Board & Brush
Welcome to the Downers Grove
DIY Wood Sign Workshop!
Are you looking for a night out with friends? Is your inner DIY itching for a fun new project without having to buy all your own supplies and make a mess at your house? Then BOOK A WORKSHOP at Board & Brush Creative Studio in Downers Grove.
Located about 22 miles west of Chicago, Downers Grove is in the heart of suburban Chicago. Downers Grove always has something fun and family-friendly going on throughout the year. Some of the city's biggest attractions include the Tivoli Theater, McCollum Park, and the Morton Arboretum which is just northwest of downtown Downers Grove. Downers Grove has several restaurants and bars, where you can come to enjoy a romantic night out, a family gathering, or relax and enjoy listening to some good music with friends. Board & Brush Downers Grove is located on Main Street in historic downtown Downers Grove. It is close to Ballydoyle Irish Pub, across the street from the Cellar Door Winery, and just down the street from the Pierce Tavern.
Board & Brush Downers Grove is a licensed establishment.
Beer and wine are available for purchase in the studio.
Please note, BYOB is not permitted, you are welcome to bring in your own snacks.
Upcoming Workshops
- Upcoming Workshops -
Click on a workshop
below to register!
Board & Brush
SIP & PAINT AT OUR WOOD SIGN WORKSHOPS
At Board & Brush in Downers Grove, we marry the joy of wine and paint with the classic timelessness of wooden signs. Our instructor-led DIY wood sign workshops allow you to combine your creativity and willingness to learn new skills. We provide you with the instruction, materials and design for you to distress, sand, stain, paint, and customize your personalized piece of art!
HOW IT WORKS
1. REGISTER FOR A WORKSHOP
View our calendar above to find a date and time that works best for you and your friends and family (the more, the merrier!). You can also look for a workshop that features the type of project you’d like to create, like a PYP or specialty project. Then, you’ll browse our gallery of hundreds of designs to choose which one you’d like to create in your upcoming workshop!
2. ARRIVE EARLY!
Our workshops start on time, so you’ll want to arrive early to get settled! You can start thinking about the endless creative possibilities ahead, take photos with friends, and enjoy your favorite beverage (some studios are BYOB, while others sell alcohol, please check with your local studio about their policies).
3. GET YOUR DIY ON!
At your wood sign workshop, you’ll turn raw wood into a finished project fit for your home! You’ll be guided by our expert instructors throughout each step in the workshop - sanding, distressing, staining, painting your stencil, and waxing! You choose all your colors in person at the workshop! Our workshops are typically about 3 hours long.
4. DISPLAY YOUR NEW DÉCOR
When you leave our workshops, you’ll leave with a wood project that you’ll be proud to display in your home! We mean it when we say that no experience is necessary - our instructors are there to help turn you into a DIY expert. Now that your beautiful farmhouse-inspired project is complete, you’ll take it home to find the perfect spot to display it!
HOST A PRIVATE EVENT WITH BOARD & BRUSH
Whether you're looking for a fun way to celebrate your birthday, a distinctive evening out with a group of friends, a bachelorette party, or a unique relationship-building outing for your employees, look to our DIY wood sign workshops in Downers Grove. Our space is uniquely set up to provide a warm, welcoming environment that allows everyone to feel comfortable and excited to create their own custom piece of décor.
Meet Board & Brush Downers Grove Owners
Katie & Mike Ilic
After graduating from the University of Illinois, Katie started her career as a high-school math teacher at Neuqua Valley in Naperville where she also coached the sophomore volleyball team. Eight years later, she left the classroom behind to stay at home with her daughter when she was born. She traded in calculators and lecturing, for diapers and sleepless nights! Mike attended NIU and will always be a Husky at heart. He was a Senior Manager at Accenture for 18 years before leaving that behind to become a Board & Brush studio owner.
Katie & Mike attended a workshop for their anniversary and thoroughly enjoyed their experience. They were immediately hooked and knew that a business, like Board & Brush, would be perfect for their family. Katie’s passion is teaching, and Mike is a DIY junkie. Owning and operating a Board & Brush studio is not only an exciting new adventure but also gives them the flexibility to spend more time together as a family. It hardly feels like working when you love what you do every day!
Katie and Mike met on a blind date back in 2011, and the rest was history. Family is their number one priority. Katie has a small, close-knit family and Mike has a huge (and loud!) 100% Croatian family. Some of their favorite things to do are to take their two Yorkie puppies for walks around the neighborhood, spend summer days at the pool, make dinner together, and snuggle up with a good movie
Rebecca Gehlert
Rebecca is the studio manager for the Board & Brush Downers Grove studio. She has been working for owners, Katie & Mike, since 2019 and has been hooked since her first workshop as an assistant. She loves to see the customers' creativity come to life and to ensure that everyone has a wonderful time at Board & Brush! Rebecca and her husband, Ryan, reside in Batavia with their son, Wyatt, and two dogs, Bella & Oliver.
Make Your Own Personalized Sign at Board & Brush Downers Grove
Pick your preferred custom wood sign design, sign up for a DIY wood sign workshop that best works for you and your friends or family, and then show up for a fun, instructor led, hands-on experience.
Board & Brush Downers Grove is located on Main Street in historic downtown Downers Grove. It is close to Ballydoyle Irish Pub, across the street from the Cellar Door and just down the street from the Pierce Tavern. Ample parking available in the parking garage behind the studio, take Curtis St. to Mochel Dr.
Have any questions? Please feel free to contact us via phone or email. We are happy to help and would love to see you in our wood sign workshop very soon!
Have a question?
We'd love to hear from you!
Have a question for us here at the Studio? Drop us a line and we'll get back to you as soon as we can!
