Make a DIY Railroad Sign From Scraps

How cute!  And to think I made it from the trash!

How to make a railroad crossing sign from an old picnic table. Homeroad.net

I pulled apart my outdoor potting table, because frankly, it was minutes from falling down by itself. 

How to make a DIY railroad crossing sign using the wood from an old picnic table. Homeroad.net

It was originally the picnic table from my parent's house and they've had it for 50 years. I really think they got their money's worth! 

Anyway the minute I pulled it apart I knew the wood had to be used again... at least the pieces that weren't completely rotted. 

This was the piece I had my eye on!

How to make a DIY railroad crossing sign using the wood from an old picnic table. Homeroad.net

All I had to do was to square up the ends and give it a good cleaning. 

How to make a DIY railroad crossing sign using the wood from an old picnic table. Homeroad.net

The first thing I did was to paint one side of the X black.

How to make a DIY railroad crossing sign using the wood from an old picnic table. Homeroad.net

When the paint dried I used letter stickers to spell out Railroad Crossing on the black paint. 

How to make a DIY railroad crossing sign using the wood from an old picnic table. Homeroad.net

I painted over the stickers first with black paint to seal the letters so there would be less chance of bleed through. 

I then painted the light grey color over the letters again and before it dried I removed the letter stickers revealing the black paint underneath. 

How to make a DIY railroad crossing sign using the wood from an old picnic table. Homeroad.net

When the letters were peeled off as you can see it wasn't perfect but it was good enough for this project. 

I wanted the lettering to look old and distressed. 

After sanding the piece very well with the palm sander, the black paint showed through and the lettering and the boards looked old and worn.  


How to make a DIY railroad crossing sign using the wood from an old picnic table. Homeroad.net



I think it looks perfectly distressed and now that 50 year old picnic table has many more years before completely hitting the landfill. 

We actually have a railroad station just a block away and my grandson loves to hear the train. He looks for this sign in my yard each time he visits and we talk about the train taking people to the city. This sign has a new special meaning for our family. 


How to make a DIY railroad crossing sign using the wood from an old picnic table. Homeroad.net


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Homeroad
Homeroad

I am Susan, the author and creator at Homeroad. I am a wife, mother of 4 daughters, and a grandmother of 5 and counting. I am a retired teacher, a DIY blogger and an artist at heart. .