MilkPaint™ For A Spring Centerpiece
Today, we’d like to introduce you to Anna from Sky Lark House!
Anna started Sky Lark House in 2019 as a business that focused on refurbishing furniture and selling authentic farmhouse finds. She primarily uses MilkPaint™ when refurbishing furniture because it is non-toxic and environmentally friendly.
Anna travels all across the northeast and to some States in the south to get her authentic farmhouse finds. Anna is inspired by the different places she has lived and traveled.
Although she grew up in California, she has also lived in Colorado, Maine, and Delaware. She currently resides in upstate New York, just outside of Saratoga Springs.
Anna has recently joined our blogging team, and boy does she have an adorable Springtime craft for you!
Inspired By Bunnies
With warmer weather on the way and with Easter only a few weeks away, I thought it would be an opportune time to create a spring centerpiece for my dining room table.
Here in upstate New York, we had snow on the ground until mid-March. It seems that the earth is just now starting to wake up for spring. I am slowly seeing little sprouts of green emerging on shrubs and in the grass.
As a result of the change in weather, I was inspired to go to a nearby big box store to buy some garden supplies. While there, I came across some resin bunnies that were a hefty weight but looked a little too “plasticky” for my taste. (I think I just made up a word). However, I quickly thought the bunnies had potential and would look cute if they were painted with MilkPaint™.
The photo above shows the resin bunny I purchased before it was painted.
And that is how I arrived at the idea for this project that I am sharing with you today.
One Bunny, Two Looks
Before we get started - I want to share with you there are TWO different looks you can create for this bunny.
● The first bunny has a stone or concrete type appearance, and I will refer to this as the “Stone Bunny.”
● The second bunny has an aged appearance with crackled paint with some chipping, and I will refer to this as the “Vintage Bunny.”
Left: Stone Bunny | Middle: Original Bunny | Right: Vintage Bunny
Supplies
The first step for any project is to gather all your supplies. Below are the items I used for this project. Also, you may want to protect your work surface with paper or cardboard.
● A resin or hard plastic statue
● 150 grit sandpaper
● MilkPaint™ - I used Farmhouse White
● MilkMix-EZ™ - optional it helps reduce paint foaming
● MilkGrip™ (bonding agent) for the Stone Bunny
● A 2-inch bristle paintbrush
● Hairdryer
● Two small wax brushes
Video Tutorial
For all of you visual learners, here is my video tutorial showing how to make these adorable spring centerpieces. You can follow along using the written tutorial below as you watch!
Step 1: Find a Resin Statue
As I said previously, I found these bunnies at a well-known big box store. You can find a wide variety of resin statues. For example, in addition to bunnies, I have seen ducks, frogs, gnomes, and mushrooms.
These resin statues are available at a variety of places, including big box stores, garden centers, and hardware stores that have a gardening section. Also, I have seen them at yard sales and even in thrift stores.
So when you are out and about, keep your eyes open. Look for statues that have a pleasing form and nice details.
Step 2- Prep the Statue
To prepare the resin bunnies for painting, I simply sanded them with 150 grit sandpaper. The goal was to rough up the original finish so that the paint would adhere to the plastic better.
If you have a statue that has been outside or that you purchased second-hand - make sure it is clean before you sand it. It is important to remove any dirt, grease, or grass. I find using dish soap or any cleaner with a degreaser works well to clean these items.
Once you have cleaned and sanded your resin statue - wipe it down well with a soft rag. The goal is to remove any dust created during the sanding process.
Step 3: Apply MilkPaint™
Once the prep work for your statue has been completed, it’s time to mix up your MilkPaint™! For this project, I mixed up ¼ of powdered MilkPaint™ and added ¼ cup of warm water.
Now we have reached a critical decision point. What type of finish do you want for your resin statue? There are slightly different directions depending upon whether you want to create a Stone Bunny or a Vintage Bunny.
Stone Bunny
To create a consistent and uniform painted surface on the resin statue - to mimic the look of stone - simply add MilkGrip™ bonding agent to your paint mixture. In this case, I added about ¼ cup of MilkGrip™ to my paint mixture.
To accelerate the drying process, you can use a hairdryer to help speed things along.
I found that I needed to apply two coats of paint to get the desired look. The first coat of paint looked a little splotchy - but don’t let that deter you. The second coat of paint creates a uniform finish.
It’s important to ensure the statue is completely dry before proceeding with the second coat of paint.
1 coat of Farmhouse White on resin bunny
Vintage Bunny
If you prefer to create an aged patina with crackling and some chipping on the resin statue - then you just use MilkPaint™ as originally mixed. To help create an aged and crackled paint appearance, use your hairdryer to accelerate the drying process. Keeping the nozzle of the hairdryer close to the paint will help create the aged patina.
I applied two coats of paint, and I used the hairdryer to create an aged appearance with each coat of paint.
MilkPaint™ after using the hair dryer to create a crackled appearance
Step 4: Apply MilkWax-ECO™ Natural
This process applies to both types of bunnies. Once the statue is completely dry, it’s time to apply MilkWax-ECO™.
This is an all-natural clear wax that can be applied with a small wax brush. I put a small amount of wax on my brush and applied it in a circular fashion to the bunny.
This is an important step. I do not recommend skipping this step.
Once you have applied the clear wax, use a soft rag to buff off any extra wax. Then, you are ready to proceed to Step 5.
Step 5: Apply MilkWax™ -Antiquing Wax
This process also applies to both types of bunnies. Using your second small wax brush, apply a small amount of the antiquing wax to the statue. Focus on those areas where there are a lot of details or where dirt would naturally occur.
Work in small sections and gently wipe off the antiquing wax with a soft rag. It should leave behind a naturally aged appearance.
This is a key step in achieving the stone appearance or the aged appearance for your bunny. Once you have achieved the desired look for your statue, then you are done! Congratulations!
Step 6: Decorate
Now for the fun part! You can use your painted statue as a centerpiece for your dining room table or entryway table.
I put the bunnies in a tray filled with moss and then added some fresh flowers.
Finally, I wanted to include some other examples of resin statues that I painted using this process so you can see how these other statues looked after being painted.
I am amazed at how the chippiness of the paint on this resin duck makes it look so authentic.
Finally, I painted this resin rabbit carrying a basket on his back. The paint did not chip or crackle. I love how the antiquing wax accentuated all the details, such as the weave on his basket.
Thank you so much for reading this tutorial! I hope you are as inspired as I am by the warmer weather and arrival of spring.
Like this craft project?
Check out more of Anna’s furniture makeovers and DIY projects over at Sky Lark House!
Purchase MMSMP products here. (Use code 10OFFSH for 10% off)
