How To Repair Garden Statues

Anne is a author and teacher who recently restored a decorative statue for a friend.

The earlier and after photos of a statue restoration.

The Art of Plaster Statue Restoration

Do you have an one-time garden statue or a statue in your home that is one-time and maybe disintegrated with years of use? Statues, especially ones that are placed outside in the elements, can go weathered and worn over time, and it seems like a difficult job to find a fashion to restore them and make them wait like new once more.

I recently took information technology upon myself to restore a statue for a friend. I have had no experience doing this kind of project before, just using some ideas I had come up with on my ain, I was able to restore the piece and take it looking like new again. Here, I volition requite you a few tips on how to properly restore a decorative statue.

Stride ane: Do a Thorough Inspection of the Damage

Earlier getting started on your projection, it is a skilful thought to observe it and take photos and then you know the kind of condition information technology is in already. This will assistance to place any problem areas and things that you see that need to be fixed.

In my case, the statue was severely disintegrated and worn from the elements, so I knew I would demand to find something to fill up in the holes that I found on the statue. In addition, I had some pieces of the statue that were broken off, so I also knew there would be a little work to exercise with re-assembling some pieces. This is why it is so crucial to really wait at the statue get-go and determine what needs to be done. You will have a plan of activeness and exist able to plot out the proper steps equally to how to restore it properly.

Step 2: Clean the Statue

The start matter you want to do is clean it a little chip then you have a blank slate to start from. It is important and crucial that yous don't use whatever harmful chemicals or cleaning products on the statue because it could harm the material and depending on what your statue is made out of, information technology could completely ruin it.

I used a damp cloth with water to make clean my statue. In that location was some dirt and leaves that had become caught in some of the crevices, so I gently wiped the statue with a wet cloth to get rid of the layers of clay and leaves. If your statue is very dingy, information technology might accept you a few times to get it to where you want it to exist. Please note that information technology does not have to be completely clean, but clean enough for you to have a shine surface to work with as you make changes and repairs.

The divergence between an expanse with no plaster and an area that has been filled in with plaster on a statue.

Step 3: Add Plaster

I found in my case specifically, because information technology was so damaged and there were and so many holes in information technology due to weathering over the years, that I needed to make full in those holes. Plaster of Paris works wonders for this because it will help fill the holes and withal give the statue a look of "stone". In addition, Plaster of Paris is very cheap and readily available at most craft stores.

Follow the instructions on the package specifically and begin "painting" information technology over the statue. I found that calculation a sparse layer showtime was the all-time choice. I used a large paintbrush to brush on the plaster to make sure it filled in the holes and created a smooth surface for me to work with. Y'all do NOT want to clump it on with your easily, as a lot of times, this volition brand the statue loose its shape and you will accept bumps and other unwanted impurities on information technology. Take it irksome and let it dry for a while earlier deciding if yous want to add more plaster afterwards. A lilliputian goes a long style in this case.

The get-go step of adding Plaster of Paris to fill in the gaps and holes on the statue.

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Step 4: Sand

After adding the plaster, it is important for you to spend some time smoothing out the surface, peculiarly if you will be painting on top of the plaster, which I highly recommend. Even if y'all aren't going to paint colors on it and merely want to paint information technology all white again, it is important to have a polish surface to pigment on.

I used fine grained sandpaper to lightly sand the expanse before painting information technology. Be careful in this process besides, as you do not want to sand too much and risk sanding the layer of the statue underneath. I was very light with my hands so as to create that smoothen surface on top, but careful enough non to damage annihilation.

Pace 5: Fix Broken Pieces

In my example, I had a few broken pieces that I needed to fix earlier painting. At that place was an arm that needed to be glued dorsum on as well as some deformities in the statue that needed to exist filled in and fixed. For this project, I used Loctite glue. It is safety and like shooting fish in a barrel to employ, and you lot tin find information technology at most home improvement stores. The beauty of Loctite glue is the fact that yous tin use such a small corporeality and it volition hold it together perfectly. You besides don't take to wait for the glue to dry. Y'all agree it together for about twenty seconds and it will attach tightly. No need to wait or get a clamp if you tin can hold it together for but twenty seconds!

In addition to gluing pieces dorsum on, I also had a deformed cross on my statue that needed to exist fixed. For this, I bought a pocket-sized pack of molding clay (you can but this at any arts and crafts store). When you get the dirt out, mix it with a piddling chip of h2o and mold it with your easily until it is soft and malleable. Then, shape it over the area yous desire to fix. I put the clay right over the summit of the cross. And then, slowly and carefully remove the clay. You will need to bake it in the oven per the instructions on the package and and then glue the piece on when you are finished.

Pace half-dozen: Paint

Once you have completed the gluing process, it is fourth dimension to start painting. For my project, I used acrylic paint specifically useful for outdoor purposes. Y'all tin can find this multi-purpose acrylic paint at any arts and crafts shop. Paint to your liking. If yous are planning on keeping the statue all white, consider shading the crevices with a darker color (maybe a light grayness), to give the advent of stone and make information technology look more natural. I institute that shading really helped my statue come alive.

When you are finished painting, you lot will desire to use an acrylic sealer spray, particularly if y'all program on putting the statue in a garden or exterior when you are finished. This will prevent the conditions from doing damage to your statue again and will preserve it for years to come.

Stride 7: Admire Your Finished Product

Once you lot have finished, take some time to admire your piece of work. It is amazing what we tin can exercise to restore one-time pieces of art, and it is so satisfying to see the difficult work you lot have washed afterwards. Make certain you take pictures so you have a before and later picture of the process. If your statue is made of a specific material, make sure you know how to properly restore it. Plaster of Paris may not piece of work in all cases. If you lot are not certain, consult an expert at the craft store that might be able to assistance you in this procedure. In full general, I found my method to work pretty well. Exercise what you think works best for your project, and I hope these guidelines and tips helped give y'all some adept ideas on how to restore your garden statue or decorative statue.

I could not let this go... on July 25, 2022:

In my opinion, I do prefer the original statue which wears the time patina and damage.

To call this restoration information technology is not appropriate as the outcome looks so much worst than the original statue and in that location is no sympathy in anything that was washed to it.

Information technology is a shame that people destroy a cute statue in this way.

Larry Slawson from N Carolina on October 21, 2022:

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing!

Source: https://feltmagnet.com/sculpture/How-To-Restore-Statues

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