New Ivy Hall Sign

I made a sign last year, but I really wasn't happy with the way it turned out. It was rather plain. Our theme is more or less a haunted country estate so I wanted to make something more befitting the theme.

I purchased a wooden plaque from the craft store, and transfered the text on to it. (I used a computer to layout the text.) Then, I roughly carved out the words. Next, I painted the entire sign green. I had some gold leaf left over from gilding a frame, so I used it in the words and on the border. Lastly, I sealed it with an outdoor polyurethane. I still have to add a stake so that I can post the sign in the ground. (The sign is meant to be low and very close to the ground.)

The sign is fairly small, but it's really meant to be an accent, not a feature piece.