Transform a Plastic Toy To a Cute Decor Item

$4
5 Minutes
Easy
Sometimes I like projects, sometimes I dis-like projects and then sometimes I LOVE them. This project falls in the LOVE category. Yay! Today, I'm going to show you how to transform a plastic toy as decor.
Let me give you a little bit of a backstory. I am not an accessories type person (not jewelry, not scarves, not knick-knacks, not tabletop accessories, etc.). I want to love them, especially the home decor ones, but I never fall in love with the little table-top pieces while I'm shopping. Seriously, it.. never.. happens! I buy a few here and there when they are on the clearance aisle for under $3, but that's it. But, when I look at our house and end tables I feel like something is always missing. The missing pieces are those little knick-knack items. So, that's why I'm super excited today. I finally have a little knick-knack item for an end table and it cost me under $4! But, more importantly, I finally have a knick-knack item that I LOVE; which never happens.
I've fallen in love with the brass animal decor pieces that you see at stores. However, I haven't fallen in love with any with a price tag less than $35. So, I decided that I could make my own.


I raided my son's discarded toy bin and came up with this little alligator. It was never played with it. If you don't have a toddler's toy box to raid, these are easy to pick up at Michaels, Walmart and Target for under $4.
I picked up some liquid leaf and started brushing it on with a small paint brush.
applied two coats, waiting an hour between them, and then I sprayed it with a clear topcoat.
You could get creative with this idea and transform quite a few different things. I really love how mine turned out and think he looks pretty great in my bookshelf.
Ashley@Biggerthanthethreeofus
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • LYNSEY COSHAM LYNSEY COSHAM on Feb 25, 2016
    I did this with green plastic toy soldiers once, sprayed them silver then lined them up on the pointless rail along the middle of the hall in my flat, amused everyone who came to visit!
  • Hildegarde Hildegarde on Mar 04, 2016
    I'm also not a knick knack person myself and more a minimalist but your little cupboard looks great - the little guy makes it absolutely perfect. One wants to check every interesting item in your cupboard and pick up the little guy - well anyway I would! The little one just belongs there and no-where else :-0)
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