I decided I wanted a mileage sign post in my garden. Y'know those types with the
---->arrows that tell you it's 3425 miles to Florida... well I didn't feel like messing with making arrows and I wanted it to have a beachy feel, so driftwood was the obvious choice. I've wanted one of these for some time but this weekend I finally moved myself and just threw it together.
---->arrows that tell you it's 3425 miles to Florida... well I didn't feel like messing with making arrows and I wanted it to have a beachy feel, so driftwood was the obvious choice. I've wanted one of these for some time but this weekend I finally moved myself and just threw it together.
It's funny how you'll have an end result in mind for the project but after you get it started it sort of takes on a life of its own. That's what happened with this project. I had every intention of having miles posted with city names, but the size of the driftwood, and the fact that I had some not-so-real places listed, it ended up with just arrows pointing the way.
I live near Puget Sound and there's always driftwood about on the beaches, I've been keeping my eyes open and taking home flat pieces that I thought would be easy enough to nail to a board, and flat enough to paint on.
I would have liked a large post made of driftwood to nail everything to, but I didn't plan ahead well enough and when I was ready to put it all together I didn't have one, so I used a 7 foot tall piece of cedar we had laying around the shop. It'll weather enough eventually that I don't think it'll stand out.
I live near Puget Sound and there's always driftwood about on the beaches, I've been keeping my eyes open and taking home flat pieces that I thought would be easy enough to nail to a board, and flat enough to paint on.
I would have liked a large post made of driftwood to nail everything to, but I didn't plan ahead well enough and when I was ready to put it all together I didn't have one, so I used a 7 foot tall piece of cedar we had laying around the shop. It'll weather enough eventually that I don't think it'll stand out.
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I used whatever nails I could find in the shop, and a good old fashioned hammer.
I didn't bleach or sterilize the driftwood at all since it was going outside in the garden. I don't care if there's a few bugs living in the wood.
Basically all I did was brush the sand off from the beach, nailed it to the stick, then hand lettered it with acrylic paint. No finish. No frills whatsoever. If it holds up, great. If it doesn't, I'll make a new one. :)
By the way, trying to point the arrows in the right direction was a pain so in case you're wondering... No- they don't actually point the right way. I simply painted them on the way it was convenient.
'Quick and dirty' yard art.
I like the way it turned out, and the cost was ZERO $0. Can't beat that price!
I didn't bleach or sterilize the driftwood at all since it was going outside in the garden. I don't care if there's a few bugs living in the wood.
Basically all I did was brush the sand off from the beach, nailed it to the stick, then hand lettered it with acrylic paint. No finish. No frills whatsoever. If it holds up, great. If it doesn't, I'll make a new one. :)
By the way, trying to point the arrows in the right direction was a pain so in case you're wondering... No- they don't actually point the right way. I simply painted them on the way it was convenient.
'Quick and dirty' yard art.
I like the way it turned out, and the cost was ZERO $0. Can't beat that price!
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So what I'd change if I was to do this again:
1) The post would be a piece of driftwood.
2) I'd nail the driftwood closer together so I could put more names.
3) I'd add "Twilight Zone". lol
4) I'd put a smaller piece on the top (was kinda top heavy).
5) I'd write Jurassic Park in blood red.
1) The post would be a piece of driftwood.
2) I'd nail the driftwood closer together so I could put more names.
3) I'd add "Twilight Zone". lol
4) I'd put a smaller piece on the top (was kinda top heavy).
5) I'd write Jurassic Park in blood red.