How to Make a First Aid Cabin Sign

With summer in full swing, I thought it would be fun to share how to make a first aid cabin sign in case you guys wanted to make one too. This is one of those projects that can be easily customized with whatever color combinations you like best.  Bonus, it doesn’t take very long to complete at all! 

Did you guys ever go to sleep away camp when you were younger? 

Before we moved away from our hometown we went to the same sleep away camp at the lake every year. It was a blast!  After we moved away though, half our summers were spent with our big farm family and the other half was spent at the beach.  Looking back it was honestly the best of both worlds. 

Cabin and Summer Camp Inspiration

All of my grandparents have since passed away but one of my grandmothers was a nurse at a competing sleep away camp. It was always funny to hear the stories and get the “inside scoop” she and my grandpa would come back with each summer. 

While we miss them terribly, we’re constantly looking for sentimental ways to celebrate their lives and our fabulous memories with them.  One simple way to do that is to incorporate summer camp and cabin decor into our summer decorating. You can easily do this as well by using books, framed photographs, cozy quilts, puzzles, games and of course signs!   

Here’s a look at how I made this First Aid Cabin sign and how you can make one too…

First Aid Cabin Sign Supplies:

• Wood (size of your choice)
• Base Color Paint (we used a sample of Valspar interior paint in Coconut Milk but you can use a color you like best)
• Alphabet Letter Stencil Kit 
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Craft Paint (color of your choice) 
• Paint Brush (to paint a base color on the wood)
• Detail Art Brush (to paint/fill in letters)
• Tarp (to protect surfaces)
• Paper Plate (if you plan to customize your paint colors)
• Sandpaper (if you’re trying to create a distressed look)
• Dark Wax (if you’re trying to create an aged look)

First Aid Cabin Sign Steps:

Our first aid cabin sign started out like most of the signs we make, with scrap wood from the garage.  This piece of scrap wood in particular was the top to a wooden crate previously used to ship computer hardware.

I painted the wood with paint leftover from another project.  The color is a really warm off white color called Coconut Milk by Valspar. You can honestly use any type of paint or background color you want though.  

Once the paint was dry, I used a ruler to draw the cross and alphabet stencils to create the lettering. 

Make sure your lettering is straight and the scale is appropriate.  This step may require extra attention in the beginning but it’s always worth the effort in the end.  After all, you’re laying the foundation for an eye catching work of art you’ll be able to use throughout the summer and maybe even the year.

To create this specific color for the lettering, I used Americana Craft Paints which you can find at most craft supply stores.  For the red, I mixed Primary Red and Country Red.  The color of the blue was created with Primary Blue and Black.  Simply mix the colors with your paintbrush on a paper plate adding a few drops of color one at a time until you’ve achieved the custom color your want. 

Use a fine tip art detail brush to outline the letters first. Then fill in the color with a bigger tipped brush where possible. This will help to eliminate the appearance of multiple brush strokes.

After the craft paint on the lettering was completely dry, I sanded the entire sign with sandpaper and added a layer of dark wax.

How to Decorate with a First Aid Cabin Sign

This is one of those signs that can easily be used at a lake house, a beach retreat or a cozy cabin in the woods.  I originally used this sign one year on our cabin inspired summer mantel. It seems like such a small thing but every time I looked at the mantel, I had the best memories of my grandparents.  It reminded me of the gallons of calamine lotion, bug spray, rubbing alcohol and peroxide my grandma used to help mend bumps, bruises, and scrapes. 

We’ve also used this sign to decorate our breakfast nook during the summer and for patriotic holidays. It can use be used on a coffee bar, drink station or to add a festive feel to outdoor parties as well.  

While my days of sleep away camp might be completely behind me, this first aid cabin sign is one of those pieces of our home decor that brings a smile to my face every time I use it.  And you guys, isn’t that what creating a home you love is supposed to be about anyway?

How are you guys decorating this summer? Have you made any signs like this one lately? Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo