth Marshall, The Salvation Army's National Family Store Manager.

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Resene Paints (Australia) Limited – www.resene.com