Renew Your Yard Ornament: A Whimsical Journey

Discrete little yard ornaments. What can I say? I love them! They offer a whimsical pinch of surprise and interest as they peek out from between the plants in my backyard. A piece of joy radiates where these little friends live day in and day out. But we all know nothing lasts forever. The elements often wreak havoc on our precious little displays over the years.

I received this precious little frog from my mother long ago and placed him next to the pond in my backyard. He sat there, propped up in the dirt through rain and shine. His head fell off, I put it back by making him hold it himself with his bendy little metal hands. Then it fell off again – and the cycle repeated again . . .and again. This was getting ridiculous.

Today I plucked this rusted little frog out of the ground and picked up his head that was laying nearby for the last time. I had decided that today was the day and began the shameful walk to the garbage can. Part way there, I stopped. But why? I asked myself. I have a room full of all sorts of craft items that can make him beautiful again. And so the journey began to renew my yard ornament!

First Things First

I used some Gorilla Glue to forever hold his head in place. Then out came the white spray paint to cover up his very rusted backside. Eww! After that, the acrylic paints and paint brushes made an appearance along with some special drops by Nuvo. It didn’t take very long before he returned to his youthful self again. The final step was a few sprays of polyurethane for outdoor protection and he was once again good to go.

Today he happily stands in his new location – closer to my patio where I can see him better when I look outside. He looks bright and cheery and I’m so glad I didn’t feed him to the garbage can.

If you share a similar experience with me, consider a fun little yard ornament makeover rather than throwing your old little friend into the trash. Here is what I used to bring him back to life: