Not Your Average Bathroom Tap
by
Estelle
3 Materials
$15
4 Weeks
Advanced
I really wanted a different tap for our one bathroom. A nickel one? A bronze one? A copper pipe one? No thanks! What about a giraffe one?
I started with chicken wire and pliers, and gloves please! :)
After I was happy with the shape I sewed Cemforce over the wire structure to hold the whole thing together. (It's a product used to enforce thin cement projects - or to seal ponds with) It also keeps the cement from going through the chicken wire and makes it stick.
Cement mixture: 1 part cement to 4 parts fine building sand. I smeared it on layer by layer. If you go too thick in the beginning the cement will fall off. So, this is a slow process and takes a few days. I built it up till I was again happy with the shape I had. Then the sculpting started - also with the cement, bit by bit.
After I finished I put a piece of garden hose through the neck and into the mouth so that you cannot see it from the front. Then hubby helped to fix it to the wall - again with cement. It has to dry very well after this.
I also decided that a normal basin won't do, so I gathered some rocks and started to build a pond-like basin. Remember to put in a drain and plug :)
This was just in place - without being cemented to the wall already.
I made a 'window frame' on the wall with old wooden planks and painted a really plain mural on it. It had to look like the giraffe put his head through a large open window.
I used ordinary acrylic paint and put some varnish over it to keep it clean and washable. Then fake eyelashes were glued on, and there we go! If you open the tap, the water comes out of the mouth.
The bathroom is a bit on the dark side, so the picture is not that good, but you will get the general idea.
Comments
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4 of 87 comments
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The most amazing idea!!! I live in Texas and we are building a weekend home to get away from the city noise.... I'm thinking about doing the same with a horse head in our build. I'm not clever with cement/wire forms, so I'm going to see if I can find a plastic horse head to use.
THANKS for sharing your creative mind!
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Hi Suzanne.... I think it will be awesome. I'm sure you will get it right as there's no right or wrong way to do this. Just put your mind to it and ...go! Please show me if you're done. I would really like to see what your horse looks like. I think it's going to be fantastic. You will be the talk of Texas.
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This is grand! Living where you do, it is absolutely perfect.
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Thank you very much.
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
What kind of garden hose did you use? I've read that everyday garden hoses are unsafe to drink from as they contain lead, phthalates and BPA. I think it is an awesome project! Beautifully done!
Is the giraffe named April?
Can this same type of thing be used to cover up a tub spout?