By Shelbi LeMeilleur
“If you’re looking for a fun-filled three hours, I highly recommend Board & Brush. ... There is always something to learn and the owners are exceptional in their customer service and their ability to teach while providing an enjoyable experience. A ‘must do’ for the crafty and non-crafty alike.” — Tonya Chitwood
A popular trend in home decorating right now is rustic, farmhouse-style wood signs. It seems that every store selling home décor has a wood sign for every room and every occasion. Now you have the chance to create your own personalized wood sign at the recently opened Board & Brush Creative Studio College Station. You can take my word for it — Board & Brush is a must-try for people of all ages, skill-sets, and creative abilities. The INSITE Magazine staff and a few of our Integ coworkers were able to live out the full Board & Brush experience and get a little crafty in preparation for the Christmas holidays.
The Experience (We DIY) When we walked into Board & Brush in College Station, each one of our group of eight had different expectations and anxieties. Some of us are more creative than others, some of us had a clear picture of the project we wanted, and some of us were just along for the fun. One thing we all had in common: the awe of the studio itself when we first walked in.
“So much fun! Great experience for all ages and genders. It would make for an ideal couples date night or family-day-out activity. I liked that even though you had a predetermined stencil you could still personalize the majority of what you did so nothing was cookie cutter by any means.”
— Manda Jackson
The walls are covered in projects available at Board & Brush, paints and stains to customize your project, and power tools to help perfect your sign along the way. There’s a sign for every season imaginable, personalized projects with family names, and quotes and sayings for every personality.
Owners Natalie and Mark Mobley showed us around the studio and led us to a table preset with all the supplies we needed for our projects. After we wandered around and marveled at all the completed projects on the walls, we sat at the table with our projects waiting for the next step.
First up: sanding. After a thorough explanation from Natalie, we each grabbed a piece of sandpaper and made sure there were no splinters on our raw wood. Natalie’s advice was “not to make it as smooth as butter, but make sure there aren’t any stray splinters sticking off the wood.”
Our next step was a bit unexpected, but completely memorable. After we sanded the wood we got to distress! Using nails, hammers, screws, chains, and other odds and ends, we had three minutes to distress — and de-stress — as soon as everyone had their earplugs in nice and snug. My personal favorite was the effect from using a meat tenderizer on the raw wood. It gave it the smallest punctures and the perfect rustic look once my project was complete.
“Board & Brush was so much fun and the owners were so helpful and passionate about what they do. I can always go buy a sign at the local home décor shop, but making it myself was an awesome experience; plus, it was nice to spend time with friends and be crafty.”
— Kelly Balderrama
After all the pounding and prodding, Natalie and Mark helped us choose our stain colors and methods. There are several stains to choose from, but in addition to the stain color, we could add on a layer of dry brush, antiquing, and more. Most of the group just used stain, but a few of us stained and dry-brushed our boards. For those who didn’t have a clear idea in their minds of what they wanted their final project to look like, Mark and Natalie were very helpful in deciding which color stain and method would work best for their individual projects. There was even a handy stain board with samples of the stain colors and how certain paint colors would show up once we started on our design.
Once the stain (and any additional paints) on the boards was dry, the power tools came out!! With the help of Mark and Natalie, we were each able to put the pieces of our wood sign together with the drill. I think some of us enjoyed that part a little too much… myself included!
“I had a blast!! When you look around the shop, it’s daunting for an uncreative person, but my project turned out awesome! The instructors were so helpful and made it easy and fun.”
— Kali Newcom
One of the more detail-oriented steps was laying the pre-printed stencil. While the project is very hands-on, we did not make the stencils ourselves. The staff at Board & Brush printed and personalized the stencils based on the designs picked from the gallery, so they were ready to go when we arrived. However, laying the stencil on our boards required laser-focus attention and a partner to help us out. It was important not to peel the stencil too quickly, or the stencil could stretch or break. Then when we positioned it on our board, we had to rub out any bubbles along the edges to ensure the perfect design.
The next step is where we could really showcase our creativity. With the stencil on the board, we began to dab in the paint colors we wanted. As an added bonus, a lot of us decided to give our projects a little extra pizzazz with GLITTER. The secret? Paint the section first, and sprinkle glitter on before the paint dries.
The final step in our projects was to add wall hangers and to sand and wax our boards to give it a little more of an antiqued look.
“Board & Brush was everything I had hoped it would be and more! It was the perfect environment to foster creativity, and I loved seeing how each person approached their own projects. I expect I will be visiting quite frequently; I love all the different signs!”
— Shelbi LeMeilleur
Not a single person’s project turned out the same, but that was part of the appeal! Even if we would have all done the same project, we could have personalized it to our tastes and preferences for a unique look. The whole experience took about three hours, but with music playing and our hands busy the whole time, it passed by like the snap of two fingers. Not only that, it was a great way to socialize and see the different ways people expressed their creativity.
The Business (They DIY) Board & Brush combines the classic wood sign trend with the group activity setting many other businesses have in place, such as the painting and wine studios. However, Board & Brush is nothing like many of the popular painting studios. It’s a complete do-it-yourself experience from beginning to end, with the ability to personalize your project to suit your every dream and desire. The uniqueness of Board & Brush is what inspired Natalie and Mark to open a franchise location in College Station.
“Board & Brush was a very welcoming environment. I was nervous I wouldn’t be artistic enough to make my project, but with the help of the workers my project turned out wonder-ful!”
— Erica Buehler
“We are from West Texas and we started seeing a bunch of our friends and family posting pictures of their girls’ nights and their date nights at a Board & Brush,” says Natalie. Knowing there was nothing like Board & Brush in College Station led her to do a little research on the company, she says. When she found out it was a franchise, she says she knew she had to bring the business to the Brazos Valley.
Natalie and Mark started the process to open the franchise last fall and officially opened Aug. 31. They offer private parties, open workshops, corporate events, tween and children projects, bridal parties, realtor gift programs, and fundraising opportunities. No matter what kind of event is going on, there are two things you can always count on: everyone picks their own project, and no two projects turn out the same.
“Every project turns out so different,” says Natalie. “It’s not the same thing over and over. You can totally choose a different sign, different stains, different paint. You can make your project look so different than everybody else at the table.”
“My project perfectly summarizes my Board & Brush experience. Distressing my board put me at peace, using a little creativity brought me joy, and I loved getting to be creative with co-workers!”
— Rachel Knight
They are also always offering new incentives. Flash sales through social media offer discounted (and sometimes free) classes and giveaways. Sometimes extras are included like Margarita Mondays, taco bars, Sunday Fundays, and more!
It doesn’t matter what your age, gender, or creative skills are before coming into Board & Brush. The staff is there to make sure you have a great time and walk away loving your project.
Natalie also encourages men to look past the stereotpye, because it’s not just a “chick thing.” “I really stress that guys need to come in here and try this, because they love it,” she says. “I don’t think men understand that we use power tools, we use hammers, we use raw wood, and … I feel like they like that.”
The Challenge (You DIY) What are you waiting for? Board & Brush is the perfect place to let your creativity shine (even if you don’t think you are creative). It’s a great place to make something for your home or a gift for someone else’s.
“I had so much fun at Board & Brush! Being able to actually stain the wood, nail the boards together, and paint it was such a cool and unique experience.“
— Hailey Andersen
Board & Brush accepts online registration only; no walk-ins. Class registration closes 72 hours prior to the event so stencils can be personalized and printed, according to Natalie. When you sign up for your project (whether it is a private event or open workshop) you have the chance to peruse through the ever-growing library of projects and pick your own. On the first of every month, be on the lookout for new projects to roll out.
“The projects are designed by our corporate team,” says Natalie. “I like to say that we personalize; we do not customize.”
All normal workshops are $65. Regular workshops are for ages 16 and older only, since Board & Brush is a BYOB establishment, according to Natalie. Tween and Children Workshops are offered as private parties and cost $35 and $25 respectively. Additionally, you must have 10 people to reserve a private party on a weekday and 16 for the weekend.
To register for a class or view the gallery of projects, visit www.boardandbrush.com/collegestation. Follow Board & Brush on Facebook (boardandbrushcollegestationtx), Instagram (bandbcollegestationtx), Twitter (boardandbrusbcs), and Pinterest (boardandbrush) for inspiration, giveaways, and more!
