We’ve all seen the handmade Father’s Day crafts for kids to make. You know the ones, the popsicle stick and paper covered cans to hold pencils, the clay bowls for odds and ends and cards in the shape of ties.

We decided to do something a little different this year. We are moving into a new house next week and my husband has already proudly picked out the location for his grill. I thought we could add a little something to the area to jazz it up, so I paid a visit to my local Antique Mall and purchased an old sign.

The kids were more than happy to help me paint it for their dad.

We decided to paint the reverse side of the sign and began by sanding it down and then cleaning it with a cloth.

Sanding Wood

Next, we applied a sealer to it.

Adding Sealer to the Wood

Then painted it with an outdoor paint. We chose Fern Green for the color. I thought that would look lovely up against the fence and give it a more natural earthy feel, especially with garden that will be surrounding it. The kids loved this part because they could be as messy as they liked. I actually instructed them to not paint to the edges and to leave gaps. I wanted it to have a slightly worn look. Of course they are 4 and there’s a good chance this would have happened naturally, but I’m sure if I hadn’t told them, they would have painted it perfectly, because isn’t that the way these things work.

Painting a Sign for Dad

While the paint was drying, I printed out some letter stencils and cut them out. We traced around those to create the wording: Dad’s Kitchen: Grill master at work.

Creating a Sign Stencil
Sign Lettering

And then the three of us used a little teamwork to paint all of the letters.

Kids Painting

I added a little detail to the lettering and then free-handed the second line. Once that was dry, three coats of exterior varnish were applied.

Dads Kitchen Sign

And the result:

Handmade Fathers Day gift
Handmade Fathers Day gift

I hope all of the dads out there have a very happy Father’s Day.

Happy Crafting!