• 60 signs
  • Checked October 2026

Painted Sign Ideas

Press for three painted wood sign ideas, each with its colors, board shape and lettering tool.

Painted Sign Ideas

Show all 60
  1. Street name in white capitals on a green plankGreen, white. Long plank with a thin white border, lettered like a road sign. Tape for the border, flat brush.
  2. North Pole signpost arrow with candy-stripe edgingWhite, red, green. Arrow board; two words in green; a red diagonal stripe border. Tape, flat brush.
  3. Wildflower patch with painted seed heads at each endCream, purple, gold, green. Long board; two words in script; tall seed heads frame them. Liner brush.

Next step Paint a pot for the porchDraw the garden itself

All 60 signs

Porch and front door 12

  • Cabin name on a slab with the bark edge left on Bare wood, dark brown, white. Slab of wood with bark; the name in brown, outlined white. Liner brush.
  • Come on in, lettered on an arrow-shaped board Barn red, cream. Board cut or painted as an arrow pointing at the door; capitals inside it. Flat brush.
  • Deliveries arrow sign pointing to the side door Black, yellow. Small wide board; one word and a fat arrow under it. Stencil capitals and a flat brush.
  • Dog's name and a paw print on a bone-shaped sign White, black, one bright. Bone-shaped board; the name across the middle; one paw print after it. Paint pen.
  • Family name over a ruled line and the year you moved in Navy, white. Wide board; the name in capitals, a thin line, the year small beneath. Paint pen and ruler.
  • Hello in script on a round sign ringed with leaves Sage, white, dark green. Round board; one word across the middle; leaves follow the rim. Round brush, paint pen.
  • House number on a tall plank, a fern up one side Charcoal, white, green. Tall narrow plank, numerals stacked; a fern climbs the left edge. Paint pen over pencil.
  • Reversible cord sign reading At home and, turned over, Out White, green, red. Small square on a cord; green words one side, red the other. Paint pen.
  • Shoes off, over a row of painted boots along the bottom Cream, brown, red, yellow. Wide board; two words above; four boots of different sizes below. Round brush.
  • Street name in white capitals on a green plank Green, white. Long plank with a thin white border, lettered like a road sign. Tape for the border, flat brush.
  • Watch your step, yellow letters on a low black board Black, yellow. Short board fixed low by the step; three words in block capitals. Stencil and sponge.
  • Welcome down a porch leaner, a wreath for the letter O White, black, greens. Tall leaning board, capitals stacked; a painted wreath replaces the O. Flat brush.

Kitchen 12

  • Coffee lettered round a painted mug-ring stain Cream, brown. Square board; one brown ring like a cup stain; the word curves round it. Jar lid stamp, paint pen.
  • Eat in three big letters, a fork and a spoon either side Cream, black. Wide board; three capitals in the middle; a fork left, a spoon right. Flat brush.
  • Fresh bread, capitals above a single stalk laid on its side Tan, brown, cream. Wide board; two words in capitals; one wheat ear lying beneath. Liner brush.
  • Herb shelf label board, six names in a column Sage, white. Tall board; six herb names in small capitals, a leaf beside each. Paint pen.
  • Honey, with bees flying off the last letter Amber, black, white. Wide board; the word in script; three bees on a dotted trail to the corner. Paint pen.
  • Kitchen in lowercase on a rolling-pin board Tan, cream, red. Long board with rounded ends and two painted handles; the word in lowercase. Flat brush.
  • Lemonade stand board, a cut lemon painted as the O Yellow, white, green. Wide board; capitals in white on yellow; a slice with segments for the O. Round brush.
  • Pantry in tall capitals on a narrow board over the door White, black. Long narrow board; thin tall capitals spaced wide; a hairline border. Paint pen and ruler.
  • Pie of the day with a lattice-top pie painted below Cream, red, brown. Upright board; words at the top; a round pie with crossed strips under them. Round brush.
  • Snacks, with an arrow pointing down at the counter Teal, white. Small square board; one word; a short fat arrow beneath it. Stencil capitals, flat brush.
  • Tea shelf sign shaped like a teapot outline Pale blue, white, navy. Board cut or painted as a teapot; one word across its belly. Liner brush.
  • Today's menu, a black panel inside a painted frame Black, gold, white. Upright board; gold frame line; the title in white, the panel left for chalk. Flat brush.

Garden and shed 12

  • Bees at work, yellow letters on a hexagon board Black, yellow. Six-sided board; three words stacked; small hexagons in two corners. Stencil and sponge.
  • Bird diner sign with sparrows along the top edge Sky blue, brown, white. Small board for the feeder post; two words; three birds perch on top. Round brush.
  • Compost in plain capitals with a worm for an underline Brown, cream, pink. Wide board; one word; a wiggling pink worm runs under it. Flat brush, round brush.
  • Garden this way, an arrow board on a stake White, green. Board with one pointed end; words run toward the point; a vine underlines them. Liner brush.
  • Greenhouse on an arched board, a vine across the top Cream, greens. Arched board; the word follows the arch; leaves trail from both ends. Liner brush.
  • Potting shed in white on a dark green plank Dark green, white. Wide plank; two words in capitals; a small trowel after the last letter. Flat brush.
  • Pumpkin patch arrow in orange on weathered gray Gray, orange, green. Arrow board; two words in orange; a curling vine after the last letter. Dry flat brush.
  • Seed row signs on stakes, each crop's picture over its name White, red, orange, green. Small boards on stakes; the vegetable painted above its name. Paint pen.
  • Thirsty plants, a watering can pouring out the letters Pale green, blue, white. Upright board; a can at the top left; blue letters fall in an arc. Round brush.
  • Tomatoes in stencil capitals like a crate end Bare wood, red, black. Board of three slats; one word across them in red, a black rule above and below. Stencil.
  • Tool shed with a crossed rake and spade under the name Gray, white, red. Wide board; two words above; the crossed tools centered below. Liner brush.
  • Wildflower patch with painted seed heads at each end Cream, purple, gold, green. Long board; two words in script; tall seed heads frame them. Liner brush.

A child's room 12

  • Art corner, each of its words sitting on a colored blot White, red, blue, black. Square board; two splats; a black word sits on each. Sponge for splats, paint pen.
  • Block zone, yellow and black stripes round the words Yellow, black. Wide board; slanted stripe border; two words in block capitals inside. Tape, flat brush.
  • Club name with a gold keyhole painted in place of an O Black, gold, red. Small upright board; the club's name; the O painted as a gold keyhole. Paint pen.
  • Dress-up trunk label with a crown over the first letter Lilac, gold, white. Wide board; two words in script; a gold crown tilted on the first capital. Liner brush.
  • Name in bubble capitals with a star dotting the i White, three brights, yellow. Wide board; fat rounded capitals, each a new color. Paint pen outline, flat brush.
  • Nap time, a moon asleep on a small round sign Navy, pale yellow, white. Round board on a cord; two words under a sleeping crescent. Paint pen.
  • Pet's name plaque for a hutch or a tank White, one bright, black. Small wide board; the name; a tiny carrot or fish after it. Paint pen.
  • Playroom lettered on a cloud-shaped board White, sky blue, yellow. Board cut or painted as a cloud; one word in blue; a small sun behind it. Flat brush.
  • Reading nook in rainbow letters over an open book White, rainbow colors, navy. Wide board; a letter per color; an open book centered beneath. Paint pen.
  • Room initial on a pennant-shaped board with a tassel Felt gray, white, one bright. Triangle board, point right; one large capital; a tassel at the tip. Flat brush.
  • Toy box label, a teddy leaning on the last letter Cream, brown, red. Wide board; two words in capitals; a seated bear rests against the x. Round brush.
  • Treehouse name on a plank with painted nail heads Tan, brown, gray. Rough plank; the name in wobbly capitals; a gray nail dot in each corner. Flat brush.

Seasons 12

  • Back to school board, an empty chalk box for the grade Black, white, yellow. Upright board; the words at the top; a ruled box left empty for chalk. Paint pen, ruler.
  • Boo in drippy white letters on a black plank Black, white. Short plank; three letters with drips running off their feet; two dots in each o. Round brush.
  • Egg hunt arrow with six pastel eggs along its lower edge Pale green, pastels, white. Arrow board; the words in white; six small eggs run along the bottom. Cotton swab.
  • Fireworks tonight, sparkler strokes round the words Navy, white, gold, red. Wide board; two words in white; short burst lines in gold and red. Liner brush.
  • Gather, one word over a row of fall leaves Cream, rust, gold, brown. Wide board; the word in script; five leaves in a line beneath. Liner brush.
  • Harvest in cream on barn red with a wheat border Barn red, cream, gold. Wide board; one word; wheat ears lie along the top and bottom edges. Liner brush.
  • Hello spring, a tulip standing in for each letter l White, pink, green. Wide board; two words in lowercase; the two l's of hello are tulips. Round brush.
  • North Pole signpost arrow with candy-stripe edging White, red, green. Arrow board; two words in green; a red diagonal stripe border. Tape, flat brush.
  • Pumpkins this way, a tag painted on and left blank Bare wood, orange, cream. Arrow board; the words in orange; a cream tag shape hangs from the tail. Flat brush.
  • Sleigh parking, an arrow and a row of hoofprints White, red, brown. Wide board; two words in red capitals; an arrow and four hoofprints beneath. Paint pen.
  • Snow day in icy capitals with drifts on each letter Navy, white, ice blue. Wide board; blue capitals; a white cap of snow on every top edge. Flat brush.
  • Summer lettered across the rays of a half sun at the base Sky blue, yellow, white. Wide board; a half sun at the bottom edge; the word across its rays. Flat brush.

How it works

A hand-painted sign is a board, a few words and one picture that earns its place. These 60 signs are sorted by where they hang: porch, kitchen, garden, a child's room or a season.

Read the full guide

Each title is the whole sign

The title gives the words and the picture: House number on a tall plank, a fern up one side. The detail line adds the colors, the board shape and the lettering tool. The words are a name, a number, a place or a few plain words; none is a quotation.

Fit the word to the board

A long word wants a wide board, or a tall one with the letters stacked: Pantry in tall capitals on a narrow board over the door. Count the letters and pencil the middle one first.

Questions and answers

What can I write on a painted sign?

Your own name, house number or place, or a plain word such as Welcome, Pantry or Harvest. None of the 60 signs runs past a few words, and none quotes a saying, a song or a slogan.

What paint do I use on a wood sign?

Acrylic craft paint is fast-drying and becomes water-resistant when dry. Whether a sign that hangs outdoors needs a primer or a sealer is on the product label; this list makes no weather claim.

Which signs are for a child's room?

The 12 under A child's room, such as Playroom lettered on a cloud-shaped board and Reading nook in rainbow letters over an open book. Five of them take a name or an initial you supply.

Do I need a stencil?

No. Most detail lines name a paint pen or a flat brush. A few signs, such as Tomatoes in stencil capitals like a crate end, call for stencil capitals.

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