Carve a Wooden Address Sign for Your Home

Many homes make due with plastic or metal numbers nailed to the house or door for address identification. Rather than copy this boring trend, consider carving a wooden address sign for your home. With a few power and hand tools, it is easy to make a beautiful sign that will both decorate and give needed information to visitors and deliver drivers.

Wooden Address Sign - Materials Needed

The address sign should be carved on a piece of wood large enough to read the letters from the road. A one by six inch wooden board is ideal. You can even purchase pre-cut and pre-edged sign boards at craft or hardware stores. A saw is necessary for cutting larger wood pieces. Hand carving tools are ideal. A hardware set designed to hang picture frames, or simply a couple of eye bolts or screw hooks. You will also need paper, pencil and carbon paper for pattern making and transfer.

Wooden Address Sign - Preparing the Board

Before transferring the number or address patterns onto the board and beginning to carve them out, it is important to prepare the wood. Measure and cut the wood to the size you want the address sign. Use a router, if available and desired, to create an attractive edge to the sign board. Use sandpaper of diminishing grit sizes to smooth all the edges of the sign, whether you cut the wood yourself or purchased a pre-made sign board.

Wooden Address Sign - Carving the Address

Plan what part of the address you want on the sign. Some may simply want to put on the house number. Others will include their last name, or some poetic title of the property such as "Oak Villa." The more words, the more complicated the carving will be.

Draw or write the address and other words on a piece of paper large enough to cover the entire sign. Scribe straight lines with a ruler or straight edge tool and write the words or numbers on it, being sure to space the characters out evenly.

Once the pattern is complete, lay a piece of carbon paper face down on the wooden board, then put the paper pattern over the top. Trace the pattern over with a pencil or other sharp tool.

Take care when using hand carving tools, as they are very sharp and can easily cut you. Always use steady, even pressure when carving around the letters and numbers you transcribed onto the board. If the letters are thick, as they should be if you want to see them from the street or driveway, it is a good idea to carve out the borders first and then use a flat-edged carving tool to take out the rest.

The finished wooden address sign can be painted or stained. A coat of clear varnish or weather-proof sealant is necessary unless you want it to weather naturally for a country style.