Hello, friends! Who has tight pants this morning, after six long hours of snacking?! I’m raising my hand, that’s for sure! And when I wasn’t shoving back chips and dip, I was spray painting cheap animal figurines!
Seems my Animal Bookends started a new addiction! But since I’m determined to turn my house into Liberace’s Lair, this time I got busy with metallic gold.
I raided the kid’s toys and found this hefty elephant. I’ve been dying to try Martha’s new liquid gold leaf and high gloss finish, and I thought the actual gold flecks would look more authentic. Unfortunately, it never fully dried on the plastic, and was still tacky several days later. (Not tacky like Christina Aguilera’s spray tan, but tacky like sticky to the touch.)
So I went back to my original method and whipped out the spray paint in Metallic Brass. BAM…Brass Figurine!
Just like the potato chips I was inhaling, I couldn’t stop at just one!
Another rampage turned up this fun giraffe. (I recommend asking your kids before stealing and painting their toys.)
And to prove that you can find cool stuff anywhere, I picked up this horse head at Hobby Lobby for $4! You just have to get past the shame of looking in their ‘Western’ section.
I think it’s pretty cool as-is, but my trigger finger was still unquenched, so he ended up brass, too!
Clearly I’m on to something, since the fabulous Jonathan Adler is selling oodles of insanely-priced brass figurines. I think I’ll stick with mine for mere dollars apiece.
These little guys are perfect for creating vignettes and adding bits of personality to a room. Somebody stop me before I spray paint the neighbor’s dog!
** Linking up to Home Stories A to Z, The DIY Showoff, TaterTots & Jello, Serenity Now and Thrifty Decor Chick**
Love these & think I'm going to copy the idea. What a fun & cheap way to spruce up the room.
Genius! I love this idea. My mother has a handful of brass animals from the 80's and I love them. Still trying to pry her hands off of the mama and baby giraffe!
Hope you are well!
Abbe
I am LOVING this!!! I went to Home Depot on Saturday to get some fun colored spray paint to attack my clutter and wound up buying this krylon mettalic gold instead. Was rainy all weekend so I couldn't get my hands on anything. Maybe this afternoon! So excited to gild up my crap! Yay for gold animals!
LOVE the horse!!! You are so crafty! These look great – much better price tag too 🙂
Oh the wonders of spray paint! Would you like to guest post for my spray paint series? I love showing how creative one could be with spray paint! LOVE IT!
Super cute! Love that brass is chic again!
Ummmmm $5? Yes Maaam! Great job! I love it.
~Tami @ Curb Alert!
you are a girl after my own heart!! Everything I touch around here turns to gold-well sprayed gold that is! I went on a gold rampage back in Dec. Went to the $1 store and stocked up on plastic crap! I havent tried the rustoleum brand- I usually use Valspar but Im liking your better.
You are a DIY rockstar. Whenever I whip out the spray paint my hubby gets a worried look on his face. I love love love the horse head, I just might be picking up once myself!
Wow! What a transformation – each item looks like $100. I love that that brass is starting to be the front runner – over white.
This is Awesome Cassie! One of the coolest ideas I've seen in awhile! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Love them! Glad you asked the kiddos first 😉
I'm loving all of your brass figurines!!!
This is a great idea! I spray paint just about anything!
Oh I have spray painted tons of things with that paint, then I go over it will walnut Minwax stain and rub off all that I don't want and what a beautiful old gold look a piece has. Gorgeous. Hugs, Marty
That's my favorite gold spray paint. I used it on the chair in my entry foyer. Love your figurines – especially the horse head!
Oh dear, I'm afraid once I start I won't be able to stop either.
I too will paint anything, great job!
I cracked up about your 'tacky' comparison!!! 🙂
Just bought some plastic horses at Target to spray paint. I love it.
Love!!! Went to Target last week after your other post and picked up some cows…thinking they need to be bright pink:o BTW, absolutely obsessed with brass figurines. Can't seem to stop. My sister had to talk me down last week at our local thrift store!:)
I LOVE this! I am so on the brass bandwagon after seeing Centsational Girl's brass post and Bower Power's brass elephant I had decided I was going to spray paint me some brass figurines out of plastic animals! You beat me to the punch!
Cass you just crack me up! I love you and your spray paint cans. So when are you coming over to my house? As long as you dont spray paint my kid, I will take you any time!! Hugs lady!
Loving the horse head…so fun!
you make me laugh! looks good!
Those turned out so awesome! My pants are definitely a bit tighter after last night. I'm glad I'm not alone!
These are so great! And I commend you for braving the western section of Hobby Lobby! LOL.
Definitely saving this for later!!
So creative! I have addiction to doing this as well, but with white paint!
Girl step away from the spary paint! Just kidding I am totally going to raid Sterling's toys while he sleeps and find something to brass up. Heck you even have me wanting to look in the Western section at Hobby Lobby now. Great idea.
p.s glad that elephant had a normal sized trunk.
Super cute. . . that is what I used on my wee little pumpkins. Love that stuff.Happy Monday!
That's a lot of impact for so little money spent. Looking around the room for what I can spray paint!
Yes gold is back! And in such amazing colors too. These are exactly what I would paint, I love the horse. Off to HG I go 🙂
I really like the elephant! I laughed reading this because just as I was thinking, "What did her kids say when they saw their painted animals," I read the part about asking them first.
OH my goodness!! This post seriously inspired me!!! So much fun!! and most importantly great job!! I have a few things in my home, that could use some brass love 🙂
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love this! I have been waiting for the weather to warm up so I can take my foo dogs outside and five them a good brass spray down.
Whitney
whitneykayestyles.blogspot.com
This is super cute! I love that brass is coming back and yay for doing it on the cheap 🙂
P.S. I think you are a great blogger – your sarcasm always makes me laugh!
I share your addiction and LOVE these!
Jenny
http://www.simcoestreet.blogspot.com
Okay, I admit it…I did not think I would like these at all. But they are AWESOME and lots of fun!
Thanks for sharing your ideas with us!
Elizabeth
You've done it again! I love it! And I'm going to do it!
You are a genius!!!! I'm wishing we had all those toys back now.
Perfect!! You've got me wondering what I can spray brass now! p.s. I just bought Design Sponge last week- did you notice it in my media cabinet??!! 🙂
Too funny!!!! I LOVE the horsehead one! And the giraffe is pretty fantastic 🙂 Hope you had a lovely weekend Cassie!! xo
Oh how cute! Great idea!!
Seriously, what doesn't look better with a coat of metallic spray paint?!?!? Love the horse. These are perfect for glamming up a boring old vignette. Nice work!
What a great idea! So easy!
Just pinned this!! Love, love, love!!
Love these! And I love picturing you spray painting every figurine that isn't nailed down.
If I'm being honest, the bookends weren't necessarily my favorite…but BOOYAH! Then you came up with this and I'm right back on the Cassie-is-the-most-brilliant-DIYer-on-the-planet train!!! I'm about to go and steal some of my childrens' toys as we speak…I may or may not ask permission…I'm a rebel (c:
Hi,
I just found your blog. Must be living under a rock or something.
This is brilliant! I have so many of the little $1 animals that my son has outgrown. I'll be doing this next.
Absolutely fabulous!! Pinning now! LOL
Fabulous idea! You're keeping the metallic spray paint and animal figurine industries in business! Too bad I don't have any kiddos to steal from — wonder if Zoey and Riley have any toys that would work. Is it cool if it squeaks too?
This is fabulous! I'll have to try them.
You are genius! Such a great idea for when kids get older and you have all these toys leftover. Love it.
-Kathryn.
numberfoureleven.blogspot.com
Ha Ha Ha Ha….. snort….snort….Great idea for sure but the way you told it really made me laugh!!!
I love love love this!!! And I love your blog! Definitely going to do this one! :~)
I am behind on my blog reading so I am just now seeing this amazingness. I won't lie, I ran out to Target and Walmart and picked up supplies as soon as I read it! haha. I just had a quick question for you. Do you recommend priming the plastic beforehand? I picked up some primer spray paint just in case. I am doing a western themed party for my daughter's third birthday and thought the plastic horses would look so cute holding little signs around their necks with the names of the food (Lasso Lemonade, Giddy Up Cupcakes, etc). I bought the gold paint but I am thinking I might try pink? What are your thoughts? (I am going with a pink/brown color scheme for the party). Have I mentioned lately that you are a decorating genius? Well you are! Thanks so much for the inspiration!
Who would have thought that brass could look so amazing?! Glad you did and shared. I often look right past it when picking out spray paint finishes!
xoxo,
Jen
What a great idea!! I wanna try!! 🙂
I love this so much!!! I actually found you from another blog who had linked to your project and I freaked out because I thought it was the cutest thing ever! 🙂 I ran right to my kids' toy box and grabbed out an animal to spray paint. I posted about it today.
http://inside-outdesign.blogspot.com/2012/02/silver-zebra.html
So glad I found you because your blog seems awesome and I love your style! Thanks for the super cute and super easy project idea!!
super cool!
Awesome! I just did this yesterday with a pack of plastic safari animals from the dollar store. Krylon Premium 18K Gold spray is my favourite. I bought my first can over a year ago and you wouldn't believe the things that have turned into gold whenever I was bored or inspired. Trigger happy is definetely the right phrase to use when it comes to gold spray paint.
Love these! I gotta get myself to the toy store for my new brass animals. 🙂 You made me laugh out loud with the dog spray painting comment.
I just made my own with gold spray paint and they look amazing! Check it out and thank you for the great inspiration!
http://createbakecelebrate.blogspot.com/2012/11/create-gold-accent-pieces.html
This morning I curated a "DIY Ceramic Animal Hall of Fame" collection (obviously, just my humble opinions) and this made the list! Obviously, not everything on the list is very “ceramic-y” but they are all adorable. Your animals turned out like such a fancy little zoo! I love it – I can’t believe they all looked so different before you painted them! The post is here: http://paintingsunny.com/2013/06/21/diy-ceramic-animal-hall-of-fame/
You're so funny, not like Christina tacky, like sticky tacky. I wish I'd seen this post BEFORE I tried mine… mine are tacky too. Going to get the brand of paint you suggested.
Thanks doll!!!!
This will be a perfect idea for my wedding in Scotland!! I’ve been struggling over justifying flying my hefty bronze animal collection but I can make these for way less $$ than the cost of shipping!
Absolutely!!! So glad you found some inspiration here! xo, Cassie