Do you have an old garden statue that you love, but it has become worn out and haggard-looking, then this post is for you?  I am a big fan of Buddha statues and they are by no means cheap so I wanted to paint mine to get it looking great again.  Browsing around our local hardware store I saw this granite spray paint which will make my plastic look like granite stone.

This spray paint also comes in a marble effect, crackle effect if you are looking for more ideas.  For this project I wanted mine to look like stone and the results were great.  If I had to be honest though I do think he lost some of his personality, but at least he is presentable again.

How to make plastic look like granite

Materials needed

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• Granite spray paint
• Primer spray
• topcoat sealer
• Scrubbing brush and detergent
• Plastic weld/Polymorph

This is what my statue looked like before I started.  Most of the wear on the Buddha was from sun damage from being out in the elements for years.

The back of the statue did have some damage where it had been pushed over and broke, so fixing the statues was my first task.

Do Repairs if Necessary

To make repairs you have a few options of materials that you can use. Plastic weld or polymorph are the two products I have used in the past and both work great.  I used the polymorph for this project.

Polymorph is a highly dynamic material that can be formed and reformed multiple times with the use of hot water only. I like this product because, if you make a mistake you can reheat it with a heat gun or hairdryer and do it again. There is no wastage and it dries into a solid plastic.

To use polymorph you just add some to boiling water and it will become clear as it softens.  You can now remove some from the water with a spoon and mould it to the statue. Even though it has just come out of boiling water it is still cool enough to mould with your hands.

Push the polymorph down into the cracks and replace the broken pieces.  Once the polymorph cools it will become white and rock solid. It does dry very quickly so if you are not happy with how it looks heat it up with a hairdryer or heat gun and smooth with a wet finger. A note of warning if you are using a heat gun the polymorph will become really hot and can cause a burn, so be careful.

Wash your statue

Before you jump into with the spray paint you will need to clean any dust and dirt from the surface.  I used dish soap and a scrubbing brush and gave all the nooks and crannies a good scrub. Rinse well and then leave your statue to dry completely in the sun.

Add a primer and granite spray paint

Because I am applying the spray to plastic I had to add a clear primer first. Once the primer was dry my Buddha was ready to get the granite spray.  Spray in a well-ventilated area and avoid spraying on a windy day because this paint makes a mess as I discovered.  Apply 2 thin coats of the granite spray.  I found each coat was dry after about 40 minutes, but it would depend on your working temperatures.

I did notice once I had finished that I had some areas that were darker than others.  I went back to the hardware store and the guy told me that it was the original colour that was on the statue that I could see.  So if you have a terracotta pot and want to get the granite effect you need to add a grey spray paint first before you spray the granite spray. I just got lucky because my base was already grey. Finally, spray with a clear topcoat to seal the paint.

More great projects

Have you got a piece of furniture in need of a makeover, check out how to do this simple paint technique.

Make your own unique garden decor using this project as inspiration. How to make a wooden suncatcher.

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