Hey Y'all! As you know by know I love to create my own decor for my home, so I was so excited that I was able to find a class for DIY signs. I was back home visiting family and my friend mentioned we should go to a crafting class.
We looked online and discovered Anders Ruff® (AR) Workshop, a cute shop holds classes and private parties for creating your own DIY wood projects. The AR Workshop projects include everything from plank wood signs and centerpiece boxes to canvas pillows. Each class you get to select your own design for your project from their large portfolio. All materials are included in the class and the projects range from $45-$70. You also you can bring your own beer or wine if you would like! They also hold classes and parties for kids, including summer camps and birthday parties! The children's projects range from $35 to $40.
You can find a location near you here! Each location has a calendar with all of their classes, and you can sign up right on their website. This is such a great idea for a girl's day/night, birthday party, baby shower, bachelorette party, or date night.
I recently attended a Rustic Wood Plank Sign class at the AR Workshop in Belmont, NC for a girls day with one of my best friends. We signed up for the class online and it was so easy! We selected the project, size, design, and custom saying (if needed) when registering online. While registering online you can enter your friend's name to be seated together. I love this workshop because they let you select which design you want to complete, everyone doesn't have to do the same design like so many other DIY classes. Most of the AR Workshop classes offer 2 types of projects, such as wood plank sign or lazy susan, and then you can select the design you would like.
When we arrived at the shop all of the materials were laid out and prepared for us. Once we got settled we were told to select the stain, paint, and staining method we would like for our project and write it on the table. They have a huge selection of paint and stain colors at the Paint Bar and have samples at each table. I chose the walnut stain and cooled blue paint; I later added antique white as one of my colors.
The first thing we did was distress our boards and sand each board for a smooth surface to paint.
Next, we assembled our boards together by nailing the boards to a brace in the back. It was so fun getting to use the nail gun! The lovely ladies at AR Workshop are there to show you how it's done and then they let you do the work, helping when needed. Once we had the sign put together, we added two hanging hooks and tied a piece of wire between them for hanging the sign.
After I assembled my wood sign, it was time to stain. I chose the walnut stain for my project, I wanted something rustic and neutral to go with my decor. The stain they use is orderless, quick drying, and water-based so it comes off easy if you get it on your hands (or elbow in my case). My friend selected the deep ebony stain and it is beautiful as well!
The design was printed and ready for us when we arrived. This was done just like my DIY Fall Sign, but a stencil film was used instead of vinyl. Since we were using this as a stencil, we weeded out the design pieces to create the stencil.
After we had the stencil created, we tore pieces of transfer tape and placed it on the stencil firmly making sure to cover every piece of our design. We pressed over the stencil with a wood block to ensure it was on there good.
Next, we flipped the stencil over and began to slowly roll back the white paper backing. We did this slowly to make sure the stencil was not sticking to the backing, especially the smaller pieces because it could cause the design to rip.
Now that we had our stencil, we placed it on our board and pressed over it with the wood block. We took some Mod Podge and lightly painted it over our design for a base. This helped to create clean lines when we went in with the paint. We let this dry or a few minutes before we moved to the next step.
After the base was dry, we finally got to paint! I loved seeing our projects come to life in this step. We both used the cooled blue paint, I also decided to add antique white to my design. We used sponge brushes and gently pressed the paint on the stencil in a dabbing motion.
Say hello to one of my best friends, Kim! She is the sweetest southern belle you will ever meet...and her accent is to die for! Every time we are around each other our accents intensify and my husband and her boyfriend love it.
While we let the Mod Podge dry we walked around the shop to see other examples of projects and plan what we wanted to do next.
Lastly, we carefully pulled the stencil off our board while the paint was still damp.
And there you have it a beautiful DIY sign! We got to stamp the back of our sign and write our names and the date.
We love the way our signs turned out! I've been playing around with the placement of my sign and love the way it looks our entryway! I loved this workshop and can't wait to go back. My friend and I decided every time I come home to visit we will register for a class. We loved this cute little shop and the ladies that work there were the sweetest. Be sure to look online for a class near you and give it a try!
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