Home is Wherever Mom is - Wall Plaque

I saw a print (I believe on Etsy.. but I didn't bookmark it so I can't find it now) that had a quote that said "Home is Where Mom Is" and I thought it would be great to make a wall plaque with that saying to gift to my mom!  Instead I made it say "wherever" mom is because I like how it looked better.

This is a quickie tutorial since it's mostly self-explanatory, but let me know if you have any questions!  I'm hoping to make another since I'm not 100% happy with how this turned out (it just didn't quite match my vision).  

Items needed:

-Wooden Plaque (purchased at craft store)

-Craft Paint 

-Paint Brush

-Sharpie

-Printer for lettering (or you can freehand)

-Wood stain for distressing (or darker paint - or omit this step)

Find a wooden plaque at the craft store.  Sand the rough edges if you want, for a more finished look.

Sorry for the super fuzzy photo.  I took 3 photos of this step and this image was still the best!  Add two to three coats of acrylic craft paint (or your paint of choice) to the wood, allowing adequate drying time in between each layer of paint.

If you're going to trace the quote, print it out to size and then use a pencil or ballpoint pen to trace the quote.  Make sure to press hard enough so you dent the wood.

Freehand the quote, or trace your dents from the pencil trace, by using a sharpie and a steady hand.  I went over the quote twice to make it a little more bold.  

Add lines (faux stitching) around the edge to help define the edge and give it a little more homemade feeling.

Use your wood stain or dark brown paint and give it some distressed paint marks.  You may want to use the original paint color to lightly go over the font also, so it all blends in.  Bonus points if you use sand paper to add to the aging, but I didn't have time so I used paint to make the sharpie look like it was fading. 

Either leave the plaque as-is to set on a shelf or add a hanger to the back.

I actually like it a little better before the last step (my attempt at aging), but I was going for a more vintage look and it didn't quite get there. Hopefully I'll find time to try this again and make it match my original vision.

Let me know if you have made something similar with this quote!  I think it's an adorable quote and would look cute on any mom's wall!