Toy Soldier Outdoor Decor

 

This was my first time making any sort of decoration for the yard! We've been trying to do something with our front yard since we moved in 2019, but other projects always kept coming up. I finally just decided I needed to do something about it and stick to a plan. 

I found an image on Instagram from an artist meant for a calendar, but I liked it so much I felt like it would make a good decoration for the yard. I have particular tastes and a lot of what I find in the stores either doesn't line up or is too expensive. So I thought making something for myself would cost less and fit my style. 

I got the plywood from Lowe's for about $17. It actually cuts down to 4 equal pieces so I only used two and was able to save the rest for my next project, so I'm going to say this part was actually about $8. I'm pretty lucky my dad got excited about this project too - he made the pattern and filled in the details to make painting easier. He also thought this project was a little too complex for a novice on the jigsaw, so he graciously cut out the shapes for me (I got better with the jigsaw and cut out the hearts and Easter eggs I made later). 

Once the lumber was cut, I primed it using a primer left behind by the folks who flipped our house (so zero dollars spent there). 

I then began the painting process with acrylic paint from Michael's, which cost about $8 for 4 bottles of paint. It was a longer process because I wanted the lines to be crisp, so I used painter's tape and had to wait for areas to dry before moving on. I think all in all, this part took about a week and a half to complete (since I was working several hour batches after work and on weekends). 

I finished painting and applied a finishing spray before setting up the soldiers in the front yard, which cost about $6. My husband got the idea to light them so they could be seen even after dark. Those were $21.59 from Amazon.  

This is a great, low cost way to decorate your yard. It does take more work than just going to Home Goods and buying something, but I think it's worth it to not have the same stuff as everyone else and spend less money. 

Without lights: ~$22

With lights: ~$44