There are lots of great tutorials out there using plastic toys and spray paint and I've been wanting to make one of my own for ages. I used to love collecting toys like this when I was little, and I love how spray paint in gold or bright colours completely transforms them into something fun for the home. It felt a bit barbaric chopping the heads off these guys, but all in the name of DIY....
You will need: Plastic toy animals (the hollow rubbery ones are best), wood slices, spray paint, strong glue, sharp craft knife.
1// Using a sharp scalpel or stanley knife, cut through the plastic to remove the animal head. This is pretty fiddly and definitely not a child friendly task! I used a saw at first, but that was just messy... with a knife it's much easier to get a clean and even line which is a better base for the wood.
2// In a well ventilated area, spray the heads with a couple of coats of brightly coloured paint. Gold works really nicely, as do silver and neons.
3// When the paint is completely dry, use a strong glue to affix them to the wood. I used UHU Glue, but wood glue could also work well.
4// If you want to hang them up on the wall, attach little hooks to the back. Us renters will skip that part...
This is one of the easiest DIYs I've done but definitely one of my favourites. I can't stop looking at them! I'd love to make a few in different colours and use them as key hooks or something. Now I need to work out a way of using the bodies - maybe bookends?
x Rachel
