Ceramic Figurine Makeover Ideas

Today, I have a little bit of whimsy to share.

And it's all thanks to a tiny cow piggy bank that I found last week at the thrift store.

Now you might've thought I grabbed him simply because he's cute, which is true.

He's absolutely adorable.


However, the real reason was that I needed a subject for a little experiment I've been wanting to try out for years.

You see, I often find second hand ceramic figurines with faces that I think are sweet. But due to their decoration, I pass.

Either the colors are wrong, or the paint is chipped or they're monogrammed or outdated.

Or most often, they look like they belong in a nursery.

Like my little cow piggy bank.

That wouldn't work with my grown up decor.

And you know me, I'm all about a good makeover, but these figurines are vexing.

I can never figure out a good way to make them over and get an elegant, cottage style result.

And one that I can accomplish in minutes, with ease.

Oh, I've seen the awesome makeovers with that stone look spray paint. Very nice, but I'm always looking for something a little softer. That I could display inside.

Maybe even something useful.

So when I saw this tiny guy, I thought, challenge accepted. Let's make you over.

And he came home with me.

If you remember, here's where we started.


An adorable piggy bank that probably began its life as a party favor or a baby shower gift. Not at all appropriate for my home. 

I also wasn't a super huge fan of the chipped black and white paint.

And the blue star had to go.

So first things first, I had my spray paint guy dig through the cans and tell me what we had hiding in the garage.

Turns out, we had a tiny bit of white satin. I think I would've preferred a matte, but at 7pm on Sunday evening, I was in no position to be choosy, so white satin it was.

Here is my screaming DIY disclaimer. Painting over glazed ceramic is tricky.

The paint stays tacky for a long time and it doesn't always adhere well. I recommend Krylon or Rustoleum and ones that are paint and primer combined.

That's your best bet.


To mitigate these hurdles, he wiped it clean with alcohol, gave it two good coats and set it aside in the garage.


By this afternoon, my little moo was dry enough to start decorating.

That was the challenging part.

I honestly had no idea what I wanted to do with him. I opened my craft closet, let the supplies and the ideas spill out onto the sofa and started playing.

At first I considered giving him a face again.

But I didn't want to experiment with paint and mess him up permanently, so I vetoed that idea quickly.

Next, I started thinking that I might use him seasonally. I had some old fall stickers left from another project and some tags from an old Halloween banner.

They naturally went together and made a tiny sign.

It was an easy way to cover up that star, without looking like he was hiding something.

I thought, he'd look sweet next to a few pumpkins, holding the mini banner, maybe on a fall table next to the fireplace.

Then I decided to add a raised floral sticker to the other side, so he'd could sit out in spring or summer, as well.

Just flip over the tag and presto chango, look at him go.


A cow for all seasons.

With two really good ideas on the table, literally, I considered a simpler way to camoflauge that star. 

By adding the flowers directly to him, I was able to show off more of his charming little shape.. I stuck one right over the star impression and another on his foot. Just for fun.

I didn't push the flowers all the way down, to give the piece some dimension.  A quick tap was all it took to adhere.


Overall, I was super pleased. I loved this idea more than the first.

So that's the design I went with...for now, anyway.

Of course, with a teeny spot of hot glue, he could be proclaiming the arrival of fall and / or spring to the world.

Today, a reader left another great suggestion - I could use a paint marker and add a Rae Dunn style word. 

I do love options.

Speaking of, my new friend offers lots of those as far as use, too.


For example, he could add an enormous amount of charm to the room, with his presence alone.

Or...since he is still technically a piggy bank, I could keep my coins inside, saving up for a rainy day.

Or I could write my daily affirmations on paper and stuff them inside.

Or he could become my own personal worry jar of sorts. Write them down, fold 'em up and hand them over to the cow, where I'm sure he'll keep them locked up nice and tight.

Or wait!! Think about the holidays and the possibilities.

So many ideas.

I have to say, now that I've had great success (if I do say so myself) with this makeover experiment, it has me thinking about all those other shiny ceramic faced figurines I've passed up.

And how I won't be doing that anymore.

Do you makeover ceramic friends?