DIY Upcycled Yard Skeleton
I know…I know….it’s summer…so who is thinking about Halloween? I am! It certainly doesn’t hurt to start planning your new and exciting Halloween projects…especially if you are crafting a fun and unique DIY Upcycled Yard Skeleton. Follow along on how to make your own skeleton using materials you might have normally thrown away!
As you probably already know, I am in a Sustainable Craft Challenge Group. Julie, from Sum of Their Stories, gives us a theme each month to create an eco-friendly craft. We are given a date to have it done by and all of our posts go live at the same time. It’s so much fun to see what everyone comes up with. The girls in this month’s challenge are:
Julie from Sum of Their Stories Upcycled Strawberry Vase
Gail from Purple Hues & Me Plastic Soda Bottle Floral Candleholder
Terri from Our Good Life Recycled Altoid Tin for the Perfect Father’s Day Gift
Mel from Decor Craft Design DIY Raised Pot for Summer Decor
Christine from Christine’s Crafts Create a Cute Basket from an Aerosol Lid
Allyson from Southern Sunflowers DIY Shell MIrror for Coastal Design
Jo from A Rose Tinted World How to Make A Crumb Quilt – Make a Scrappy Quilt Block
Be sure to check out all of the links above that created wonderful items from this month’s theme: Trash to Treasure!
DIY UPCYCLED YARD SKELETON ~
I have tried, unsuccessfully, to keep my small potting bench in one piece for a few years now. I am not good at bringing things in during the cold winter months so I end up with a few casualties when each spring rolls around. The good thing about this is that it leaves fun material behind to repurpose! This is how my DIY Upcycled Yard Skeleton came to life!
Items Needed ~
Scrap wood pieces of various sizes
Nails
Hammer
Wood Glue
Spray Paint or craft paint of choice
Craft Paint for face
Paint brushes
Directions ~
The potting bench needed to come apart (well at least what was left of it!) I got to work pounding on the remains of it to get all of the wood slats apart. *Here’s a bonus….I have friends who pay to go into a room and tear stuff up to get their frustrations out….it’s called a “A Rage Room.” I will admit that this sounds a bit fun, but if you are a crafter, you can do it in your own surroundings without paying for it! 
There are many outdoor items that can be used for this fun Halloween craft…potting shelf, chair, old flower boxes, etc. After deconstructing your old item, rearrange the individual pieces to see how you would like it to look. Lay them out and rearrange until you get the shape that you desire.
I focused on the wheel of the potting bench…this was the whole inspiration for the skeleton. I was expecting a funky look…this is my vibe. However, you can definitely go with the look that fits you best. That is the fun part of this….getting creative! After setting his “bones” into place, I did decide that I need a little bit more room for a good skeleton head. I have some old unfinished wood disks from an earlier project. Using wood glue, I affixed it to the wheel to make a more definite head shape.
Now it is time to put the rest of the body together. I measured out what size nails I needed and started hammering each body part into place. I used extra wood glue on some of the slats that were a little on the thin side to help hold them in place. You need to be careful about the size of nails you use when using thin wood to ensure it doesn’t splinter and thus not hold the nail.
Ready to Paint ~
Using white spray paint, I began covering the body. The wood from the potting bench soaked up the paint, so I had to spray several coats. I decided that I didn’t want to cover it entirely in paint as I wanted a more rustic look. Painting it a thick white would be cute as well….once again, it all depends on the look you are wanting to achieve. My original intention was to paint it completely white and then sand the edges. However, I liked how the paint soaked in and already gave it a rustic look.
Craft paint was used to create his face. I chose to go with a more cartoonish look with glow in the dark eyes as I have my little grands that enjoy all the Halloween decor. I would suggest do a search on different skeleton faces to decide what type of face you want to give your little guy (or gal!)
Give Him a Name ~
I had to fight myself not to name him Skelly. This is the name I have used in past posts for Halloween fun that I like to do with my grandchildren. Skelly visits at different times throughout the month of October bringing fun Skelly Skeleton themed things. The kids absolutely love Skelly and I absolutely love creating all the fun ideas! Check out some of my posts regarding Skelly here…
The Original Flat Skelly Skeleton Post!
Anyhoo, I decided I would give this rustic guy his own name….so please meet Mr. Bones! A thick piece of rope and a sign were added for extra flair!
Items You May Need to Make DIY Upcycled Yard Skeleton ~
I happened to have everything I needed on hand, however, below are some items that may need to be purchased if you are not a craft hoarder like myself!
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As always, I hope you enjoy the fun crafts that are shared in this blog. Please let me know if you create something yourself…I would LOVE to see it!
Happy Crafting ~
Mimi
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