Do you remember the days when you would visit elderly relatives and be in awe at their collection of dust collectors figurines? I would covet those little pieces of porcelain, too scared to touch for fear of breaking them and watching their beauty shatter into a million tiny pieces. But these days those figurines just would not make the cut onto the bookshelves or mantelpieces of a modern house. But they can be saved and take pride of place in the home. This is a great little craft project that you can get the kids involved in or do yourself when they’ve gone to bed.
I was recently set some Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint to play with and have been searching for a project or two to get started. (note: Chalk Paint is named as such for it’s velvety, matt finish and not When I walked into a Vinnies store last week and spotted these figurines, I knew I had found my first project. I handed over my $9 for the figurines and went straight back home to start painting.
Here’s what you will need for this project:
an old figurine (you can usually find them at op shops or raid Aunty Mabel’s house)
Chalk Paint (there are a number of Australian Chalk Paint stockists)
flat paint brush
Inevitably, the figurine will be dusty after years of being on display (or shoved in the back of a cupboard) so give it a good clean with a damp cloth and leave to dry.
Mix up the paint to your desired colour. You can either use a standard Chalk Paint colour or mix different colours together. I used 1 part Florence mixed with 1 part Old White for the boy figurine, 1 part Old Violet mixed with 1 part Old White for the girl figurine and 1 part Emperor’s Silk mixed with 3 parts Old White for the birds. I mixed the paint in little baby food pots so I could keep the lid on between coats.
Start painting the figurine. You will likely need two (maybe three) coats. Set aside to dry in between coats. Chalk Paint goes on quite thick and is really easy to paint with.
The final result is quite effective. The ugly figurines are now really cute pieces that I will be able to put on display in my home.
Have you done any good upcycling projects recently?
Hi there gorgeous mama! Sign up to the Kid Magazine weekly newsletter to receive beauty, style, recipes and parenting tips plus special offers and more!
