Front Door Sign from a Tree Bark

Last Christmas, me and 

my family went to Oregon.The coastline of the state is picturesque and a heaven for DIYers. As me and the kids were hiking the trail for the Yaquina Bay lighthouse, I stumbled upon a piece of tree bark. I carried it all the way to the lighthouse and back.

After coming back home, I was unsure of how to use it or preserve it. So, I let it sit in the sun for almost 3 months as I was uncertain of its sturdiness. It turned out to be strong enough to give me an idea of making a front door welcome sign from it. 

People like me, who are armatures, who have minimum to no experience with the wood,can relate to me. Forget about seasoning it. So, I started with giving it a massage with the mustard oil, now don't ask me why I did that. Then I scrubbed it really well and washed it with warm soap water. I let it air dry again for 2 weeks, just to be sure of any mold or fungus growth.

After 2 weeks my confidence level rose by a fraction, because I could see whatever I was doing, was working. Then I conditioned* it and let it air dry for 2-4 hours. Once assured it was dry enough, I stained** it in Oak. After 24 hours,I was loosing my patience , So, sealed it with 4 coats of polyurethane*** followed by the dry time of 2-3hrs after each coat.

Now comes the fun part, writing on it. I used acrylic paint to write welcome on it. Those uneven flowers are actually fingerprints of my two delightful boys. Hot glue, two sodas can tabs behind the bark or drill two holes on either side and pass a string through. Or like me, just keep it on a table. 

Voila! here you have a beautiful front door sign. I am really happy with the finished product. What do you guys think!!!!!

*Wood Conditioner:

1. Wood conditioner is advisable, if unsure of wood type. Some wood stains evenly, others not. There are few like pine wood, which, if not conditioned can result in uneven blobs of dark and light stains.

2. Always wipe off extra fluid, 2-3 minutes after saturating the wood.

**Wood Stain:

1. Trick to good staining is standing my friend. You can never go wrong with this.

2. Always stain along the grains of wood and remember to wipe off extra.

***Polyurethane:

1. Polyurethane, lets take it like a top transparent coat to protect our hard work from daily wear and tear. Just like a nail art.

2. Always apply along the grains. They are available in a variety of finishes, which is personal and project choice.