Cassie Bustamante

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How to Make Gold Animal Plant Picks

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This week on Primitive and Proper is brought to you by plant accessories that are painted gold.  Or at least it should be, because that’s what you are getting again here today!  Monday I shared with you some gold leaf hand lettered flower pots and today, I have an easy and whimsical project, gold animal plant picks!  Actually, my friend Katja told me it doesn’t get any better than a giraffe on a stick.  I replied that I suppose this project is basically the corn dog of home decor– pure indulgent joy on a stick.
I am going to share with you exactly how I made these guys!
You will need:
Plastic animals (I found mine at a flea market, but you can also purchase at any hobby, craft, or toy store)
Cardboard Box
Gold spray paint (I prefer Rust-Oleum’s Metallic Gold)
Drill and two bits- one super skinny and one barely wider in diameter than your skewer
Wooden skewers
Scissors or plant snippers
Hot Glue
1. Clean off your plastic animals (if you thrifted them like me) with warm soapy water and let them dry.
2. Lay your animals on their sides on the bottom of a cardboard box.  Spray paint them on this side and allow them to dry.
3. Flip the animals onto their other side and spray that side, allowing them to dry.  Once they are painted check on both sides for any missed spots and make sure you get those.
Here are mine, all dry in their box and waiting for the next step!
4. Using a teeny (not sure what size I used!) drill bit, drill a hole about 1/8-1/4″ into the bottom of your animal.
5. Using the bigger bit, widen the hole with the drill.  (It’s easier to do it with the lead hole because it’s very hard to drill with a larger bit into a teeny plastic animal; trust me on this).

And just for kicks, I thought I’d show you the owl… I had to drill sort of an inappropriate hole!!!  Watch out for gold owl pellets!

Anyhow, where was I before I was distracted by golden poop?
6. Using heavy duty scissors or plant trimmers, cut your wooden skewers to your desired lengths.
7. Using your hot glue gun, place a dot of hot glue in the hole you made in your animal.

8. Place your skewer’s cut end into the hole with the hot glue, leaving the sharp pointed end out as that will poke into the soil.  Hold it straight in place while it dries and hardens.

9. Stick them in plants and admire their quirkiness.  The two below are my favorites!

10. Show them to your daughter who says “Wow, Mommy!  You made those with brass animals!”  Think to yourself, “Way to go, Rust-Oleum, with the best quality metallic spray paint ever.  You make plastic look like real metal.”

I just love this giraffe!

And behold…. the owl with the precious golden pellets.  Me wants the precious!

I have a bunch more animals that I painted gold that were slightly too small for this project, so I am thinking of making photo holders, much like the horse place card holders I made.  Remember these guys?

What do you think?  Can you picture them on a mantle or shelf holding old photos?
Oh, and I think I should rename the blog something like “Paint All the Things Gold”.  I can’t get enough.  Midas has nothing on me.

I also would love to find some bigger animals to create some awesome planters like my friend Caitlin….
Isn’t this the coolest?

Have a great day!  I am off to decimate some more plastic animals all in the name of style!
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Comments

  1. Lisa @ Shine Your Light says

    You definitely have the Midas touch girl!!!! I love it – this is SUCH a fun and whimsical idea. I’m particularly impressed that your little pumpkin knew what “brass” was…..you have taught her well!

    Reply

  7. Kelly says

    Now that’s cool, now I need plastic animals… My husband always says if its not nailed down… It’s not safe from spray painting… Lol

    Reply

  12. Keya @ Vintage Prairie Style says

    oh my, these are about the cutest thing ever. my hand is starting to twitch as i resist the urge to swipe some of the kids’ plastic animals and go crazy with some gold spray paint. would they miss those toys, really, would they???

    Reply

  25. Heidi @ Decor & More says

    You definitely have the Midas touch, Cassie! I LOVE this project — so quirky and fun, but the gold makes it glam, too. Can I please have that owl?? 😉
    xo Heidi
    PS — you need to do a goose that could lay golden eggs ha ha!

    Reply

  27. Kahli says

    I love anything gold! And I love animal figurines. Put them together and I really love it.

    For anyone that is looking. Sometimes Michaels has rubber/plastic zoo animals. I bought a good amount over the summer.

    Reply

  35. For My Love Of says

    You are a dang hoot! I just made a gold rhino with a giant paperclip growing out of his back for holding notes on my desk. Now surely the next step is a few gold animals hanging out in my houseplants. It just must happen! Who would pass up the opportunity for gold owl pellets?

    Reply

  36. Erlene A says

    Love the owls and the animals are so whimsical. I have a fake succulent plant on our mantle that I change up with decorative picks and this would be a fun option. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

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