DIY Fall Porch Sign
A charming, rustic fall porch sign to welcome the season.
Equipment
- Scrap wood board (or a new board form a hardware store)
- Paint (for background + lettering)
- Foam or small paintbrush
- Printer
- Cardstock (or regular printer paper)
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Tape
- Large piece of cardboard or dropcloth (to protect your work area)
Instructions
- Set up your space: Place cardboard or a drop cloth under your board to protect surfaces.
- Paint your base coat: Clean the board, then paint or stain it. White, cream, or neutral backgrounds are classic, but warm tones like barn red, mustard yellow, or charcoal gray give a beautiful autumn look.
- Download & print letters: Grab the free printable “Harvest” letters from my Freebie Library—available in two sizes so you can match them to your board. Print on cardstock or plain paper.
- Cut & arrange: Trim out the letters, tape them in place, and lightly trace around them with a pencil.
- Paint your letters: Fill in your outlines with your chosen paint color. Two to three coats may be needed for bold coverage. (I used a leftover sage green, and it paired perfectly with the season.)
- Dry completely: Let your sign dry for several hours or overnight.
- Display your work: Prop it on your porch, lean it against a wall, or tuck it into a display with pumpkins, mums, or a straw bale.
Notes
Best Types of Paint for Porch Signs
If you’re using what you already have—perfect! But if you’re buying new paint, here are some good options:- Acrylic craft paint – Affordable and easy to work with.
- Outdoor acrylic paint – Best for porches that get direct weather.
- Chalk paint – Gives a rustic, matte farmhouse finish.
- Exterior latex paint – Great for maximum durability outdoors
Choosing the Right Board Size
Your board size will help determine what words or phrases fit best:- Small boards (6–8 inches wide, 12–18 inches tall): Great for short words like Fall or Autumn.
- Medium boards (12–14 inches wide, 24–30 inches tall): Perfect for phrases like Pumpkin Time or Happy Fall.
- Large boards (12–16 inches wide, 48 inches tall): Make a big statement with longer sayings such as Harvest Blessings or Welcome to Our Pumpkin Patch.