DIY Football Decor {Pallet Board Sign}

So, I realize it has been football season for about a month already, and I just got around to making my first football craft.  Life. has. been. busy.

Today I made this SUPER EASY and cute sign for my family's beloved OU Football team.  This was actually my mom's piece of wood, so I gave it to her because we don't really have room for it currently.  Maybe next year I'll make one for us.

I started with a piece of wood that had already been painted white.  I'd guess it was 14 inches in length and 6 - 7 inches high.  

I started with the football.  I color blocked the entire shape with brown craft paint.  I kind of eyeballed it, but if you have problems with symmetry (i.e. if not being perfect will bother you, or you can't paint a shape that is close enough to a football shape) then you can always cut a shape out of paper to use as a stencil.  

After I let the color blocked shape dry (and put another coat and let that dry), I shaded the bottom portion of the football.

Shading with paint really isn't that hard.  Here's what you'll do...

• Mix the SAME color you used to color block with a very small amount of a darker color.  I used navy blue because I didn't have black.  When you get it just a tad darker, you're ready to go. 
• Stroking the paint wasn't looking right, so I used a poking method (for lack of better technique name) to dab the paint on.  Think impressionism style.  If you want to get technical, you can put the darkest off the shade near the bottom of the football, and gradually work your way to the original color blocked color as you get to the middle section.

Then you can highlight the top of the football.  Use either really thinned out (mostly water, some paint) white paint or mix the paint with the original color to get just a lighter shade.  Unless the object is shiny, you probably shouldn't use just white.

When you add the highlight, do it just a little ways from the top.  As you can see on my football, the light section is a few millimeters down from the top of the color blocked area.  This helps give the illusion of depth.

There, you have a football!

Next, stencil out your team name, or whatever you want the sign to say.  I lightly drew mine with a pencil.

To paint the letters, the method is up to you.  I didn't have a fine tip paintbrush or paint pen, so I used the butt end of a paintbrush to write my letters.  They didn't turn out perfect, but you don't notice the shakiness of the letters unless you're seriously examining it.

Finish your letters, add the grip marks with white paint on the football and call it done!

BOOMER SOONER!!