Making a house-name sign

[No19]

Just wondering has anyone any ideas about how to do this so's I can avoid getting one of those black cast iron oval things with a toadstool or something on it.

House name 2 words, I was thinking just painted on wood but not got much further than that, and we are now missing post...

or Letraset perhaps ? or etched into slate or stone or something..when we moved I immediately took down the oval painted casted iron name !

instead I have fab French enamel number - they might do names too, I'll see if I can find link...

my dad made us one out of and old copper pan painted, it looks great. but he used to be a sign writer.

comme ca - not the one we had,I've completely forgotten the name...but my number looks more like this -www.pardonmyfrench.co.uk/files/Product134.htm

C'est jolie MaryAnn I might put in a query. I wonder how it would look on us - we have black-painted wooden gates. L

Lucky to have a sign-writer dad! I had thought of recycling something - I have some rounds of cut-down tree for example, thought could paint on one - but don't want to end up looking like Chez Pixie or something.

It is more important to make sure the lettering is beautiful and neat and crisp than what it is painted on. If you want to do it your self then I guess stone carving is out. But tracing the lettering on then painting it or gilding it is dead easy if you have a steady hand that can paint neatly. Or you can order some vinyl letters to stick on. Not knowing the propotions and size of your gate hard to judge what shape would look good but you can't go wrong with a rectangle! Paint in oil based paint. Get nice font and type it up on computer, print out, enlarge on photocopier if need be. Trace it and transfer it onto the wood (don't get it back to front!) Invest in a beautiful thin paint brush- the exact thickness you want the letters to be. Paint ina contrasting oil based paint, preferably sign writers enamel but really any oil based paint will do. Or if you want to get really gorgeous do all of the above except paint the letters in Gold Size (sticky stuff that sticks gold leaf down)and some transfer leaf of real gold (about £11 a pack) and gild it! (by waitng till the gol size is no longer wet but is still tacky and place the transfer leaf gold side down on the sign and rub the back of the transfer paper. the gold leaf is then transfered onto the sticky gold size; vola perfect gilded letters

Did I mention all of the above related to creating a wooden house sign? Think I may have confused the issue by mentioning stone.

Oooo peasoup thank you for that. I have never used Gold Size and leaf before but am interested. Your directions on painting onto wood are perfick!

When i said "Vola perfect gilded letters" I meant "Voila, perfect gilded letters!" Serves me right for being so poncy and throwing in abit of French!The gold size thing is a little bit tricky in that you have to wait until when you touch it with your finger tip it feels a little tacky but does not leave a fingerprint . Or of course there are nice gold paints.