SOUTHINGTON — From a raw piece of wood to a decorative painted sign, workshop participants at the Board & Brush Creative Studio on Center Street are encouraged to become “do-it-yourself masters.”

“The idea is to come by yourself or with friends to make a wooden rustic sign,” said Scott Selby, owner of Board & Brush along with his wife, Lisa. “We give you the materials and the instruction.”

The Center Street location opened less than two years ago. The franchise has over 200 studios across the country, including in Monroe, Mystic and Norwalk, and was founded by Selby’s sister-in-law.

Participants start off with a plain piece of wood and learn to distress, stain and paint the wood with the help of instructors during a three-hour BYOB workshop. 

“It’s sponge painting,” said Dawn Cronin, Southington studio manager and Cheshire resident. “The less paint you use the better it is going to look.”

She said the goal is to achieve a weathered look, which is customizable according to individual preference.

Stains are available in seven different colors, the most popular being “Dark Walnut,” a deep brown hue. Participants can also pick from a variety of paint colors to brush on top of stencil designs.

Designs range from “Home Sweet Home,” to personalized family names and seasonal art. 

Selby said participants will often send him photos of their finished projects hanging up in their homes.

“It’s that pride of ownership that you did it yourself,” he said. “We tell everybody at the beginning of the workshop you may want to take a picture of the raw wood just to prove to somebody that you did it yourself.”

More information can be found by calling 203-343-6445

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