I've been working on a makeover of my back patio lately and today I'm sharing a decor project that I made to hang on the wall out there.

I am making a pair of wood signs that say "Live by the Sun, Love by the Moon."

DIY Outdoor Signs

I love the quote "Live by the Sun, Love by the Moon." It speaks to my inner hippie ☮ and seems perfect for outdoor decor. You can buy premade signs with this quote on Etsy as well as digital files to print yourself.

Since mine was going to be outside I didn't think printing would be a good choice (even if the patio is covered) so I decided to paint my own and I'll show you how to make your own too!

I had this old piece of wood lying around, I think it's an old shelf... it was here when I bought the house.


It came in handy as a wheelbarrow ramp for hauling loads of rocks over the concrete edging in my yard 😁 But I was actually saving it for a future project like this one.

I am making a pair of signs so I cut this board in half, cleaned the two boards, and then sanded them. 

If you have one large board (like I did) cut it into two pieces the size you want your signs to be (if you are purchasing at a Lowe's or Home Depot, many stores will cut to your measurements for free!) 

Print your chosen quote in the font and size you want. I used Microsoft Word to print mine. Alternatively, you could use a stencil or precut vinyl quote.

I picked up some Waverly Inspirations Chalk paint at Walmart a while back and decided to use it for this project.

Use the transfer paper to transfer the words to the boards (lay the transfer paper face down, place the pattern on top, and trace over it with a pencil or other pointy object, the pattern will be transferred onto the wood) and then use black craft paint to paint them.

Warning... if you choose a very straight-lined font like I did it's going to be more difficult to paint straight letters like these. I think it turned out OK though. You could use a Sharpie marker or paint pen instead.

I bought some lattice wood strips from Lowe's to make my frames, I found them in the trim section where they have the molding and trim pieces.

To make frames like mine, measure and cut two pieces the length of your sign, and use wood glue and brad nails to attach them to the sides of the sign boards. Then measure and cut two pieces the width of your sign (include the two side pieces you just attached in that measurement) and attach them in the same manner.

I made the frames like boxes around the signs, if you lay them down flat they are like shallow trays.

And they are flush on the back.

I'm pretty pleased with how these turned out (crooked letters and all!)


I can't wait to get these hung up outside and work on some more projects I have in mind.

If you enjoyed this idea, please consider sharing.

Check out the other patio projects here:

Ideas for a Boho Patio
How to Stencil a Concrete Patio
How to Build an Outdoor Couch from Pallets