I just love old, rusty horseshoes! We actually found some on our property when we were tilling up our new garden area. Our house was built in 1916, so lots of history here. So fun to find relics of the past! And then I bought other old, rusty horseshoes at a yard sale. I’m going to make some fun horseshoe farm signs! These will make fantastic DIY gifts for any horse lover.
Do you enjoy making DIY gifts? I do! I think they are much more personable. And if you get good at them, they can be another source of income for your homestead! Stay tuned until the end, I have some links for some other great DIY gifts from the homestead.
This little project doesn’t take a lot of time, besides waiting for the whitewash to dry. It doesn’t take a lot of tools, and it’s super, super cheap! So if you need a thoughtful, cheap gift for someone (forgot a birthday, and now it’s between paydays, perhaps??), this is the way to go.
Also, make sure you stay until the end – I have some great links for other DIY gift ideas!
Time required to make this DIY farm sign
You should plan on taking most of the day for this farm sign, broken up into chunks. Total amount of time should be an hour or two, depending on your materials. I started this in the morning, with whitewashing the wood, in order to give it plenty of time to dry.
Items needed to make this sign
Old piece of wood.
I just found these old fence posts an weathered wood planks in my junk wood pile! Another nice option is to find someone who is selling barn wood. Bonus – they might already be painted with weathered paint!
Horseshoes.
I found a few horseshoes when we tilled up our new garden area, but I know that’s not a normal find! So, you can buy horseshoes. I also found a bunch of old horseshoes at a yard sale this summer. Another option if you can’t find nice rusty ones, is to buy new ones at the local farm store. You can rust these yourself, if you’d like. It just takes distilled white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and salt. Here is a good post on making new metal rusty.
Paint or whitewash.
You might like the wood painted. If you’d like a more rustic finish, you can try making DIY whitewash. I made my own whitewash with salt and hydrated lime, because I like the thin, uneven, rustic look of whitewash. I think it goes great with the rusty old horseshoes. This is the recipe I used for my whitewash.
Sandpaper.
If you are using paint, I would suggest using sandpaper in random spots on the face of the sign, and around the edges. This will enhance the rustic look. You might want to do this even if you use whitewash!
Dremel or woodburner.
I used a dremel to carve the letters into the sign, but you can also use a woodburner.
Screwdriver, screw gun or impact gun.
To secure the horseshoes and the chain to the farm sign, you will need a screwdriver or screw gun, or better yet, an impact gun. I used The Hubs’ screw gun because it’s the fastest. It made this part super quick and easy.
Screws and chain.
You’ll need a few screws to attach the horseshoes to the sign, and a chain to hang the sign.
Instructions for this DIY farm sign
Sand your wood, if needed. Paint or whitewash the wood on all sides. Allow to dry. After it is thoroughly dry, sand lightly along the edges and any random “normal wear” spots you want to highlight.
With the dremel or wood burner, carve your chosen phrase into the center of the wood. I chose the phrase, “Not Lucky, Blessed” to go along with the legendary luck of the horseshoes.
Screw the horseshoes to the wood in the desired spot. You’ll need at least 2 screws per horseshoe. We used 3 screws, so that we could attach to the bottom piece of wood as well, without extra hardware. Make sure your horseshoes are facing up, you don’t want the “luck” to pour out of them!
Secure the chain to the top of the wood, to hang the sign.
And voila! Your very own rustic farm sign, perfect for gift giving, or for hanging on your own front porch!
This post was inspired by, and a part of, a special blogger collaborative, Gifts From The Homestead. Check out the posts from my friends, and be sure to tell them that I sent you!
Gifts You Can Make in an Hour or Less
Creative Cookie Packaging Ideas || Rootsy Network
Create a Giftable Indoor Herb Garden Kit || Not So Modern
Two Holiday Chai Tea Blends: The Perfect Fall or Winter Gift || Healing Harvest Homestead
Soup in a Jar: the Perfect Comfort Gift || Dehydrating Made Easy
Snickerdoodle Cookies || Nancy On The Homefront
Cinnamon Roasted Almonds (with printable gift tags) || A Modern Homestead
How to Make & Give Homemade Hot Cocoa Mixes || Homespun Seasonal Living
How to Can Homemade Salsa || Not So Modern
Make Gift-Worthy Bread Mix In A Jar – Great for Your Own Pantry Shelf Too! || Oak Hill Homestead
Make Your Own Lotion Bars || Learning and Yearning
Easy Homemade Bath Salts Recipe || Better Hens and Gardens
Peppermint Foot Salve || The Self Sufficient Home Acre
SPF Lip Balm Recipe || Our Inspired Roots
3 Bedtime Bath Teas for Kids || Homestead Lady
DIY Flaxseed Neck Heating Pad for Soothing Muscles || Joybilee Farm
No-Sew Scented Sachet Bags With 5 Herbal Recipes || Rockin W Homestead
Fall Air Freshener DIY || Feathers In The Woods
Gifts You Can Make in a Day or Less
Easy Applesauce Recipe For Canning or Eating Fresh || Hidden Springs Homestead
How to Make Hot Process Soap Complete Picture Tutorial || Healing Harvest Homestead
Crockpot Apple Butter with Canning Instructions || A Modern Homestead
DIY Quilted Mug Rug || Flip Flop Barnyard
Feathers & Hugs – How to Create a Psalms 91 Throw || The Farm Wife
DIY Flower & Veggie Row Markers || The Self Sufficient Home Acre
Make Your Own Veggie Hod || Nancy On The Homefront
Horseshoe Farm Sign – Fun DIY Gift for the Horse Lover || Homegrown Self Reliance
Gifts You Can Make in a Week
Easy Primitive Throw Pillow Tutorial || Hidden Springs Homestead
How to Make a Rag Quilt || Flip Flop Barnyard
Make Your Own Plant Pots and Baskets || Homestead Lady
Special Gifts That Take One Month to Create (but are well worth the wait)
Making Herbal Vinegar || Better Hens and Gardens
Elderberry Elixir – A Delicious Immune Boosting Gift || Homegrown Self Reliance
How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract || Farming My Backyard
How to Make Strawberry Wine Step-by-Step || Stone Family Farmstead
How to Make Cold-Process Soap from Scratch || Oak Hill Homestead
This post may be shared on Family Homesteading and Off The Grid Blog Hop, Simple Homestead Blog Hop, Farm Fresh Tuesday, and Old Paths to New Homesteading & Self-Reliant Living.