DIY Repurposed Buoys

While beach combing in Maine we came across some old lobster buoys. They are the quintessential symbol of life on the upper east coast and my children insisted they have them, along with twenty pounds of wave worn stones, fragments of seashells, and the jackpot colorful shards of sea glass. But these dingy lobster buoys...I wasn't so sure, but then I had another flash of brilliance. I know, I'm full of them it lately. But hey I have to enrich these kids, yanno? Anyway...paint the buoys. Make them our own. A cylindrical canvas to paint a quaint ocean scene on. A souvenir. Ingenious.

After I hosed them off and let them dry in the sun, I primed them with some basic white paint. I could have taken it a step further and applied something a bit "stronger" to seal or otherwise contain the grittiness, but the kids were eager to get to painting.

And then, my role in the process was over.

They sketched their ideas with pencil and painted away! I used a roll of duct tape to provide a "base" so to keep the pointier side down for that orientation.

Now to find some rope and hang them on the wall and forever remember a fun vacation on the shores of New England.

What finds do you make your own? Do share!