Reclaimed Wood Harvest Porch Sign

Do you have some reclaimed wood that you want to repurpose? Use this idea to make a nice piece of home decor for your porch or deck.

Our Reclaimed Wood Fall Harvest Porch Sign holds a special meaning for us. Our reclaimed wood holds years of memories. 

DIY Reclaimed Wood HARVEST Porch Sign

Before using the term ‘reclaimed wood,‘ I did a little research. In my mind, that term meant repurposing aged wood building materials from their original purpose. I was correct. The most desirable reclaimed wood is decades or more old.

Our reclaimed wood is 17 years old and special to us since it was once our front porch steps from the home we recently sold. See that Front Porch makeover project here.

Those steps really needed replacing before we put the house up for sale!

After a little convincing, I got my hubby to bring the old steps with us to the new house. He had them in a little pile waiting to be burned. I knew we could use them for a project or two, and I love the memories the wood holds for us. I think his connection with the lumber after having built both the original and replacement steps may be why he enjoyed making our new Harvest porch sign. 

Supplies

• Reclaimed wood (4′ x 5 1/2″)
• 4″ Uppercase Alphabet Stencils by Show-Offs
• Show-Offs Leaves Stencil
• Paint to cover wood (Behr Ultra Corn Husk Green leftover sample)
• Apple Barrel Purple Pansy Acrylic
• DecoArt Cinnamon Brown Acrylic
• Apple Barrel Tuscan Teal Acrylic
• DecoArt Deep Red Acrylic
• DecoArt Daffodil Yellow Acrylic
• Apple Barrel Pewter Grey Acrylic
• DecoArt Pure Pumpkin Acrylic

All of the paint was in my stash. Don’t you love a good paint stash! I picked up a huge crafter’s package of Apple Barrel paint from a home improvement store a good while back at a bargain price, and I’m enjoying using it. The Behr paint sample in Corn Husk Green is leftover from when we painted the old house a few years ago. I knew those samples would come in handy!

The wood and all the paint cost nothing, so I splurged for this project on a 4″ alphabet stencil and a leaves stencil. I found the stencil at Hobby Lobby, a favorite place to find craft supplies.

First: Cleaning

The first thing to happen was washing the board to remove any debris. It was left outside to dry for several days before beginning this project. After 17 years as a front porch step, it needed a good cleaning.

Next: Paint

I brushed on the Corn Husk Green paint, then immediately wiped it with a clean, dry cloth to achieve the weathered paint look. I covered it with two coats of paint.

Stencil the letters

My husband got set up in the living room one Saturday afternoon to finish this project. SEC Saturday, watching college football and working on a craft project makes a great Fall day.

A pencil was used for the stenciling process. The board reminded me of an old Mom and Pop store sign during the painting process.

Notice our dog, Orbit, in his bed in front of the work table! Orbit slept while Stacy painted and listened to SEC football.

Paint the letters

Stacy and I consulted on the paint colors. We wanted to pair up fun colors reminiscent of fall. It’s a combination of little things that invoke those fall feels!

We are both glad we splurged on the Leaves stencil. We will certainly find more uses for that stencil. There are 5 leaves, an acorn, and a pine cone on that one stencil!

Finished and on display

We are porch sitters from way back, and fall is the perfect time to enjoy that crisp morning or evening air on the porch. It’s our first fall in our new home, and this upcycle Harvest porch sign we worked on together helps us connect to many memories as we begin a new chapter in our lives. Stop by for a look at our Fall Front Porch and yard decor.

Now what else can we make with that reclaimed wood?

More Upcyle Projects

Thank you for sharing!