Would you guess it's a fake? When your concrete birdbath topper cracks and you have a resin finial collecting dust in the basement, well the two just seemed meant for each other. After layers of chalk paint, one would never know it's a faux concrete birdbath finial and I'll show you how easy it was to replicate.

DIY Faux Concrete Bird Bath Finial

We love our concrete birdbath and so do the numerous flocks of feathered friends that visit it daily. I find great joy sitting on the deck with my morning coffee watching the birds splashing about in the freshwater.

But unfortunately, the bird statue that sat atop our concrete bird bath for twenty years cracked and looked worse for wear.

I promise this isn't the normal state of the water in our birdbath. I clean it daily or at least every other day and fill it with fresh water.

The resin finial pictured below that has been on a shelf in the workshop for several years came to the rescue. Why spend big bucks to replace the birdbath topper when a budget-friendly option is sitting right under our noses.

I figured if I could replicate the finish on the concrete birdbath with layers of paint, it was worth a try transforming the resin finial as a replacement bird bath topper.

This is what our birdbath looked like before with the cracked concrete bird topper.

And here it is now with the fake concrete finial birdbath topper. The poor delphiniums behind it are so late to bloom thanks to all the rain we've had this summer. Once they bloom, the birdbath will be surrounded by pretty deep purple flowers.

Don't worry, I didn't get rid of the damaged concrete bird with all its vintage charm. It now adorns our rose garden and looks perfect in its new spot.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how to turn the resin finial into a faux concrete birdbath topper, almost all of the DIY projects shared here at Interior Frugalista have step-by-step tutorials so why not get your budget DIY on and subscribe. You can also follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Here's How I Did It

This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this project. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Wack Off The Feet

In order for the resin finial to be mounted on the birdbath, the feet needed to be removed so it sits flush with the birdbath basin. To do that wallop them off with a hack saw. The fine resin dust particles are toxic so I headed outdoors and wore a mask and protective glasses to cut them.

How To Make Resin Look Like Concrete

As I mentioned earlier, I used layers of chalk paint to get the look of concrete but any paint that adheres to plastic, like multi-surface craft paint, will work.

I brought the heavy concrete basin from the birdbath indoors to use as a guide when replicating the colors. I used whatever grey chalk paint I had on hand.

Paint Layer Number One

The first paint layer is Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in the color French Linen. It took two coats to completely cover the original green finish.

Paint Layer Number Two

To add depth to the recessed areas of the finial, I painted them a darker Country Chic Paint Hurricane Gray color applied with an art brush.

Paint Layer Number Three

The third paint color is a lighter FAT Paint Company Pewter Gray that echoes the lighter grey in our concrete birdbath. Applied with a large round tip stencil brush much like when stenciling wood.

To do this offload most of the paint onto a paper towel first and then pounce in an up and down motion around the details and outer edges of the finial. Pouncing the paint on also adds a little texture.

Paint Layer Number Four

With a warm white Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in the color Old White, again pounced with the stencil brush where it would naturally weather outdoors from the elements. Again, using our concrete birdbath basin as a guide to gauge where to apply the lighter color.

Paint Layer Number Five

Last but not least, I went back in with the French Linen color to blend all the colors. This warm grey is the most predominant color on our concrete birdbath. To blend the colors dampen the brush with a handy mist bottle and lightly pounce the brush.

There are no rules when painting layers of color. Let your intuition be your guide and if you added too much color in one area, go over it with another until you achieve the look you want.

Protect The Paint Finish

Let the paint dry overnight before spraying four light coats of exterior-rated matte clear coat, waiting at least an hour between coats.

Mount Bird Bath Topper

While the birdbath basin was indoors, I mounted the faux concrete finial with clear waterproof silicone caulking and let it cure 48 hours before taking it outdoors to set on the birdbath pedestal base.

It's been raining cats and dogs for weeks and so far the paint finish is holding up beautifully. I love how the finial adds more height to the birdbath. Do you see the Barrel Stave Flower Pot Holder hanging on the gate?

I hope the faux concrete resin birdbath topper has inspired you to think outside the box for creating faux concrete garden decor. Thrift stores are bursting with faux concrete garden statuary potential that won't break the bank.

I've also used texture additive with paint to turn a glossy ceramic bust statue into faux concrete as well as a faux concrete paper mache bunny. But I've also used quick-set concrete to turn a ceramic hand into a faux concrete succulent planter.

For more budget-friendly outdoor water feature ideas see my Plant Pot Water Fountain, or Easy Solar Flower Pot Water Fountain posts. For an even larger water feature see my DIY Outdoor Privacy Water Wall feature.

Thanks for stopping by the Interior Frugalista today! I hope you were inspired by the DIY faux concrete bird bath replacement topper. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below or the Contact Me tab at the top to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

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