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Monday 13 February 2012

For The Love Of Antique Lawn Ornaments

I adore antique lawn ornaments!  Faux Bois benches and tables, cast iron urns and moss covered Grecian statues make my heart go pitty pat. I just cannot afford them.  No matter, I'll fake it.


The first thing you have to do is race off to the dollar store, where they are bringing out their summer lines.  You want to get there before all the good stuff is gone!  Hahahahha.  I'm breaking myself up here.

Grab yourself a couple of these resin bunnies. ~ 


The detail is pretty good on these.  It's just the paint finish that screams, "Look at me.  I'm from some Dollaplooza or Wally World store!"


The price is certainly right.  Sorry to show his little butt like this. ~


I'm using craft paint because it dries really fast and I'm in a hurry in case spring comes early this year.  I dob them up with splotches of white, dark grey and light grey.  ~


Then, I give them a good coat of white and gob it on pretty thick in some areas so it looks like they've been repainted many times.  ~


If I wanted them to look like painted cement, I would water some dark grey paint down to the consistency of water and drizzle it in the bare spots.  That would simulate paint wearing off and the base showing through.

I want mine to look like painted terra cotta with green slimy stuff growing on it.  I took some forest green paint, watered it down and dumped it over the bunnies.  It naturally found its way into all the spots where moss would grow.  ~


Of course, when I move them outdoors, you will see them more like this. ~


Please don't notice anything stuck in the cracks of the floor.  People who live in houses with 200 year old wide plank floors always have stuff stuck in them.

I think these bunnies would be sweet spray painted in pastel colours for Easter decorating!  For outdoors, mine will have to be sprayed with exterior Varathane.

I'll wait until the weather warms and do that outside.  Trust me, you don't want to see what a 200 year old, dirt floor basement looks like!


I'm showing off the bunnies at these great sites:


Sunday's Best Par.tay
Sweet Talkin Sunday
Uncommonly Yours Link Party
Power Of Paint
diy mobile app, diy
Home And Garden Thursday


Feathered Nest Friday

18 comments:

  1. I love these! I'm going to try these too....Thanks Maureen! xo wendy

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  2. Lynn @ www.etsy.com/2becherished13 February 2012 at 14:15

    Love the antique look. I will have to try with some UGLY garden ornaments I have.

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  3. The bunnies look great, they're such cute shapes but you really made them look like antique ornaments !

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  4. Oh my, a compliment from a real faux artist! I've a long way to go to catch up to you, Fiona.

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  5. OK, something new to look for at the Dollar Store!!! Precious! XO Cindy

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  6. Oh how sweet! Thanks for the tut!! Visiting from Sunday's Best Party! Drop by my blog sometime!

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  7. Those are so cute and you were cracking me up too!! What a sense of humor you have!! Love it! Oh and you can show these off on my Linky Party SweetTalkin' Sunday going on right now. Hope to see you there!!
    http://www.thesweettalkshop.com/2012/02/sweettalkin-sunday-link-party-5.html

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  8. Thanks for the invitation Lisa. I have linked to your party!

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  9. your bunnies are adorable. I'm going to have to stop by the dollar store now.

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  10. Love them! Pinning this now so I can remember to make some for my mom, who also loves bunnies and garden decor!

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  11. Rosemary's comment made me laugh. When someone asked me what I was going to do with them, I said I would give them the Villabarnes paint treatment! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

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  12. These are so cute and I had some just like them! But they got discolored leaving them outside all the time! I didn't know how to fix them! I wonder where they are! heehee! Great idea!♥

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  13. Very cute - I have a lot of ugly garden animals that I can do this too. Love the antique look. Great way of repurposing ugly to pretty. Thanks for sharing your creative inspiration over at Sunday's Best Par.tay! Following you on Linky - please follow back!

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  14. what a wonderful transformation!

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  15. Excellent makeover! I love how realistic they look. I think even someone as craft challenged as I am could do it. LOL

    Stopping by and newly following from Inspire Me Mondays. (on Linky Followers, GFC and Pinterest) Thanks for the great tutorial!

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  16. You definitely can do this craft, Mary. If you get too much green, just paint some more white on it.

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  17. Wonderful idea! Thanks for sharing at Inspire Me Monday - look forward to seeing your next project!

    Ramona
    http://create-with-joy.com

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