garden creature DIY www.trialbyinspiration.com

Garden statues are a tricky item. Give me pagodas for days, metal, concrete, wood, but a whimsical animal, tread carefully lest you wander into gnome territory. One has to be bold to accept a decorative animal onto the lawn, but if done right, there is no more enviable find, spied across a friend’s grill-out or poolside party: “wherrrre did you get thaatttt??” jealousy barely concealed. This project is not for everyone, which is good because it’s one of a kind and a personal reward for a decade of saving (boardering on hoarding). Read on for my super simple, slightly strange (let’s go with avant-garde?) garden statue creation.

garden creature DIY flat lay www.trialbyinspiration.com

I’ve been holding on to this deer head from a broken, Mexican import planter for more than ten years. It traveled with me on multiple moves, and I defended it when combining property after getting engaged and so it seemed fated that today, when we drove past a bulk trash pile, I spied a headless garden statue among the dried yard cuttings and leaves. We drove four or five more blocks until I confessed: “I saw something back there, can we go just see?”

Supplies:

Quick Setting Cement

Disposable Container, for mixing

Stir Stick, I used a painter’s stir stick, free at Home Depot

Short Length of PVC Pipe, cut to fit desired height

Found, Hoarded or Purchased Statue Remnants

Steps:

Wash remnants and fill with water to identify any leaks. Tape any holes or cracks to prevent cement from pouring out.

garden creature DIY www.trialbyinspiration.com

Mix concrete according to the instructions, add water or powder as needed, you will want a consistency like cake batter.

Insert PVC pipe into the base, pour concrete around it in order to weight base and hold pipe securely. Wait until cement is dry.

garden creature DIY headlesswww.trialbyinspiration.com

Balance head piece upside down and fill with newly mixed concrete.

garden creature DIY www.trialbyinspiration.com

After the cement is dry- enjoy!

garden creature DIY www.trialbyinspiration.com