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You are here: Home / Blog / Thrift Store Upcycle – DIY Aloha Seashell Pineapple Sign

Thrift Store Upcycle – DIY Aloha Seashell Pineapple Sign

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Whoo-hoo! It’s time again for another  monthly Thrift Store Decor Upcycle Challenge. I’ve paired up with 19 other talented ladies to bring you a new home decor piece from an item(s) we’ve found at a thrift store, yard sale, resale shop etc. There is no budget or specific theme so we are free to let our creativity run wild! For this month’s Thrift Store Upcycle, I’ve created a DIY Aloha Seashell Pineapple Sign from an old cabinet door.

Meet the Hosts

Amanda | The Kolb Corner      Chelc| Inside the Fox Den
Erlene | My Pinterventures     Kim | Made in a Day     Sara | Twelve on Main
Debra | Shoppe No. 5      Shirley | Intelligent Domestications
Marie | DIY Adulation     Lindsay | Crazy Organized   Michelle | Our Crafty Mom
Julie | Live From Julie’s House     Dru | Polka Dot Poplars
Maureen | Red Cottage Chronicles     Pili | Sweet Things     Channell | Hobnail House
Colleen | Life on Kaydeross Creek     Ann | Duct Tape and Denim
Paula | Virginia Sweet Pea     Sherry | Savvy Apron     Stacy | Anastasia Vintage

You can also follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!


 DIY Aloha Seashell Pineapple Sign

Since I grew up in Hawaii, most of my teen summer years were spent hanging out at the beach, checking out the cute surfers, and getting my fair share of the Hawaiian sun. So when summer hits, I always feel the need to decorate with all things inspired by the Hawaiian islands, like this DIY Aloha Seashell Pineapple Sign.

You may be wondering why I chose the word ‘aloha’ for my sign, so let me tell you! If you’ve been to Hawaii, I’m sure you’ve heard the word ‘aloha’ used as a general greeting or parting word, but it actually has a deeper meaning. To many on the islands, ‘aloha’ is a way of life and locals believe in living the ‘aloha way’ or with ‘aloha spirit’, which is to be kind and live in harmony with all – the land, yourself, others, and God. And since these are all things one wants to strive for, I thought it would be a great word to display in our home.

DIY-Aloha-Seashell-Pineapple-Sign

Supplies:

  • cabinet door or piece of wood
  • letter stencil or Silhouette Cameo machine with vinyl (I used clear contact paper)
  • acrylic paint – Craft Smart Dark Green and FolkArt Patina 2951
  • FolkArt Home Decor White Chalk Paint
  • small angled brush (pineapple crown)
  • large paint brush (white chalk paint)
  • flat sponge brush (lettering)
  • pencil
  • Hot Glue Gun & lots of glue sticks
  • Black & Decker Sander with 150 grit  sandpaper
  • scallop shells
  • damp cloth
  • clear sealer
  • sawtooth hangers that nail in or keyhole hangers(2x)
  • paper towel or old newspapers

How to make a DIY Aloha Seashell Pineapple Sign

cabinet-door

The base of my sign was created from an old cabinet door that I found at my local Habitat of Humanity Resale store. I just recently discovered it and I’m totally in love! I found a ton of building supplies, furniture, rugs, and more at heavily discounted prices. It was difficult to keep focused on the project at hand, but I managed to dig through a pile of cabinet doors until I found one that I liked for $4! The one I chose measure about 36″ x 10 3/4″, but you can choose whatever size you like.

I forgot to take pictures of the next few steps, sorry. I used a hand sander and lightly sand the entire front of the cabinet, wiped it down to remove any dust, and painted it with two coats of white chalk paint.

letter spacing

Next, I used my Silhouette Cameo*  machine to create an ‘aloha’ word stencil template. I used the Kokila font and sized my letters to fit my cabinet door. Then, I dry fit the letters onto the cabinet front to make sure I liked the spacing.

*If you do not have a Silhouette Cameo machine, you can always use store bought letter stencils or do a charcoal letter rub to transfer your letter design.

Pineapple circle

When I got the spacing right, I used a pencil to lightly trace the inside of each letter. I used the tracing as a placement guide for sticking the clear contact paper onto the board. The letter ‘o’ will be the outline for the seashell pineapple, so I skipped sticking this letter stencil to the board.

Paint letteringOnce all the letter stencils were applied, I used a damp cloth and gently wiped away any pencil marks on the inside of the stencil letters – it’s okay if you see some of the pencil lead under the template, this can be cleaned up later. You may be able to skip this step if you are using a dark paint color. You just don’t want any pencil marking on the inside of the letter area or it may show through the paint.

To paint the letters, use a flat sponge brush and dip it into the paint. Use a pouncing motion and remove some of the paint on a paper towel or newspaper. You do not want the sponge to have too much paint or it will seep under the stencil. Next, use the same pouncing motion and apply the paint to the stencil in a light coat. Let this dry and apply a second coat. When all the letters are dry, remove the stencils and wipe off any excess pencil lead markings with a damp cloth.

[Tweet “DIY Aloha Seashell Pineapple Sign #repurposeit #tutorial”]

Painting the pineapple crown and distressing

For my pineapple crown, I placed a shell at the top of the ‘o’ to help me visually mark the top of the pineapple. Then I lightly drew a simple pineapple crown above it and used a small angle brush to fill it in with paint. When the paint is dry, sand the entire piece to give it a weathered look or leave it be – it’s up to you.

This is where I forgot to add my sawtooth hangers to the back – don’t make my mistake. You’ll want to add your hanging device to the back BEFORE you add the shells to the front of the cabinet. It’s kind of difficult to hammer in a hanging device when you can’t hammer it into a flat stable surface…oops.

Seashell pineapple

To create the seashell pineapple, take scallop shells and do a dry fit, using the ‘o’ tracing as your guide. Some shells fit better together, so don’t be afraid to switch shells out.

Here is how I made my pineapple. Note that there are slightly larger shells used in rows 4 & 5 –

  • Row 1 – one shell
  • Row 2 – two shells
  • Row 3 – three shells
  • Row 4 – four shells
  • Row 5 & 6 – three shells
  • Row 7 – two small shells

Now it’s time to glue the heck out of these shells. Starting with the top shell, be generous and add glue around the under edge of the shell before placing it on the board. Continue adding a generous amount of glue to the under edge of each shell and placing them down until you have a pineapple shape. Spray a clear acrylic coat over the entire piece and it’s ready to hang! And if you like this decorating with shells, head over to see my DIY Seashell Pineapple Jar too!

DIY Aloha Seashell Pineapple Sign


Be sure to check out all of the other creative upcycle projects my fellow bloggers have come up with!

An InLinkz Link-up


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Blog, Crafts, Decorating, House & Home, recycle, repurpose, Tutorial 28

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Comments

  1. Kepola says

    February 8, 2018 at 8:45 PM

    Erlene, mahalo nui loa for this beautiful reminder of home! I’m going to try this for my foyer.

    Aloha!

    Reply
  2. mikal shone says

    October 30, 2017 at 8:36 AM

    this the excellent post i see today , good luck to you

    Reply
  3. Kim says

    August 18, 2017 at 6:22 AM

    LOVE this sign! So cute!

    Reply
  4. Danielle says

    July 22, 2016 at 5:36 AM

    That is just too cute!! And simple too!

    Reply
    • Erlene at My Pinterventures says

      July 22, 2016 at 3:20 PM

      Thank you so much Danielle. It took me a while to do the lettering, but it was worth it.

      Reply
  5. Gabrielle Tyler says

    July 18, 2016 at 10:15 AM

    This is adorable. What a good idea to use shells to make a pineapple!

    Reply
  6. sahana says

    July 17, 2016 at 1:20 PM

    So cute. Thank you for sharing with us at #HomeMattersParty. We would love to have you again next week.

    Reply
  7. Pili says

    July 6, 2016 at 4:00 AM

    So cute Erlene!! It looks so summerly!! I look at your sign while pulling my hair because when we moved I throw away a box full of shells 🙁 I think we need to go to the beach and collect some more
    Pili recently posted…Two Uses Tuesday 87My Profile

    Reply
  8. Kim~madeinaday says

    June 29, 2016 at 4:52 PM

    Love this sweet Pineapple sign girly! Sharing Friday on #P3Party!
    Kim~madeinaday recently posted…DIY Hoop Tassel EarringsMy Profile

    Reply
  9. Katy SkipTheBag says

    June 26, 2016 at 1:02 PM

    I love this! I recently moved from Hawaii so I have a special spot in my heart for all things Hawaii right now. I loved that you found the board from the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. I actually just found a door from their which I turned into a headboard for my beach/Hawaii guest room. I think it may need an aloha sign of its own!

    Reply
  10. Mariana says

    June 22, 2016 at 5:55 AM

    This is so creative! Love how it turned out! I love decorating with seashells.

    Reply
  11. laura londergan says

    June 21, 2016 at 3:50 PM

    how stinkin cute is that? Now we all have a great use for all of those sea shells that we collect when we go on vacation. Great idea
    laura londergan recently posted…CRAFT :: Summer Welcome WreathMy Profile

    Reply
  12. Nicole Escat says

    June 21, 2016 at 10:52 AM

    Wow, I love this idea! This is so summer-rific! I wish I had a talent like this!

    Reply
  13. Mama to 5 BLessings says

    June 21, 2016 at 10:48 AM

    This is adorable! I am in Florida, definitely a cute idea to hang on the back patio!

    Reply
  14. Claudia Krusch says

    June 21, 2016 at 4:54 AM

    You did an amazing job with that sign. I don’t know I would be able to do it!

    Reply
  15. Emily says

    June 20, 2016 at 10:54 PM

    This turned out so cute!!!! I love that is was a thrift store upcycle, and it looks amazing!
    Emily recently posted…Summer outdoor home tourMy Profile

    Reply
  16. Kimberly says

    June 20, 2016 at 10:42 PM

    I love to upcycle! You did a great job on the pineapple sign. I love the colors and creativity!

    Reply
  17. Amanda Love says

    June 20, 2016 at 9:28 PM

    You did an amazing job with that sign. I don’t know I’d be that creative. I’d more than likely have just put the shells in one spot lol
    Amanda Love recently posted…DIY Fossilized DinosMy Profile

    Reply
  18. Maryann Peik says

    June 20, 2016 at 7:57 PM

    I am impressed! What skill and imagination! Super cute for a beach house or Luau party!

    Reply
  19. LIz Mays says

    June 20, 2016 at 3:53 PM

    I wish I could think of things like this! What an absolutely brilliant use of seashells, and it’s so very attractive.
    LIz Mays recently posted…Where To Stay in Charlottesville VA – Hotels with Local CharmMy Profile

    Reply
  20. Dru says

    June 19, 2016 at 5:35 PM

    What a cool idea!

    Reply
  21. Shirley Wood says

    June 16, 2016 at 7:00 PM

    Oh Erlene, your seashell pineapple is so unique and pretty! Love the message of welcome with both the pineapple and Aloha.
    We always find ‘good stuff when we visit our Habitat for Humanity ReStore and can feel good about supporting the cause too. It’s like going to the fabric store, so addictive.
    Shirley Wood recently posted…Chicken, Broccoli & Yam Campfire Foil-Pack DinnerMy Profile

    Reply
  22. Michelle james says

    June 16, 2016 at 6:27 PM

    This is awesome! I never would have thought to use shells for the pineapple & it looks perfect! Love the special meaning behind Aloha as well.
    Michelle james recently posted…DIY Chandelier Planter Upcycle ChallengeMy Profile

    Reply
  23. Debrashoppeno5 says

    June 16, 2016 at 6:06 PM

    This is fantastic. I really like how the pineapple turned out.
    Debrashoppeno5 recently posted…A Novelty Lamp For The Man In Your LifeMy Profile

    Reply
  24. Paula@SweetPea says

    June 16, 2016 at 3:23 PM

    Love the sign and using a cabinet door for the wood was a great idea to save money. The shells on the pineapple that form the O are the perfect touch for Aloha!
    Paula@SweetPea recently posted…DIY FootstoolMy Profile

    Reply
  25. Kim~madeinaday says

    June 16, 2016 at 6:55 AM

    Oh my goodness this is awesome! Lovin that Pineapple! How clever are you! Super cute sign.
    Kim

    Reply
  26. Amanda @The Kolb Corner says

    June 16, 2016 at 5:37 AM

    Love the sign, and that pineapple is just perfect!
    I just recently went into a Habitat for Humanity store that is literally right down the street from me. I don’t know why it took me so long! It’s an awesome store!! I was in there for an hour and a half just browsing through it.
    Amanda @The Kolb Corner recently posted…Wood Planked End Table–Thrift Store UpcycleMy Profile

    Reply
  27. Maureen says

    June 16, 2016 at 3:31 AM

    Oh, I love it! I really have to get myself one of those Cameo machines one day! Well done 🙂
    Maureen recently posted…Thrift Store Upcycle – Vintage PennantsMy Profile

    Reply

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