How to Age & Seal a Concrete Statue

Little conveys the permanence possible in art than a gracefully aged statue. You find them in parks, gardens, museums and estate homes all over the world, and they are testaments to generations of enjoyment. When your new concrete statue appears stripped of gravitas due to a lack of this aging, greenish patina, there's a way of cheating time a bit and giving it the look of accumulated years without the wait. With a covering of moss mixed in its own rapid-growth bacteria base, you'll have your statue looking years older in a matter of weeks. After this time, you can seal the statue, protecting the look at precisely the stage you wish.

Buttermilk
Yogurt
Measuring cup
Blender
Sheet moss
Bucket
Paintbrush
Plastic sheeting
Utility knife
Spray bottle
Cloth
Concrete sealant

Instructions

- 1
  Pour 2 cups of buttermilk and 1 cup of yogurt into a blender. Turn on the blender and blend the two thoroughly.
- 2
  Add a cup of sheet moss to the mix and blend it until you have a thick, batter-like liquid. Add more moss to the mix if necessary to achieve the proper consistency. Pour the mixture into a bucket.
- 3
  Paint the sheet moss mix onto the statue using a paintbrush, working from the top of the statue downward. Follow the natural lines of the statue as you apply the mix, taking care not to leave runs along the statue as you proceed. Paint the mix on until none of the concrete shows through.
- 4
  Cover the statue loosely with plastic sheeting. Use masking tape to secure the sheet to the base of the statue. Use a utility knife to cut small slits along the edges of the statue to allow for the flow of air around the piece. Move the statue to a partially shaded location to allow the moss to grow.
- 5
  Keep the growing moss moist by removing the sheet every three days and spraying the statue with a water mist from a misting spray bottle. Allow the moss to grow for about a month and then stop spraying and remove the plastic.
- 6
  Remove the moss from the statue and then dust the surface of the statue off with a damp cloth. The growing moss will have aged the statue, staining it slightly in the process.
- 7
  Brush a layer of concrete sealant over the statue after removing the moss to lock in the aged appearance. Begin at the top of the statue and work your way down, applying the sealant with even brushstrokes that follow the lines of the statue. Wait about 15 minutes and then apply a second coat to ensure complete coverage. Allow the sealant to dry for 72 hours before moving the statue to its final display place.

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