Two Quick Tweaks Transforms Primitive Style Decor For The Better

You Guys,  this was a fast project which means it’s going to be a fast and short post. You might remember I bought a primitive style Pineapple Welcome Sign at the junk shop a couple of weeks ago. Well, it got a quick and easy makeover and it isn’t primitive anymore. Yay!

Most of the time when I buy something at the junk shop or the thrift store I don’t have to spend a lot of time or money to transform the piece. That’s definitely  true with this welcome sign.

The photo above shows how the Pineapple Welcome Sign looked when I bought it. I never have been a big fan of primitive style home decor. Some of it is okay but for the most part it’s a no for me. The sign didn’t need the bit of grapevine or the raggedy ribbon. The ribbon might have been pretty when new but not now. The Welcome part of the sign also had that funky brown color that says primitive to me.

The first thing I did was remove the grapevine strands and the ribbon/bow.

Next I wanted to get rid of some of the brown but I didn’t want to paint and stencil the Welcome sign again. I pulled out a piece of sandpaper and gently sanded the welcome area. In the photo above you can see where I have started distressing or sanding the left side of the sign. A lot of the brown tannish color is gone. I had to be careful not to take off too much of the letters when sanding. It was really an easy job and only took about 5 minutes tops.

Now to find a bow or ribbon to replace the red one. I first pulled out the black and white plaid ribbon and then had second thoughts. The turquoise ribbon with the orangish flowers is my favorite right now. I think I got it at Hobby Lobby.

The ribbon is wide and I couldn’t tie it around the pineapple without it looking wonky. The sign didn’t need a giant bow either so I just cut a piece of ribbon and tied a knot in the middle then hot glued it to the left side of the pineapple at the base of the leaves.

Placing the ribbon a little off center just looks better. Or it does to me. What do you think? Centered or off-center? The wood cut out pineapple didn’t need anything done to it. The color was good and it looked stylish.

I told you it was going to be quick and easy. Now I know you probably don’t have a sign like this one or will ever find one but keep in mind these simple changes. When you spot something at the thrift store, flea market, or maybe in your home and you think it sure looks dated. Take a minute to think about how you could update the look. You got anything primitive at home….the fake primitive stuff, not the real primitive stuff?

Pineapple welcome signs are a thing apparently. I didn’t realize that until I made the sign below….

I actually made two of these pineapple signs on wood boards. The metal pineapple signs were a yard sale find. You can see the projects here…..Reclaimed Wood Pineapple Welcome Sign

I found this story about the pineapple and how it became a symbol of welcome……The pineapple originally calls Brazil it’s home. It spread from there due to the movements of the Tupi Indians. It was the Portuguese and Spanish who spread it throughout the world. In fact, it was the Spanish who eventually gave the fruit the name “pineapple” due to their appearance, as they resembled pine cones. For the ancient peoples of the New World (New, at least, to Europeans), they recognized the pineapple as a fruit symbolizing friendship and hospitality. Families would hang pineapples outside their homes to perfume the entryway and make it welcoming to guests. (source) 

That’s it for me. Have a great day, Kathy

Kathy Owen

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Author: Kathy Owen
Kathy Owen is the founder of the home decor blog Petticoat Junktion where she shares tutorials on painting furniture and upcycling thrifty finds into unique home décor. Her DIY projects have been featured on the Home Depot Blog, Plaid Crafts, Behr Designer Series, and in numerous magazines. Kathy’s newest website is HappyHomeDIY.com