5 Things I Learned About Board & Brush Norwalk

Last week, I had the opportunity to try out Board & Brush Norwalk. I made the cutest personalized coat rack for the casa and had the best time crafting it alongside my dearest Becca. While I've seen friends post DIY boards on Instagram, I didn't really know what to expect. Here are a few things that surprised me (in a good way) about the experience:

1. There is no sawing. I'm not too handy with electric tools, so I was relieved to find that my board was pre cut and assembled. But I did use a drill to attach my hooks!
2. There are lots of choices! I thought I would make the exact model I picked online, but it turns out you can personalize many aspects of your board with different distress marks (yup, that's a meat tenderizer I'm wielding), stains and finishing effects. 
3. It's long, so bring snacks. All in all, my board took almost three hours. Experienced crafters brought spreads of snacks, sandwiches and wine. (Helps with the creativity, no?) Board & Brush has water and soda on hand, but it's BYOB if you so choose. 
4. It's more forgiving than you think. I was nervous peeling off my stencil, but the pros at B&B have lots of tricks for touching up your board if a letter smudges or a piece of paint pulls off.
5. Everything is set with a wax finish. After you peel off your stencil, the last step is to lightly sand your work and then lightly rub with a wax finish. This really helped everything set and adds durability.

I learned I'm not that great at making choices, so you might want to mull over your colors ahead of time. In the end, I love what I picked, but game-time decisions are tough! The last choice I'm working on now is where to hang my sign. I'm dreaming of creating an entry vignette with it. Maybe with my newfound staining skills I can make a matching table? If you've ever been to Board & Brush, tell me about your experience in the comments! If not, would you try it?

This post is sponsored by Board & Brush Norwalk but all opinions are my own.