One plastic flamingo: $2
Four packs of adhesive gems: $8
Seeing the horrified, yet slightly jealous looks on your neighbour's faces: Priceless!
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| He suspects nothing. |
When I found plastic flamingos at Dollarama, I may have done a little happy dance. I've always wanted a lawn full of these kitschy lil' guys! I began to wonder if this particular plastic flamingo was kitschy enough though. It somehow seemed...lacking. So, I took a stroll down Dollarama's craft aisle in search of a way to jazz it up. Ooh, Glittering Stickers perhaps? Bingo!
Supplies:
- One plastic flamingo
- Adhesive-backed rhinestones
- Crazy glue for touch-ups on errant rhinestones that lose their sticky
Optional Supplies:
- Spray paint for an even base color. Notice how you can see the white and black of his beak if you look closely?
- This Glen Campbell tune to get you in the mood
The simplest how-to (minus the optional spray painting step) is pretty straightforward - make sure your flamingo is all squeaky-clean so the stickers will actually stick to it, then, stick them on. Bam! One almost-instant kitschy plastic flamingo! Now you can put him in your front yard, pull up a lawn chair, and get ready to receive the adulation from passersby. Just make sure to take him in when it rains, 'cause he's probably not waterproof.
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| Zee eluseeve Keetschy Flameengo in eez natural habitat. 'E move so graceful in zee foreest. |
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| Shiny! |
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| Ooooh, pretty! |
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| Bling bling! |
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| Wormy is unimpressed by kitschy rhinestone flamingos |
LOL - I'm not sure if I should laugh or wince. Is this evil? I'm not sure, but it feels like evil.
ReplyDeleteYou need to proofread your comments more carefully, 'cause you obviously meant to type "feels like awesome". :P
ReplyDeleteSo UBER COOL!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis. Is. Glorious.
ReplyDeleteThanks ladies! :D
ReplyDeleteThis is so awesome, I can't get over it! And no, this is not sarcasm! Wow. Thanks for sharing this sparkly wonder :-)
ReplyDeleteI dunno...lemme check with my brain slug...
ReplyDelete*AAAAAAHGGGGGHHH!!*
Thank-you, it's shiny and glorious. You look cold, would you like a hat?
I didn't know one could get pink flamingos anymore! I like what's you've done with it! Talk about patience!
ReplyDeleteThanks, but it went a lot quicker than you think - the stickers came off in strips. I forgot to mention that. Of course, I would have stuck them on one by one if I had to!
ReplyDeleteToo funny!! I love how he looks all blinged up - and I loved your post too!! So fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI love it.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry. I just think this is incredibly awesome. A rhinestone flamingo! Love it. I think we might just need one at our house - forget the neighbor's face, it's my husband's face I'd love to see
ReplyDeleteHi Leah! Just wanted to let you know I featured your tutorial today on SewHappyGeek Feature Friday! Because it's freakin AWESOME!!! And very funny :p
ReplyDeleteThis is so bloody awesome! I just saw these things in a hardware store. . i "might" just have to go get one or three
ReplyDeleteHahaha! That flamingo is so flipping fabulous! I love it!
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome. I am so stealing my sisters flamingo out of her yard blinging it and putting it back. LOL
ReplyDeleteMuch sadness here tonight. I have kept flamingos in my yard for many years. People say "you know her. She lives in the house with the flamingos."
ReplyDeleteWhen I let out an unlady-like squeal looking at your post, and jabbered something about sparkly flamingos, my husband and I both realized that we hadn't seen the flamingos today, even though we were working in the yard. We both bolted to the front porch, and horrors, my flamingos are gone. Someone stole my flamingos. I am grieving. I have a spare set in the attic, but now, I'm afraid to put them out. I may have to jewel one and put it in the window.
Your flamingo is gorgeous, and I love the idea!
awesome!!
ReplyDeleteGet OUTTA HERE! That is too fun! Thanks & Happy Trails!
ReplyDeleteWoW!
ReplyDeleteA Flashing Flamingo!!!! I love it!!! That is the Envy of all the other Pink Plastic Yard Birds!!!3
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the nice comments! :D
ReplyDeleteoh my goodness!! I have always secretly wanted a pink garden Flamingo but being British I have never been sure that it is the right thing to have in a garden, HOWEVER, having seen this I now KNOW that it is in fact a REQUIREMENT!!! Thank-you so much for sharing! xx
ReplyDeleteI just found my mom's Christmas gift! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteLOVE LOVE LOVE!
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I think my hubby would have a hemorrhage if I did this. LOL
Oh dear. I see a new flamingo appearing on my friend's lawn soon...and no, she's not the crafty one! ;)
ReplyDeleteWe don't have dollarama's but when I find some flamingos I will post you to run to the Dollarama to get me those sticker shiners. Isn't he/she an amazing creature darling!!! Thanks for sharing. I did something similar with a bowling ball one time to freak out my neighbor who hated gazing balls, so I made him an extra special one. He was flabbergasted. LOL
ReplyDeleteOMG!!! I want one!!! hehe
ReplyDeletethat is fabulous! I have a friend who will LOVE one of these and I just have to make one for myself as well. There's got to be some way to seal these on...
ReplyDeletemy father is obessed with flamingos!! I know what the kids and I are doing for Fathers Day this year!
ReplyDeleteMy sister is going to love this guy! She has a thing for flamige! Honestly shes been collecting them for years, but she has nothing like this guy/gal?
ReplyDeletei love love love love love this!!! he is beautiful!!! :)))) you are brilliant!!!!
ReplyDeleteWow-wee...I have just got to get me one of those...love that bling!
ReplyDeleteI love this Zombie! As I live on Flamingo Ave you know I have to have them everywhere. How did the bling stand up to being out in the elements?
ReplyDeleteI actually don't know. I made this when I was visiting my mother, so it got packed up shortly after I made it. Sorry!
DeleteWell I guess I will have to try it & let you know. LOL!
DeleteHoly shitballs this is the greatest thing I've ever seen!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHave you thought about using different colors of those little flat round glass marbles they have in the craft section at Walmarts, Big Lots, etc.? If you use a water proof silicone to glue them on the flamingo, it would be weatherproof! Might be a tad more expensive but would be worth it to leave it outdoors.
ReplyDeleteThat's a fantastic idea! Sounds like it would work just dandy. lt me know if you try it, I'd love to see.
Deletethis will grace my yard ! i am in love !
ReplyDeleteWhat size rhinestones do you think you used? Either in millimeters or in inches. If you could please email me the answer at texfstudent007@yahoo.com I would really appreciate it! Thanks. -Bobbie Lea
ReplyDeleteEmail is sent! :) but if anyone else is wondering, I'm not certain, but I think they were about 5 or 6 mm.
DeleteDo you know how weather resistant these beautiful little sparkles are? Or how to make them more weather resistant?
ReplyDeleteI do feel that this is fate. I've been looking for ideas to make an outdoor sign (that will be brought inside when weather is bad.) I noticed your cat's name is Wormy. So is mine! He's 12 and I've never met another Wormie/Wormy cat.
I can't say for sure, because we didn't get any rainy weather the short time it was frolicking on the lawn before I packed it up with the rest of my stuff. These were just stickers from the dollar store though, so I'm guessing they wouldn't hold up very good. You'd probably have more luck doing an actual mosaic with concrete, or maybe using silicone to glue the gems on.
DeleteAnother Wormy! It's certainly not a common name. His "real" name is actually Nightcrawler (after the X-Men character, not the worm) but my Dad started calling him wormy and it stuck. :) It suits his personality though!
Beyond fabulous!!! Thank you for sharing, I am so excited to make the Amazing ketschy flamingo...my husband not sharing the same sentiment.
ReplyDeleteSaw on Pinterest today. LOVE it! FYI Flamingos are at Target for $2.50
ReplyDeleteI love it! I already have two amputee lawn flamingos (no idea where their legs went), think they need blinged up bionic legs now :)
ReplyDeleteLove this..I am so going to do this to mine..thanks for the Post
ReplyDeleteI think I love you a little bit.
ReplyDeleteA friend & I flamingo each other with gifts all year long. This will be tough to top. I think I just won the flamingo war!
ReplyDeletewormy may not be impressed but I am. my poor naked flamingos need some bling!
ReplyDeleteKelly
I can't bedazzle my skeleton flamingos. Just can't do it. Must find some plain ones!
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ReplyDeleteOMG, this is hilarious! I love this idea. I have a friend who is into shiny things and her husband is into plastic flamingos. Seems like a perfect setup for a gift for them! Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteJust want to know if the Rhinestones are small or are they bigger please let me know.You did and Awesome job
ReplyDeleteGood timing for your question! I just had some stuff shipped from my mother's house, which was where the shiny little guy has been since I made him. The rhinestones are small, about 3 mm. I didn't have to stick them on individually though, as they were attached together in strips. Kudos if you ave the patience to glue on individual rhinestones!
DeleteI did this a year or so ago and those rhinestones are going to be sun bleached in no-time, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteOMG, Gotta have this for my tiki garden. My husband is gonna hate it.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I ever thought "wonder where I can buy a flamingo?" It's super.
ReplyDeleteOMG I love it!!!!! Too cute!!!! A little bit tacky but that's what makes it such fun!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt so nice to see your fantastic flamingo full of different color and beautiful rhinestones ever. Can I ask is it for sale? Anyway thanks for that awesome creativeness.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if a few coats of spray clear varnish would be enough to waterproof him? This is so gorgeous, my daughter and I would love it, not so sure about my husband though...
ReplyDeleteI love this flamingo! I found the round flat sided glass pieces but I cannot find anything that is adhesive. Do you remember where you got them. We have an AC Moore and Michaels, Walmart but I can't locate anything close to what you have used. With the colors you can just put it anywhere. Love, love, love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anon! The rhinestones I used were purchased at Dollarama - strips of sticky-back stones - and I've been on the lookout for them ever since because I have more flamingos! Unfortunately though, when I took the flamingo out of storage last year the stones had started to fall off, and I've yet to fix them. So, you're probably better off with the non-sticky back stones anyway.
ReplyDeleteAunt Peaches (www.auntpeaches.com) uses rhinestones a lot in her crafts, and she's used different types of adhesives. Definitely check out her website for loads of sparkly inspiration and info
I can hardly wait! I got 2 flamingos at a yard sale for a quarter!
ReplyDeleteOne of my neighbors had painted 30 or 40 flamingos in various pastel colors and had them all basking in the warm, morning sun. When I returned from work, the flock had moved over to a shady spot. That flock roamed all over their yard. Never saw anyone out there with them. Good thing there's a 3 foot tall picket fence to keep them in!
ReplyDeleteHow brilliant are you!! So envious
ReplyDelete