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If you are like me, finding new and different things to do for date night can be hard at times. After dating for almost three years, the fun of date night goes out the window. It is always easier to just stay home and binge-watch Netflix rather than going out. That all changed when I forced my boyfriend off the couch and to Board & Brush in Clive.

Similar to wine and canvas classes, these events allow all participants to create a wooden sign of their choosing in a three-hour class section. There are over 150 sign options to choose from, so there is something for everyone.

When walking into the Board & Brush studio, I was greeted by the smell of freshly cut wood and the strong scent of stain. I was quickly pointed to my assigned seat, where my board and stencil were waiting for me.

The room was filled with mainly middle-aged women who were enjoying a girls’ night out. A mother and daughter sat across from my boyfriend and me, and we quickly struck up a conversation before the class began.

Once the owner, Troy Weiland, quieted us all down, he assigned a worker to each of our tables who would be assisting us through the process. This turned out to be a huge benefit because I never had to wait to be helped.

Then, the board preparation began. The first step of distressing the board is perfect for anyone who has a bad day. I mean, who doesn’t love to hit stuff as hard as you can with a hammer? This can get pretty loud, but they were prepared with earplugs for everyone. We then sanded down our boards to make sure the new “character” we added wouldn’t come back to hurt us in the end.

Next, it was time to stain. There were six stains to choose from. After some debate, I ended up choosing a dark walnut. Once we began, I was immediately brought back to my childhood and the weekends I spent restaining our deck with my mom. The smell was strong and familiar.

It was then time to peel our preprinted stencils. All of the stencils are printed before each class begins to fit each person’s requests. This step takes a lot longer than I was anticipating. I had to stay focused and make sure that I was not pulling up any of the centers of the letters. The smaller the print, the harder this is.

Once I finished pulling apart my stencil and had it placed on my board, it was time to begin painting. Being a perfectionist, I measured my board to make sure mine was centered before I began to paint. There are tons of colors to choose from, and you have no limit on how many you can use. I decided to go with a basic white for my text because I was planning on doing additional distressing after the paint was dry.

While my paint was drying, I enjoyed the wine I brought as I chatted with the people at my table. Board & Brush allows everyone to bring in their own drinks but also provides a few types of wine and beer.

It was really fun to see everyone let down their guards and jump into the activity. It didn’t matter if you were an artist or not. The easygoing feeling made for a delightful night.

When my board was dry, I sanded it again to give a rustic look and then added a layer of wax to mute the color. If you had any additional parts to add onto your project such as hooks or, in my boyfriend’s case, a bottle opener, you then added it before finishing.

I truly enjoyed my experience here, and I am planning to go back. The friendly, upbeat environment made the night go quickly.

It can be a little pricey for a college budget at $65 per person, but it was a nice break from the standard date night. To see all the class times, sign options and to sign up for classes go to boardandbrush.com/clive.