Upcycle Thrift Store Cutting Board DIY Sign

INSIDE: Upcycle a thrift store cutting board into a DIY sign using freezer paper stencil and craft paint.

Been to a thrift shop lately? I don’t go often; I tend to have enough random stuff around my own house to upcycle and re-purpose that I save myself the trip and a few pennies.

But on a recent stop, I found myself wandering the aisles looking at all the interesting things one can only find in a thrift store. And there, staring out at me, was a small cutting board, probably formerly used in a wet bar to cut limes.  (Gawd knows I love me a drink with a citrusy garnish!)

And this little wooden cutting board made for the perfect surface to craft a DIY sign for my obsession with…water!?
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Upcycle Thrift Store Cutting Board DIY Sign

I’m an “aqua-holic”. There, I said it. I love pools, oceans, gulfs. Ironic, isn’t it, for a girl who lives in the dry Arizona desert?! So to survive the dust ball I live in, I have a slight decorating homage going on to all things aqua.

Supplies:
– Wooden cutting board
– Freezer paper
– Craft/Acrylic paints
– Home printer
– Flat object like a credit card
– Sanding block/paper

thrift shop cutting board re-purposed into diy sign decor

So like many DIY projects, they don’t always turn out as expected. Sometimes they are better than anticipated, other times, not so much. And this one fell into the latter category. But, hey, such is life and we figure out how to make it work!

Depending on your skills, you can easily hand letter any DIY sign. I opted to use freezer paper as my stencil to transfer the text onto the cutting board. Here’s how I did it…

Start by measuring the space you are working with. Mine was a 6″ square. I took those measurements into Word and created a simple text document.

thrift store wood cutting board turned into diy sign

Cut out a piece of freezer paper the same size as an 8.5 x 11″ size.

Use a glue stick to secure the corners of the freezer paper to the paper with the shiny side up. Be sure to print it as a mirror image.

While the ink is still wet, place the artwork onto the cutting board. Use an object like a credit card to firmly scrape the art onto the board.

Now this is where the project kinda went awry. The freezer paper transfer wasn’t dark enough for my cutting board. What do you think?

Call me lazy but I really didn’t want to start over or chuck the cutting board. So, I pulled out my craft acrylic paints and added some color over the transfer.

With the paint dry, I lightly sanded the cutting board around the edges and on top of the text.

What items have you given new life and love from the thrift store?

I displayed this small cutting board now turned DIY “aqua-holic” sign on some salvage yard shelves for an aqua-themed vignette.

Other Upcycled DIY Ideas You May Like:

• Turn a metal plate charger into a DIY chalkboard sign with fabric flowers
• Upcycle a staircase banister into a gallery photo wall
• Upcycle a larger dresser mirror frame into large-scale wall art
• $20 Craigslist mid-century modern coffee table makeover
• $10 vintage suitcase turned into a wall photo display
• Vintage wooden ruler as frame for a message board

More Thrift Store Ideas!

I teamed up with some crafty friends to bring you fun thrift store ideas. Check them out below in our monthly thrift store challenge!

The Rules:

• Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
• There’s no monthly theme.
• There’s no budget to stick to.

Meet the Hosts

Amanda | Domestically Creative
Angela | Simply Beautiful by Angela – Michelle | Michelle James Designs
Molly | Just a Little Creativity – Victoria | Dazzle While Frazzled
Marie | The Inspiration Vault – Marie | DIY Adulation
 Gail | Purple Hues and Me – Jennifer | Cookies Coffee and Crafts – Ann | Duct Tape and Denim
Debra | Shoppe No. 5 – Denise | My Thrifty House – Florence | Vintage Southern Picks
Deborah | Salvage Sister & Mister – Yami | The Latina Next Door
Pili | My Sweet Things – Kathleen | Our Hopeful Home
Karen | Dragonfly & Lily Pads

Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!

Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!

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