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Handmade Copper Garden Signs

Total Time Needed:: 2-3 Hours

Stake out your territory with this spiffy copper-foil garden sign.

Materials

One 8- by 11-inch cardboard sheet, about 1/8 inch thick
Pencil
Scissors
Letter stencils, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches high (optional)
Wooden board for a sign
Wood glue
Medium-weight copper sheeting

Duct tape
Sandpaper
Craft stick
One 1- by 2-inch wooden stake, at least 3 feet long
Two 1 1/2-inch (number 6) wood screws
Handsaw, Tacks or staple gun (optional), Drill, Screwdriver

Instructions

Decide on a message for your sign. Cut the letters out of the cardboard with scissors. Position your letters across the board, leaving about 1/4 inch between each letter. Glue the letters in place using small dabs so the glue doesn't bleed beyond the letters. If it does, wipe it away with a cotton swab. Allow the glue to dry.
With the scissors, cut a piece from the copper sheeting that's 6 inches wider and longer than your sign. Center the sign, letter side down, on top of the copper sheet. Bend the sheet snugly but not too tightly around the wood.
Attach the copper sheet to the back of the sign with duct tape (or tacks or staples) and turn over the sign.
Sand the edges of the craft stick slightly to reduce any chance of tearing the metal. Rub the tip of the stick around the edges of each letter, then slide the flat edge of the stick over the surface of the sign and the letters, until you can see the letters "pop up" behind the metal.
Using the handsaw, trim one tip of the stake at a diagonal, so that the sign will tilt up slightly when attached
Mark 2 spots for the screws, one about an inch down from the higher side of the stake and one about 2 inches down. Place the board on a flat surface, then center the top of the stake against the board. Drill through the stake and into the board (go slowly and be careful not to go through the front of the sign), then screw the two together. Repeat for the second screw
To plant your sign in the garden, dig a hole at least 6 inches deep, insert the stake, and firmly pack the area around it with soil.