DIY: Recycled Twig Welcome Sign

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Summer camp is quickly approaching (as in this coming Tuesday), so my coworkers and I are rushing to get last minute things finished in time. Our summer camp is called Camp Read-A-Lot and the theme is camping and outdoorsy activities. After searching for ideas on Pinterest, I found this cute idea at Kara's Party Ideas that was made for a camping birthday party.


I thought that something like this would be cute for the door going into camp, so I decided to make one. Here is the finished product:

I wanted it to be nature-y while still being bright and kid-friendly, so I painted it this fun apple green!

Here's how you do it: 

1. Find a scrap piece of wood for the base. One of my friends has a huge shop in her backyard and had tons of scraps of wood left over from projects. She let me dig through and find some pieces of wood that would work for me. I took four pieces home and decided on a long, narrow piece.

2. Find twigs for the letters. I got all different sizes, but after cutting them up I found that the smaller twigs work best for the size of letters that I wanted. They are also much easier to cut!

2. Clean the board. Since the board was in their shop, it was dusty and needed cleaning. I wiped it down with water and dishwashing liquid.

3. Paint away! You could prime the board for a more finished look, but I opted to just paint three coats instead. I used Anita's Yard and Garden Outdoor Paint in Seedling Green. The finish ended up being a little rustic, but that's what I was going for!

4. Between coats of paint, cut out your letters and arrange them as you go. I worked on one letter at a time, that way I could cut the twigs the right size. If you use scissors, make sure you use an old pair because cutting the twigs will throw the alignment off.

5. After the paint has dried (I used a hairdryer to speed up the process), lay your twigs out on the board. After you've got them where you want them, glue them down! I used Aleene's Original Tacky Glue and it held just fine. If you think you need the letters to be more permanent, I suggest using E6000 adhesive.

6. Let everything dry overnight. You can add a hanger to the back if you'd like or just leave it like it is!

This project was completely free for me to make. I'm brainstorming other things that I could make with twigs since I have three boards left over. Perhaps paint the twigs a bright color and put them on a white board? There are lots of possibilities!

What have you recycled this week?