100,000 Welcomes

I loved coming home every day in February to my heart wreath so I wanted something festive for March to combat the rainy days we've been having.  I spent a week trying to improvise a crochet rainbow and then an evening trying to knit one.  Eventually, I threw away several grotesque yarn monsters and decided on something simple.  I had come across the phrase "céad míle fáilte," which literally translates as "one hundred thousand welcomes".  What better for a front door.

I started with a simple wooden plaque that I picked up at JoAnn's using a 50% off coupon.  (Side note, I also bought $125 worth of patterns for $14 because I keep a list of them as I see ones I like and then only buy on sale!)  I gave the whole front a simple white wash with diluted white fabric paint because I was out of acrylic.  The white wash lets the grain come through and gives less of a contrast with the lettering.

I had seen this technique online and was excited to try it.  Most of these plaques are relatively cheap, soft wood and will take an impression easily.  So, I printed out the words in a font I like and then just traced over each letter with the dull point of a mechanical pencil.  You have to push pretty hard, but then you have a perfect outline to paint that virtually disappears once you have painted it.

See easy, quick, and cheap!