Refinishing Lawn Ornaments

On my last trip to the country I was upset to see my aunt's familiar lawn ornament had taken quite a beating over the past few years.  For as long as I can remember the happy little boy had stood guard a the corner of my aunt's house, right below the humming bird feeder.  When I asked my aunt she said the cement boy was passed down to her and had been in the family for around 100 years.  With his chipping paint and cracked cement he was beginning to show his age.  I decided it was my turn, like my aunts before me, to give our little boy a makeover.  I'm sure man of you have family heirlooms that need a little work, but the history they bring is well worth the effort.

I went the next day to Home Depot and bought my make over kit.  First things first I needed sand paper.  I was also going to need something to repair the deep cracks and missing pieces of cements.  Last but not least I was going to need paint and brushed to complete the refurbishing of our cement lawn ornament.  Once I got everything I needed I set to work.

I had chosen a fine grained sand paper to remove all of the paint chips fro years of layered repairs.  The paper could not be too course or it might remove some of the details of the statue.  After sanding away the chips I took the outdoor cork I had purchased at Home Depot and began to fill in the deep crack around his neck, as well as using it to resculpt the missing cement pieces.  It is important that the cork you use says it is paintable.  Once applied it will need a few hours to dry well before you can begin to paint over the cork.  While the finish will not be as perfect as actual cement it will diminish the look of wear and it is easy to use.

A few hours later I was ready to begin the repainting portion of the project.  I had purchased the Baer indoor-outdoor paint samples with paint and primer in one.  They were inexpensive, provided for great coverage, and left plenty of paint for future touch ups.  I started with the larger portions first and then returned with a smaller detailing brush to finish the fine lines and details.

A few hours of painting later and our little boy was ready to retake his rightful place on my aunt's country lawn.  I'm happy a little money and a little hard work has helped preserve this little guys for years to come.  Helping keep a family treasure alive is priceless :)