How to make painted garden fish

Habitat bright ideas with Fleur Thorpe – DIY projects

Create a colourful school of fish for your garden. Replicate real life fish or paint your own unique designs.

How to make painted garden fish
Weatherboards painted in Resene Triple Ash

You will need

Instructions

 

Painted garden fish - Step 1 Step 1
Start by printing out a picture/silhouette of a fish. Use scissors to cut the fish out and a pencil to draw around it on to the wood.


Painted garden fish - Step 2 Step 2
Use a jig saw or band saw to cut out the fish. Sand any rough bits off with some sandpaper. Drill a hole in the bottom edge. Make this hole big enough to fit the end of a stake.


Painted garden fish - Step 3 Step 3
Paint over the fish, front and back, with Resene Quick Dry. Once this is dry, lightly sand over it with a fine grit sandpaper. Wipe off sanding dusts.


Painted garden fish - Step 4 Step 4
Paint the bottom half of the fish with a stripe of Resene Geronimo and Resene Rouge.


Painted garden fish - Step 5 Step 5
Paint the middle section of the fish with Resene Norway.


Painted garden fish - Step 6 Step 6
Paint the top of the fish and half of the tail with Resene Discover. Make this line of paint curved so that it gives some shape to the fish.


Painted garden fish - Step 7 Step 7
Paint the dorsal fins and the end of the tail with Resene Coast. Apply Resene Aluminium over the middle Resene Norway.


Painted garden fish - Step 8 Step 8
Finish by adding some details to the fish, such as the fins, gills, eye and mouth with Resene Black. Use the end of a paintbrush to add some dots to the top half of the fish with Resene Coast. Repeat on the other side of the fish.


Painted garden fish - Step 9 Step 9
Insert a stake into the hole at the bottom of the fish and put in them your garden.

Styling and images by Fleur Thorpe. Oct 2021.