Made by Janice Erickson
For about the last six or seven years I have been making cement projects…..giant leaves, flower pots, stepping stones, lots of great faces and more! A couple of years ago, I made my first bunny, Estelle (the tallest bunny, about 36″). I didn’t know how, but I knew what I wanted to end up with to put in one of my flower gardens. She was made with a bunny mask, flower pots, fabric, coat hanger wire, regular and slurried Portland cement. I then painted her and sealed everything. She has held up great outside! I made her in sections so that the weight of her was not too much for me to carry as I put her away in the winter.
Celeste, Estelle’s partner in one of my gardens, was made last year. She is smaller, but I improved her. She has also done well in the summers. Peggy Sue, the tree bunny…..I made her head last summer….but I finished her this summer. She is made with styrofoam, regular and slurried Portland cement, wire, a terry cloth type fabric…..and a pair of my husbands cotton socks for her ears. Grin I named her Peggy Sue because she is the only one I made that has the pink eyes, nose and ear make-up. Isn’t she pretty….and she knows it!!!!
Beatrice, the last bunny…..and I think my best bunny, is also made just like Peggy Sue, but no make-up. Grin I had so much fun making them. But now I want to make a Giraffe for outside, in Minnesota summers. I plan on making a paper mache giraffe head first, with Jonni’s pattern, just to get the hang of it. But then I want to attempt to make one with a body and legs, long neck and head…..and water proof it. I am reading everything I am able to find on the process. I would appreciate any and all tips. I am hoping to work on the body, legs and partial neck over the winter…..I hope! Thanking you in advance for any input!
These are really cute and such a great addition to a garden. I have made large sculptures outside but used a cement that had plastic in it. I bought it at Lowe’s. They turned out good and have been outside for at least 18 years. I did coat them with a good 2 coats of water based spar varnish. I hope you get good input as a giraffe is a lot of work. Good luck!