Making garden art is probably one of my favorite things to do. I find it so relaxing and when it’s done we get to add something new and intriguing to our garden. A few weeks back, we made ourselves this mosaic and moss mannequin with a faux concrete paint effect. No one believes me when I tell them that she was once a dirty, dusty, plastic, thrift store mannequin.

How to repurpose a plastic mannequin and turn it into unique garden art. The tutorial includes how to create a faux concrete effect with craft paint. Love how it turned out. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

The faux concrete paint effect is so easy to create and who doesn’t love a shapely mosaic and moss corset with lace-ups 😉 She even has a lovely succulicious choker to complete the look.

The moss mannequin wears a choker make from faux succulents to create a rich and eye catching display. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

So in today’s blog post, I wanted to share how we made her and how you can achieve that faux concrete look with a few craft paints and homemade texture paste.

Before we get to the tutorial, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe to our monthly newsletter so you’ll never miss a post!

What you need for the moss mannequin

  • Moss
  • E6000 glue
  • Mosaic tiles and grout
  • Wheeled nipper
  • Green spray paint
  • Faux succulents
  • Garden twine
  • Plastic mannequin

The plastic mannequin we'll be using to create the garden art. The tutorial includes how to create a faux concrete effect with craft paint. Love how the finished product turned out. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

Amazon sells plastic mannequins, but in my humble opinion, they’re a bit pricy. My bestie found this one for me at a thrift store. Lucky me, so it’s probably worth it to shop around before buying online.

For the faux concrete paint effect:

  • Black and white craft paint
  • Burnt umber and green oil paint
  • Cheap paintbrushes
  • Ice cream sticks
  • Texture paste

You can either make your own as I did by using this recipe and adding some fine sand or buy it from a craft shop.

RightyO, let’s start off by prepping that plastic mannequin for her makeover and giving her a luscious mosaic and moss corset.

Prepping the mannequin and making the mosaic and moss corset

Grab some 40 grit sandpaper and sand the mannequin all over to roughen her up 😀 Pay special attention to the areas where the texture paste will go; her legs, chest area, and neck. I’m hoping you can see in the piccy below the sanded bits versus the smooth, unsanded plastic. Sanding gives the texture paste something to cling to.

Sand the plastic mannequin with 40 grit sandpaper. The tutorial includes how to create a faux concrete effect with craft paint. Love how the finished product turned out. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

Spray the area where the corset will go with some green spray paint. It will help disguise any mossy gaps later.

Spray the are where the moss will go green. The tutorial includes how to create a faux concrete effect with craft paint. Love how the finished product turned out. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

Use a wheeled nipper to cut the mosaic tiles in half.

How to cut square mosaic tiles in half. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

Apply a strip of E6000 glue along the bottom edge of the corset and the top bust area and glue the mosaic tiles down.

Glue the mosaic tiles on to form the outline of the moss corset. The tutorial includes how to create a faux concrete effect with paints. Full tutorial to make a moss mannequin and how to get the faux concrete look.

Once the glue dries, mix up some grout and apply between the tiles.

Mixing the grout for the moss mannequin. The tutorial includes how to create a faux concrete effect with craft paint. Love how the finished product turned out. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

Let the grout dry and wipe the excess off with a damp sponge or old tea towel.

Make sure the wipe the grout off before it dries rock hard. The tutorial includes how to create a faux concrete effect with craft paint. Love how the finished product turned out. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

Working in sections, apply a thick layer of E6000 and glue the moss down. Squish and push it down into the glue to make sure it sticks.

Add E6000 all over the mannequin and apply the moss #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

E6000 is great for something like this. It’s waterproof and dries clear. We used the same technique when we made our Leprechaun shoe planter and she’s still going strong after standing outside for more than a year. When the glue dries, we can start turning the plastic bits into faux concrete.

How to create a faux concrete effect

Mix up a batch of homemade texture paste if you’re making your own and grab a few ice cream sticks. Apply the paste all over the neck, shoulders, and leg area of the mannequin. Don’t worry too much about how you apply it, just slap it on and spread it out so all the bits are covered.

Apply the texture paste to the neck, bust and legs of the mannequin #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

Once the paste dries, (about 10 minutes) mix up some black and white craft paint to make a light grey. Add a few drops of water to make it runny and apply all over the texture paste.

Mix up some black and white craft paint and "wash" the mannequin. The tutorial includes how to create a faux concrete effect with craft paint. Love how the finished product turned out. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

Add a drop of black paint to the light grey mix to darken it a bit and dry brush the darker grey over the first wash of lighter grey.

Dry brushing on layers of grey to create the faux concrete effect. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

To dry brush, gently dip the tip of a dry paintbrush into the paint and wipe it on a paper towel or piece of fabric to remove some of the excess paint. You want to keep the tip of your paintbrush as “dry” as possible before painting over the lighter grey.

Aging the Faux Concrete Paint Effect

To create an aged effect, I used oil paints. I find that oils, especially the burnt umber, are richer than their acrylic or other water-based counterparts. But feel free to play around with water-based paints if you prefer. You’ll need two basic colors; burnt umber and sap green. If you’re using oils, mix the paint with thinners before applying the paint. If you’re using water-based paints, thin with water 😉 The paint needs to be runny to get a realistic effect.

To age concrete you'll need some green and burnt umber oil paints. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

Dip an old paintbrush in the paint and turpentine mix (or water if you’re using acrylic craft paint) and while holding the mannequin upright, squish the paintbrush up against the neck area, so it runs down. You want gravity to do most of the work for you.

Nothing humbles a man, or a woman, like gravity Click to Tweet

How apply the aged concrete paint effect. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

Alternate between the burnt umber and the sap green and focus on the high points of the mannequin; the shoulder blades, the neck, and the line between where the mosaic tiles join the legs.

Full tutorial to make a moss mannequin and how to get the faux concrete look. A close up view of leg area and the mosaic tiles. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

Oil paints mixed with thinners dries really quickly so if you find that you’ve added too much “aging” in an area, wipe it away with a clean, lint-free cloth before it dries.

A well written tutorial full of pictures and step-by-step instructions that shows you how to create a faux concrete effect with craft paint. Love how the finished product turned out. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

When you’re happy with the look glue a few faux succulents on the mosaic and moss mannequin and wind some twine around her neck to finish off.

A great tutorial that shows you how to make a moss mannequin and how to get the faux concrete look. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

You can also add some lace-ups by gluing on a piece of twine.

A combination of moss and masaics makes this repurposed mannequin something special. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

For that extra aged look, grate up some of the moss and glue bits onto her shoulders and a little around her neck.

A sprinkling of dried herbs will work too 😉

Full tutorial to make a moss mannequin and how to get the faux concrete look. A close up view of the moss mannequin and her gorgeous succulent choker. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

What do you think?

Full tutorial to make a moss mannequin and how to get the faux concrete look. A close up view of the moss mannequin and her gorgeous succulent choker. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

Would you say the moss mannequin was once a plastic thrift store find?

And would you create something similar to add to your garden art?

How to repurpose a plastic mannequin and turn it into unique garden art. The tutorial includes how to create a faux concrete effect with craft paint. Love how the finished product turned out. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

If you do like the idea of making a moss mannequin for your garden, don’t forget to pin her for later.

How to repurpose a plastic mannequin and turn it into unique garden art. The tutorial includes how to create a faux concrete effect with craft paint. Love how the finished product turned out. #Fauxconcrete #painteffects #mossmannequin #DIYTutorial #mosseffects #gardenart #acraftymix #recyclegardenart

Oh and if your mannequin starts fading over time, here’s a great tutorial that will show you how to revive moss and make it fresh and new again.

BTW if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered Disclosure: Clicking on the links below, means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us come up with more amazing craft ideas to share with you 😉

And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY

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American Made Classical-Style Tranquil Nude Sculpture in Cast Stone, 10'
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Gargoyles Dedo Statue
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And as always, here’s wishing you a beautiful, crafty week filled with lots of love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.

Made with love by a Crafty Mix