By Mark Fair
Posted on Friday, December 26th, 2025
Several years ago, I decided it was time for a change. I closed my commercial storefront sign shop and built a home studio to pursue my dream of producing one-of-a-kind faux antique signs. That look has a lot of appeal, and the signs are a lot of fun to create. They’re popular for interior graphics, gifts and with businesses like natural food stores and restaurants.
Materials:
1-by-3 pine boards: $20
½-in. plywood: $20
Nova Color paints: $14
Misc: hardware:
Elmer’s Glue, satin clear, etc.: $27
Total: $81
Labor:
Pattern: 1 hour
Trip for lumber: 5 hours
Fabricate sign: 1.5 hours
Age new wood: 5 hours
Hand lettering: 3 hours
Crackle finish: 1 hour
Total: 16.5 hours
I produced this sign for a retail sporting goods store, which was used as an interior display. It’s about 32-in. in diameter and features an aged version of their logo.
It was hand painted from a pattern and aged with a crackle effect done with Elmer’s Glue and clear acrylic. [See “Create a crackle finish background using wood glue”.] The new pine boards were aged with a solution of steel wool that was dissolved in vinegar. I soaked the steel wool in vinegar for two days to create the stain.
Mark Fair’s shop, Flying Biscuit Antique Sign Company, is in Montgomery, Alabama.
This appeared in the January/February 2015 issue of SignCraft. While the prices have been adjusted for inflation as of 2026, they may not accurately reflect current pricing for such signage.
Produce the pattern: 1 hour The customer provided an Adobe Illustrator file. I produced a pen plotted pattern from that and used an Electro Pounce to perforate it.
Fabricate the panel: 2 hours I fastened 1-by-3-in. pine slats to a ½-in. plywood backer board, using nails and silicone. I cut the panel to shape, using a saber saw. My time includes a half hour to pick up the material.
Apply stain: ½ hour I brushed on the rusty vinegar solution to age the panel.
Apply pattern: Just minutes Once the pattern was taped in position, I used a pounce bag filled with talcum powder to transfer it to the surface.
Letter the panel: 3 hours I hand lettered the panel, using Nova Color acrylic paints and acrylic latex house paint. Hand lettering delivers a vintage look and is the easiest way to handle graphics on a surface this rough.
Apply the crackle finish: 1 hour I mixed Elmer’s White Glue with just enough water to make it brushable. After it dries about 45 minutes, apply a water-based clear, like Minwax Satin Clear in this case. Overnight the finish crackles, giving an aged look.
