How to Make a DIY Trick or Treat Sign

• Begin by practicing drawing your design on a piece of paper. Once you're happy with the look, begin drawing the design on the fence pickets.
  This project used three 1-inch x 6-inch x 8-foot fence pickets.
• Then, using your jigsaw, cut out the fence pickets in the coffin shape.
• Using scrap wood as braces, secure the pickets to the braces with wood glue and a nail gun.

Tip: You can use a hammer and nails in place of wood glue and a nail gun.

Now that you've created the shape, it's time to apply the first coat of paint. For this project, primer/sealer and paint are used.

• Start by applying one coat of the primer. Then apply one coat of white paint.
• Allow the paint to dry overnight.
• Once the paint has dried overnight, apply your vinyl stencil and paint over it with your white paint. Allow it to dry completely.

Tip: Painting over the stencil with base paint color helps prevent the final paint layer from bleeding between the stencil and wood. If you prefer to hand-paint your design, skip this step and paint the sign with your desired background color.

• Keeping the stencil down, apply two coats of black paint.
• Allow the paint to dry and lightly sand the sign to give it a distressed look.

Once all the paint has dried, you are ready to decorate the porch or yard with your DIY trick-or-treat sign.

Want to go all out to greet trick-or-treaters, or up the scare factor on your curb appeal?

Choose a theme – like this eerie cemetery scene – and dress up the front yard with inflatables. Enlist the help of oversized skeletons and finish things off with spooky wreaths.