Here we go again with my latest contribution to The Good Life blog, the DIY/Lifestyle blog of Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina. For October’s post, I went with a Halloween project (of course!) and decided to create something so ridiculously simple that anyone- and I mean ANYONE- can do it. Even if you don’t have a crafty bone in your body.
When you go to a Goodwill or any thrift store (or garage sale…or flea market), there will ALWAYS be a few figurines available. Whether they are ceramic, porcelain, clay, or other material, figurines are a secondhand shop staple. And as I was on my thrifting adventures over the past few months, I picked up a few along the way.
Unassuming critters on thrift store shelves…
I specifically kept an eye out for the “flawed” figurine- ones that had significant chips or cracks, or even some that were missing pieces entirely. Because this project is seriously the perfect way to upcycle the broken (and extra cheap) figurines on thrift store shelves. This post contains affiliate links for your crafting convenience.
After I had hit a sufficient number of shops, I assembled my mismatched army of figures: from children, to cuddly animals, to a strange alligator coin bank.
Here’s what I gathered…
It is ridiculously easy to transform them into Halloween décor! First, I set up my spray paint station outside- basically, a sawhorse table with my figurines on top. I wanted to raise the figurines up (as opposed to spray painting on the ground/grass) so that I could make sure I was getting paint in all the nooks and crannies.
Using bubbles of wide painter’s tape, I temporarily secured the figurines to my makeshift table- which ensured they wouldn’t tip over from the force of the paint or a gush of wind. Then, I nabbed some black spray paint and my always-gotta-use trigger handle.
Ready for a spooky makeover?
Two coats later, they looked like this! Part of me wishes I had used a more matte black spray paint, but I wanted to use what I had (which was clearly glossy). Oh well, it’ll do…
Not NEARLY spooky enough…
Now comes the secret to giving these a spooky, haunted Halloween look: RED EYES! Now, I first tried a red paint pen, but I was dissatisfied with the color (it was more pink, less scarlet). So I ended up using chalky red craft paint, which turned out far better and was the perfect red against the black paint.
The haunting is all in the eyes…
A quick tip for painting the eyes- I didn’t use a small paint brush! Instead, I used the blunt round end of a bamboo skewer! It allowed me to pick up the amount of paint I needed and could dab it on the figurine in an eye shape! It sounds crazy, but skewers are a favorite secret crafting tool of mine.
And then they were done- my creepy, spooky, haunted Halloween crew. From sweet to scary in no time at all for very little money.
Easy DIY and SUPER CREEPY decor!
You could definitely change these up and still keep them spooky- grey spray paint for a more zombie-like appearance…or maybe an olive green for a more swamp-like or Godzilla look. But no matter how you paint them, it makes for super easy Halloween décor that fits into any budget. And going on a scavenger hunt for weird figurines is a LOT of fun!
Craft on!
S
PIN ME!
The post Halloween Motley Crew: “Haunted” Figurines appeared first on Sadie Seasongoods.