If you're like me and love going to craft fairs and seeing all those amazing things people do with spare bits of everything, then this craft can make you feel a part of that world. It's easy, it's simple and it can make money. Take it from someone who has done so.

Firstly, take stock of supplies. Here are the things I have used in the past...

Wooden Board - (and I don't mean your old boyfriend) Any size, any hieght, any color, whatever you're comfortable with. This can also be bought at some craft stores if you don't want to take the time to cut it yourself.

Paint - You'll want a base color to start with. Usuall the base color ends up being the boarder color, so decide well. I tend to use the darker colors as the boarder colors and then paint the inside something light, such as cream. Be creative! Life is fleeting. And don't forget the paint brushes!

Stencils or Rub-ons - I have used both. Stencils allow for a more creative nature to show throughYou can make your own stencils using cardstock and an exacto knife... You can assemble any words you want. However, it is also slower than using Rub-ons. Rub-ons provide a more professional look with nice clean lines.

Words - When I say words, I mean the sort of saying you want to put on the board. This can be anything your heart desires. If you want to give it as a gift to your grandparents... then something such as, "Let's sit a spell" could be appropriate.

Other random items can include a ruler, masking tape, and wire for hanging up your master piece. (May also want a drill gun to make holes for the wire...)

Now, if you're an adventurous one, you may just want to cut out your own wood to make for the signs. My personal favorite is the scroll saw. Very nice for thinner bits of wood and it can be made to make very small, precise cuts if you so desire. I, however, prefer totally straight cuts which makes the board square and a perfect blank canvas. However, as is common sense, when operating any sort of machinery like this, please take the proper precautions and wear protective eye goggles (no need to go blind over art) and even gloves.

If you are not so inclined to go through all that work for a piece of wood... you can pick it up from a craft store (Such as Roberts or Michaels) or even a construction yard. Sometimes a construction yard has discarded wood that they're willing to cut for you.

Now sand that sucker of a board until it's baby-bum smooth!

Alright! You have your piece of wood canvas. Great! Now what...?
Paint it.
The way I like to do it is to start with a base coat. How about a dark color such as a deep navy color? I'll paint the entire board, front, back, sides. Let it dry.
Next, I rather like just having the boarder be blue, so I will take some masking tape (picked up from a hardware store) and use that to help me cover edges I want to keep blue. Once that is done, I'll paint the entire inside with a color such as cream. I'll usually end up doing two coats so it's evenly covered.

Awesome! We have the prep work all finished! Next we let our creativity flow! Take a phrase or a name and start with that. We'll use, "Smile!" for example.
You may or may not want to use a ruler to help you gauge where in that middle area to put the lettering. If you have your handy-dandy rub-ons... place them on in the spot you want it. Once they're on, rub those puppies until they are stuck firmly to your board.
If you are stenciling, you may either want to do one letter at a time... or make your own phrase by using an exacto knife and a piece of cardstock paper. It's long and tedious... but you might like it better. Also, when using a stencil, it may be a good idea to use that masking tape to tape the edges down so it doesn't move on you and make life frustrating. Another good technique for stenciling is to take a sponge brush and pat the paint into the stencil. It's cleaner and doesn't slosh too much paint around.

Finally, let your final product dry and attach some wire to hang it. This can be done easily using a small drill to drill a hole big enough for wire to slip through it.
There you are, a beautiful sign fit for giving as gifts, decorating your home, or selling at those nifty craft fairs.