Little Girl Garden Statue Makeover

A Thrift Store Find Transformed

A charming little girl garden statue from the thrift store was just too sweet to pass up—even with her faded paint and weathered finish. With a bit of creativity and the right paint, I gave this plaster piece a beautiful refresh that’s perfect for adding personality to the garden. If you’ve ever spotted a neglected statue and wondered if it was worth saving, this easy makeover will show you just how rewarding the transformation can be!

Thrift Store Plaster Statue

I love just about any garden statue, but this little girl statue is so precious, don’t you agree? It was a thrift store find, a gift from a friend. I think she resembles the oh-so-adorable granddaughter of said friend. The nearly three-year-old’s initials are M.E., so I will fondly refer to this little girl statue as Emme.

This photo collage shows all the sides of little Emme. I hope I can do her justice.

Materials to Refresh a Little Girl Statue

First things first, I gathered my supplies.I keep a stash of paint at The Hideaway for crafting. The large container of white paint and the Matte Finish spray were purchased for this garden girl statue project.

Save this project for later.

Paint a Basecoat

When painting statuary pieces, begin with a basecoat. Oftentimes, this may be a dark color, but I wanted to use pastel colors, so I chose to do a white basecoat.

I wish more of the original paint were visible to help guide me in color selections. There were only a few hints of color.

Drying a Painted Little Girl Statue With a Fan

The white paint was rather thick and was slow to dry due to the damp weather. No problem! I brought out my portable (battery-operated) fan.

Little Girl Garden Statue Makeover

Brown craft paper was used to blend the purple and white paint. This may be a good time to tell you that I am not artistically inclined. I possess a lot of skill and talent when it comes to sawing furniture; however, artistry is not one of my strengths.

I wanted pastel colors for her clothes, so I chose Petunia Purple for the shirt.

To add a little more color, I decided on Sunshine Yellow for her wide-brimmed hat. One of the things to remember if you choose to rescue and refresh a garden statue is to move around to allow the paint to dry. That is something I learned while painting a small statue last year. I will explain that and show pictures at the end of this post.

Emme’s shirt color is a mix of Azaela and white. All of the fun colors on the brown paper make me smile. Want to know what else makes me smile? Sitting on the Hickory deck at The Hideaway.

Tips for Painting Details on a Garden Statue

Here’s a quick tip for you when working on painting details on a garden statue: Don’t hesitate to hold the statue in your lap to have more control with your paintbrush. The locks of hair were much easier to paint up close. The color of her hair is Woodland Brown. Did you notice that I folded the paper over to get a clean palette?

I used the same paintbrush to start painting the tree stump, Pinecone Brown. You will see later that I wasn’t thrilled with the color of the tree stump.

Using a variety of paintbrushes was crucial for achieving the desired color blend. The grass and leaves were done with one color, Sprout Green.

More Details and Touch-ups

This photo shows you my entire workspace, including the number of brushes I used and the colors of the paint. So, Emme, the little girl garden statue, is a painter. I chose to paint her tubes of paint the same as her clothes, as though she painted herself. The bucket is a lovely color, Rich Espresso, which has a slight shimmery quality. The water in the bucket is a mixture of Salem Blue and White.

If you look closely, you can see that I have touched up her clothes where needed.

Finally, you can see how I rolled up the used brown paper to reveal clean paper. This was the end of day one.

Tying Up All of the Loose Ends

As I got ready to finish my Sweet Emme, a little girl garden statue, I laid out all the paintbrushes from the previous day. The brushes range from small to large, from inexpensive to higher quality. It’s good to keep a nice variety of brushes on hand.

As I looked around at four acres of forest, I didn’t see a single tree that shade of brown. Most of them have a hue of a very light brown that appears gray. So, I changed the color of the stump. You can see the final color in the “after” shots below.

The palette provides a good indication of the final details for this session. To bring this little garden girl statue to life, I added delicate painted details—soft pink lips, rosy cheeks, and even a touch of color on her fingernails and toenails. A hint of highlights in her hair, eyebrows, and brightened eyes gave her the sweetest expression, turning this thrifted find into a truly charming garden accent.

The following day, after all the paint was completely dried, I sprayed Emme with a sealer. While I was doing that, I also sprayed a little doodle rock I painted last year. You can see it in the top left corner.

Little Girl Garden Statue: Thrift Store Makeover

Emme was painting something yellow, shown holding a paintbrush in her right hand. She might be a messy painter. Do you see the dab of yellow paint on the tip of her nose?

Did you notice the stump? I did a little dry brushing with a mixture of the Woodland Brown and White.

What do you think was in her left hand?

Maybe she’s a lefty?

Her second paintbrush is in the bucket. I’d love to know, do you love her new look, or would you prefer her unpainted?

🎉 Exciting news! Two more talented ladies are joining our Thrift Store Decor Team next month—please welcome Songbird and Our Crafty Mom! Get ready for even more creative, budget-friendly thrift store makeovers coming your way! 🛠️🪑✨

Now it’s time to see what the rest of the team has been working on. I’m eager to see their completed projects.

Easy Thrift Store Upcycles to Inspire You

• DIY Macrame Propagation Station
• Repurpose a Mirrored Vanity Tray
• Barn Metal Pride Flag
• Little Girl Garden Statue (You are here, thank you)

As promised, here’s some information about my first statue, which I painted last year. While vacationing in Gatlinburg, my cousin Terry and I picked up some small concrete statues for our grandkids for our first annual Camp Grandma. Because I had never painted a concrete statue before, I practiced on my “Happy” ahead of time so that I could offer them tips for painting their pieces.

I can’t wait for our second annual Camp Grandma this year!