Make Waves with This DIY Vintage Lobster Shack Sign!

Bring a little coastal charm to your home with this easy DIY Vintage Lobster Shack sign! Amanda Dillon of Mettle Modern Design created this project for Essential Stencil, combining a stained wood background, soft white dry brushing, and classic coastal blue and red.

This project is a great way to give a simple wood panel an aged, beachy feel. The best part? You can adjust the amount of white dry brushing and customize the blue shade to make the finished piece your own.

Ready to get started? Grab your Vintage Lobster Shack stencil and let's create!

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• Vintage Lobster Shack Sign
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Vintage Lobster Shack Sign

This coastal sign starts with a rich brown stained background and a lightly whitewashed finish. Blue and deep red paint bring the Lobster Shack design to life while keeping the overall look rustic and relaxed.

1. Stain the Wood Panel

Start with an 11" x 14" wood panel. Using a sponge, apply brown stain over the front, back, and all sides of the board.

The exact stain color doesn't have to be perfect. Some of the stain will be covered during the painting process, so this layer simply creates a rich base for the finished sign.

Let the stain dry completely before moving on.

2. Lightly Sand the Surface

Once the stain is completely dry, lightly sand the board with a sanding sponge.

This smooths the surface and knocks down any raised areas of wood grain. It also helps prepare the board for the paint layers that come next.

Don't over-sand. You still want some of that stained wood character to show through the finished piece.

3. Dry Brush with White Paint

Next, use an inexpensive chip brush to dry brush white acrylic paint over the stained board.

Load only a small amount of paint onto the tips of the bristles. The brush should be fairly dry rather than saturated with paint. Drag the brush back and forth across the wood to create a soft, rustic whitewashed effect.

You can make this layer as light or as heavy as you like. For a more noticeable whitewashed finish, add a little more paint through the center of the board while keeping the edges lighter.

There is no right or wrong amount of dry brushing. Let your preferred style guide the finish.

Be careful while dry brushing because the stiff bristles can flick tiny drops of paint onto nearby surfaces.

Let the white paint dry completely before stenciling.

4. Position the Lobster Shack Stencil

Once the background is dry, position the Vintage Lobster Shack stencil onto the board and secure it in place.

For the blue portions of the design, mix metallic blue, bright blue, and black paint to create a custom coastal blue. Use a stencil brush to fill in the lettering and selected wave patterns.

5. Add the Deep Red Details

Using a separate stencil brush, fill in the remaining portions of the design with Master's Touch Red Ochre.

This deep red adds a beautiful contrast to the custom blue and gives the finished sign that classic coastal color combination.

Let the paint dry completely before removing the stencil. Then carefully lift the stencil away from the board to reveal your design.

6. Enjoy Your Coastal Sign!

And that's it! A simple wood panel has been transformed into a rustic Vintage Lobster Shack sign with plenty of coastal character.

A Coastal Project with Character

Amanda's Lobster Shack project is a great example of how a few simple layers can completely change the look of a basic wood panel. The stained background adds warmth, the white dry brushing creates that weathered coastal feel, and the blue and red stencil details finish it off with classic seaside style.

Ready to make your own?

Shop the Vintage Lobster Shack stencil and add a little coastal character to your next DIY project.

About the Artist: Amanda Dillon of Mettle Modern Design is a coastal crafter from Navarre, Florida and an Essential Stencil brand ambassador. Her projects combine relaxed coastal style with creative, approachable DIY techniques.