Custom Barnboard Sign

At a craft fair this winter, I had a customer who really liked my barnboard signs but wanted something custom.

She wanted a piece to hang over her fireplace, but had a pesky thermostat to deal with which made it hard for her to hang anything without blocking access to the thermostat. She came up with a clever idea and asked me to build it for her.

Well, I'm not much of a builder so my husband actually did most of the "building." We both had fun working together on this project and I loved how it turned out!

I handpainted their last name in black, and added several coats of poly on top to give it durability and a nice satin finish. The client found some beautiful hooks at Benjamin Moore so I added those for her; I think she plans to hang stockings from them at Christmas!

What makes this piece so clever is the back! A thin box was added to the back, also made out of barnwood and attached with hinges. It lifts up so that once the sign is hung over the thermostat, she can still have easy access to it whenever she needs. A brilliant idea from a creative customer! I hope she likes it as much as I do!