Pallet Upcycle
There's nothing more rustic, or quite as popular to upcycle, than a good ol pallet :) and they are easy to get hold of which is even better :)
The trick for surviving writing on wood such as this is to make it smooth :) so grab a sander (electric one is better for large pieces like this) and get it as smooth as you can.
It's as simple as that! Pick up a book, starter kit etc for the pen and lettering guides here