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First, obtain a piece of plywood, then cut it to the width you want your finished sign to be. The employees at your local home improvement store can help you with this. They can also cut the wood to length if you know how long you want the finished sign to be. You can also cut the sign yourself using a hand saw, circular saw, or miter saw. Be sure to take safety precautions, such as by wearing gloves and polycarbonate goggles. Draw diagonal lines from about 5in (13cm) down the longer ends to the center point with a pencil. Once you've drawn your arrow lines, erase and adjust as necessary before cutting. You can cut your arrow lines at your local home improvement store or at home. The measurements vary depending on your sign. Adjust your lines as needed to make them even. If you don't want to cut the wood, you can also simply draw an arrow on the sign! All you need is a single piece of fine-grit sandpaper. Lightly rub down the entire board. It should feel smooth to the touch. If you notice any rough spots, go over them with a 60 to 80 medium-grit sandpaper, followed by the fine-grit sandpaper. Put on rubber gloves before handling a commercial wood stainer. Stir the stainer with a brush, then paint it onto the wood. Go over the entire surface in short, even strokes. Stainer gives wood a dark, refined color that goes well with the lighter colors prevalent at weddings. Read the manufacturer's instructions to find out how long you need to wait. Make sure you set the sign aside so it isn't disturbed. Paint on the stainer the same way you did before. You will need to wait another 2 days for the sign to dry. Set it aside in a safe spot, then use your down time to assemble your design. An easy way to create a pointed sign is with the printed transfer method. In this, you create your design in a word document on the computer. Directional signs usually use just 1 word, so keep your sign simple. Make the word the same size as your sign. Tape the design paper on top of your sign. All you need is a sharp pencil to finish transferring the design. Trace around all the letters. Press firmly, but don't let the pencil break through the paper. White chalk markers are contrast well against stained wood, but you can try other colors. Remove the papers from the sign, then use the marker to trace around the letters. Then color them in to finish the design. Your sign should look pretty vibrant now. You usually don't need to add any extra decorations here. Keep it simple so everyone realizes the sign is guiding them.
Cut the wood to size. Trace and cut lines on the end of the wood to create the arrow shape. Sand the wood with 120 to 180 fine-grit sandpaper. Color the wood using a wood stainer. Let the stainer dry for up to 2 days. Apply another coat of stainer if you want a darker sign. Print your design on a computer if you want a stenciled look. Transfer your stencil onto the sign using a sharp pencil or draw your design directly on the sign. Color in the letters using a chalk marker.