Colonial Pharmacy Sign

I’m sure you’ve figured it out by now, that I’m a little ga-ga over antique advertisements and signs.
I really love taking an image from the past, and putting it onto something that can be used in today’s home.  When possible, I love using the exact image, as I did in this sign, rather than just using a font to copy the wording.
Antique Graphics Colonial Pharmacy Sign

Antique Graphics Colonial Pharmacy Apothecary Label

I used this antique pharmacy label that I shared with you for Antique Graphics Wednesday HERE, to create another sign, but cropped off the lower part of the image, because I wanted it to look like a business sign, not a bottle label.
Antique Graphics Colonial Pharmacy Sign Apothecary Sign on Salvaged Wood
Sorry about the darkness of this photo – my table is wood, the board I was putting the stencil on is wood and the Contact paper vinyl is wood grain – and it was evening, so everything is dark, but this is how the design looked with the vinyl adhered to the wood.
Sign making  with Silhouette Cameo and Contact Paper
This is what is left on the backing paper after removing the stencil.  I’m saving this part and hoping I’ll be able to transfer it to another board for a reverse design.
Sign making  with Silhouette Cameo and Contact Paper

Unfortunately, I got a fairly amount of paint “bleed” under the edge of the stencil.  I was really bummed about that and thought about either sanding the whole thing off, or painting over it and starting again from scratch, but instead I decided to try to sand as much of the “bleed” off as I could, then distress the heck out of the whole sign and hope for the best.

Although it doesn’t have the crisp edges I was originally hoping for, I really do love how it turned out, despite the bleed.  Since it had now been sanded, it needed a fresh coat of stain.  I used a dark walnut stain and I think it really helped age the look of the lettering and made it look more authentic.

DIY Antique Pharmacy Sign

There was some extra space between the bottom of the image and the wood, so my husband suggested I add some coat hooks, which was a great idea and makes it more functional than just a sign by itself.

I’m not sure what this piece of wood came off of, but it’s gorgeous.  It has a pretty piece of trim on one side.

Blessings,

Angie

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Comments

  1. I love how that turned out, Angie- Great job- xo Diana

  2. I LOVE this sign Angie!I don’t see any imperfections! I think it enhances the vintage look 🙂

    Anne

  3. that looks great!!!!
    Debbi
    yankeeburrowcreations

  4. I would not have thought the font for the word “Colonial” would have turned out so well. I love it! And where did you get those hooks? (I cannot figure out why you can’t reply to my comments. I have checked my settings and everything LOOKS in order but I’m not very techy… 🙁 )

  5. This is beautiful! Love the addition of the hooks to turn it into something “practical.”

  6. Great sign..Love it..

  7. Another FABULOUS sign…as usual!!!

  8. Hi Angie, If I had such a machine, I probably couldn’t stop making such signs. I love them as much as you do and this is another great one. You talk about paint bleeding from time to time. It happened to me when I used too much paint and not the right brush. I do get crisp edges when I use a stenciling brush with a very small amount of paint on it. Therefore I wipe off most of the paint on a piece of paper until the brush is almost dry before stenciling. It might take a bit longer to apply the paint but it saves you some time afterwards when you try to fix the bleeding spots.
    Have a great weekend!
    Hugs,
    Julia

  9. Your sign is perfection. I love everything about it. That is an amazing advertisement!

    Have a great weekend Angie~~~

  10. Looks wonderful Angie! The bleed isn’t noticeable at all in the pics…especially after the distressing ! Sometimes mistakes work out just fine!

  11. I love this sign it is perfect. It does look like it is a worn business sign.

    Cynthia

  12. Great sign Angie … You really achieved a nice aged look.
    Thanks for sharing your talent.
    Blessings,
    Audrey Z. @ Timeless Treasures

  13. HELLO ANGIE! FOLLOW YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO TELL THAT YOUR WORK IS ALWAYS VERY NICE .. ONLY ONE THING! I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW WELL YOU DID THE TRANSFER? YOU DID A STENCIL? I HAVE PASSED THE IMAGE TO WOOD BUT HOW? If you want to answer me .. A BIG THANK YOU! HELLO

  14. THIS is super amazing looking!!

  15. Love this sign Angie. The bleeding doesn’t even show after you applied the stain. Another fabulous project:-)

  16. Angie, this is gorgous. I want one too :-). I invite you to share at my link party this weekend.

  17. Love, love it! Pinning!!

  18. It’s a really great sign. I love it.Pascale

  19. I love this! Just saw the project at Cozy Little House and had to pop over to get a better look. I have that bleeding problem with my stencils sometimes too. But fantastic job of sanding that off and distressing it. Looks great!

  20. Another great sign. I do not think the bleed distracts from the sign. The stain over the lettering looks great.

  21. great job Angie! 🙂 I haven’t traced this kind of image yet… I should! love yours

    gail

  22. Gorgeous as ever…love that you added the hooks. Smart hubby. 🙂

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