DIY Bird Family Board

Hi, my name is Mel. By day I work from home as the Coordinator of Community Relations for Collective Bias, and by night (and some very early mornings) I blog over at MamaBuzz. I also homeschool our two very rambunctious boys. Be sure to stop by for a dose of food, craft/DIY, travel, and more. You'll also find me on Twitter @mamabzz. When I first heard the name Poppy Seed Projects, I was attending the SNAP Conference in Utah; they offered a DIY session where we got to make our very own signs, and they taught us step-by-step how to do so. It was such a fun session.

In

trying to makeover our master bedroom, one step at a time, I’ve been on the lookout for the perfect decor, and the Bird Family Board makes a great addition to our decor. It comes with 5 birds, the birds signify our family, so I subtracted one.

Here is

a list of the supplies needed to create this project: Supplies: • Bird Family Board Kit, including the stencil vinyl • Extra Birds (optional) • 2-3 choices of paint colors • Foam brushes • Sandpaper • Lint-free cloth • Photo Texture Cream • Hardware for hanging the finished project on the wall The first step is to sand any rough spots on the board, and wipe it clean with a lint-free cloth.



Next it’s time to apply the photo texture cream from Poppy Seed Projects.

They

say to apply the cream with a cloth in your desired pattern. I decided on a vertical pattern, but I applied the cream with a sponge brush.

Allow

this to dry completely; I waited about 24 hours. It will dry clear. Whatever pattern the cream is applied in will be the pattern that emerges when the final step of distressing is done. It gives that texture that makes it look antiqued, aged, and downright shabby chic. Once the texture cream has dried, it’s time to apply the base coat of paint, and white is recommended. This is the color that will seep through during the distressing phase of the project.

Next

you can either leave the board white, or you can paint a 2^ndcoat of paint for the vinyl area. Instead of having white birds, I decided to paint the vinyl area a different color, a chocolate brown, so my birds would show up as darker than my top coat.

Now

it’s time to carefully apply the vinyl stencil to the board, making sure it’s centered. Peel away the matte backing, and lay the tape on the board, rubbing over it with a squeegee or similar tool.



Add in any extra birds desired.

Add

the top coat of paint, whatever color desired. I used yellow. Paint right over the vinyl. With this coat of paint, you’ll want to paint the edges or sides, as well, so the entire board is covered.

After

about 2-24 hours, carefully remove the vinyl from the board.





Finally, it’s time to distress and antique the board, starting on the edges and slowly making your way over the entire board. Distress until you’re satisfied with the look of your board. This is where the texture cream will really come through and give that shabby, distressed look. The base color will pop out in the design of the texture cream application.



Wipe dust off, and the bird family board is ready to decorate your home.

Thank

Thank you so much to Poppy Seed Projects for allowing me to create the bird family board for our own family. It’s the perfect creative addition to our home decor. (Disclosure: I received the Bird Family Board, free of charge, for the purposes of a guest post. All views/opinions remain honestly and solely my own.)

** This same process can be used anytime you are paint wood and applying vinyl.  Thanks Mel for the easy to follow tutorial. -Holly**

To read more about the story behind the Bird Family Sign click here.