Gather Farmhouse Wood Sign for Fall (Free SVG Cut File)

Gather is the word for the room where everyone ends up. This design sets it in big script above two leaf sprigs with a small heart between them. It suits a dark stained board on a sideboard or the Thanksgiving buffet, and our picture shows cream vinyl on walnut stain. Plan the size first. The design is taller than one line of lettering, so you measure it both ways. Then take your time with the sprigs, which are made of small pieces.

How to make it

1. Seal the board first. Stain alone leaves wood too dry and open for vinyl to grip. Brush a clear water-based sealer over the stained face, sand lightly if it feels rough, and let it cure for the time on the label.
2. Measure the board both ways. The design is about 1.7 times as wide as it is tall, so a decal 11.5 inches wide stands roughly 6.7 inches tall. Leave at least 1.5 inches of bare board on every side.
3. Pick the size your mat allows. A standard mat cuts a little under 12 inches across, so 11.5 inches is the widest decal it gives. That fits a board about 16 inches long and 10 inches tall.
4. Leave mirror off, since this is adhesive vinyl and not iron-on. Cut it with the color side up, using the vinyl setting in your cutting software.
5. Weed the background, then the closed centers in the word. Slow down at the sprigs. Each one is a thin stem with small leaves, and the heart between them is a loose piece. Pull the waste away at a low angle so nothing lifts with it.
6. Cover everything with one piece of transfer tape, so the word, the sprigs and the heart keep their spacing. Burnish well, with extra passes over the stems.
7. Set the decal on the board with its backing still on. Measure from the board edges to the outermost points of the design, left and right, then top and bottom. Tape a hinge down the middle, running top to bottom.
8. Peel the backing from one half, cut it away and smooth that half down from the hinge outward. Remove the hinge and repeat on the other half. Burnish, then peel the tape back low and slow.

Tips

• Center by the whole design, not by the word alone. The tail of the G hangs below the other letters, and the sprigs sit under that, so measure from the outermost points.
• Dark stain shows every speck. Wipe the sealed board with a dry lint-free cloth right before the decal goes down.
• Check that the board is flat. A warped board lifts vinyl at the high spots.
• Cream or white vinyl reads best on dark stain. On a pale or whitewashed board, switch to black or dark brown.

FAQ

Can we make the sign bigger than a standard mat allows?

Yes, up to a point. On a 12 x 24 inch mat, turn the design a quarter turn so its height runs across the mat. The height then has to stay under 11.5 inches, which caps the decal at about 19.5 inches wide. That suits a board roughly 26 inches long and 15 inches tall.

Can the sprigs be left off?

They can. Weed the sprigs and the heart away with the background and apply the word alone. The decal is then much shorter, so measure its height again before you choose a board. This is the way to fit Gather on a long, narrow plank.

How should the finished sign be displayed?

A board this size leans well against the wall on a sideboard, as in our picture. To hang it, attach two sawtooth hangers to the back, one near each end, and measure so both sit the same distance from the top.