DIY Autumn Pallet Sign

You know by now that I love Fall. I’ve been raving about it for the past few weeks, but this is my favorite fall project this season.  I shared it last week for So You Think You’re Crafty. Now I can’t wait to share the tutorial. I love the look of pallet art, but the thought of finding a pallet and then the work to take it apart to get it the way I want has turned me off. So I’ve made my own solution. 

Autumn Wood Pallet Sign at www.thebensonstreet.comLet’s start with what I used. 

  • two – 2 x 4 planks (48 inches long, then cut in half, I got mine at Lowe’s and they cut the wood for free)
  • Nails
  • two small pieces of wood for the support backing (about an inch thick and cut just shorter than all the planks lined up together (see photos below)
  • Wood cut out letters for the “AUTUMN” (I got mine at a local craft store)
  • Vinyl letters for the “fall in love with” buy or cut out on your cutting machine
  • stain
  • gold & red glitter (I mixed mine)
  • fake fall leaves (I scored these at Wal-Mart for 97 cents)
  • Gold spray paint
  • Mod Podge & paint brush
  • Hot Glue Gun & glue

Once the wood is cut, sand the edges if they are a little rough. Line planks in order and on which side you want to show on the front and leave the same amount of space between each plank.

Pallet sign without the pallet at thebensonstreet.com

Use nails to fix the support boards to the planks. Make sure they nails will not be longer than the planks so that they don’t poke through on the front of the planks. Nail one support to the right side and one to the left side.

Easy Wood Sign you can make yourself at thebensonstreet.com

Put at least one nail in each board and then add a couple extra just to be safe. Repeat on the other side.

Building a pallet like sign at thebensonstreet.com

At the end it should look like this on the back side of the sign.

Easy DIY Wood Sign at thebensonstreet.com

Before I started staining, I wanted to do a test stain on the back to make sure I liked how the stain worked with the wood.

Picking Stain for a pallet sign at thebensonstreet.com

Stain the front of the sign and the sides. I used a sock that I dipped into the stain and wiped it on. Then I would turn the sock and wipe off the excess stain. T-shirt material works great for this too.

DIY Pallet sign at thebensonstreet.com

While the stain on the sign is drying, I painted the “AUTUMN” letters using a metallic gold. I love the looks of gold for fall. 

Golden Autumn Sign at thebensonstreet.com

Paint the letters with a couple of coats of spray paint until completely covered with the gold.

Metallic Autumn Sign at www.thebensonstreet.com

After the stain and letters have dried, I glued the “AUTUMN” letters to the third plank down. I traced the letters on the back with the hot glue gun and then press down onto the sign.

Metallic Autumn Pallet Sign at thebensonstreet.com

On the second plank down right above the AUTUMN, I applied the vinyl “fall in love with.” I right aligned the words. 

Fall In Love with Autumn Sign at thebensonstreet.com

Using Mod Podge, I really wanted to create a wind swirl with the leaves caught in the wind. I used a paint brush and free handed the swirl around the left side and under the letters on the planks.

Mod Podge and Glitter Autumn Sign at thebensonstreet.com

Quickly after I created the wind swirl with the Mod Podge, I sprinkled the glitter along the swirl. After it is all glittered, I tried to knock off the excess glitter.

Easy Glittered Autumn Pallet Sign at thebensonstreet.com

I let the glitter dry and then started playing around with how I wanted the leaves to be swirling in the wind. I kept moving them around until I like the arrangement. At this point I would take a picture, because I took all of mine off and forgot where I had them. 

Glittered Autumn Pallet Sign at thebensonstreet.com

Using hot glue put a thin line of glue down the middle of the leaf and glue each onto the pallet sign.

DIY Autumn Sign at thebensonstreet.com Glitter  Autumn sign at thebensonstreet.com

After the glue has dried, the sign is complete! 

Pallet Inspired Fall in Love with Autumn sign at thebensonstreet.com

I love how it turned out. Believe it or not my inspiration for this project comes from Pocahontas. During the song “Colors of the Wind,” the leaves are gorgeous and fluttering in the wind. Do you see it in the sign, cause I totally do and I love it.

Glittery Autumn Wood Sign at thebensonstreet.com

Not only does this sign look awesome and is a unique decor piece, it was under $15 to create. The wood was super cheap and didn’t come with the work of a pallet.

Autumn Wood Sign at thebensonstreet.com

Have you taken apart a pallet and repurposed it? I haven’t taken one apart, but I love the look of the pallet art.

Linking up with: Time to Sparkle, Craft-O-Maniac, The 36th Avenue, Linky Party Palooza

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Hi there!

I’m Emily, a mom and wife with a passion for crafting, celebrating holidays, and creating memorable moments. From Idaho to the world, The Benson Street is a treasure trove of easy, fun DIY projects, delightful printables, and delicious recipes. With over a decade of experience in blogging and a love for all things seasonal, I’m here to share my tips, ideas, and occasional mishaps. Join me in adding a dash of joy and creativity to every day! Read more…

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11 Comments

  1. The glitter swirl is so pretty, and I love the font of the black lettering. Very cute fall sign design, I can’t wait till autumn comes so I can try this!