A few weeks ago I spied this dirty old pallet in a nearby junk store. I was so tempted to buy it at just $10, but I left empty handed.  After getting home, I realized how I could use it. Some dear friends were getting married and we offered to host the reception at our house. What a perfect sign this would be to greet guests as they arrive!

First, I scrubbed it down and to my surprise, the imprinted circle was permanent. (So lucky!) I’m just getting into lettering right now, but this pallet is a much larger scale than what I’m used to. So I decided to use stencils (something I’ve never done)—it was the easiest thing in the world to do. I wanted a vintage look to it, so I selected lowercase classic letters. Within 20 minutes (most of that time spent trying to make sure it was not too crooked), I had the finished product.

Photo courtesy of Aino Photography

Last weekend it served as the welcome to the reception where friends had their pictures made as they entered our house. But it also will be a keepsake for the happy couple to hang in their home. Who knew that a dirty old pallet could turn out to be a real piece of art!

Photo courtesy of Aino Photography