Birthday Party Fire Helmets

Here is a simple tutorial on how I made shiny, plastic fire helmets look more realistic and seasoned (for my son's birthday...see more DIY party decor here):

1. Coat the entire top side of plastic helmet (the kind that you get at the fire station) with white gesso and allow to dry completely.

2. Choose your helmet color and paint over the gesso.  For red, I mixed a few shades of red together and added a little black paint to give it character.

*Optional: To give your helmet a rough look (see white helmet-above & black helmet-below), begin by coating helmet with a layer of newspaper (basic paper mache method) and paint as desired when dry.

It’s great how a couple coats of paint can dramatically change the look of the helmets. Here is the before and after:  

                           Before                                                                                                           After

 

I love how these turned out. I'm going to add these to my little guy's bedroom decor.  :)

Have a great day!

I am sharing these projects and getting super inspired over at:
The 36th Avenue
WhipperBerry
Tatertots & Jello
30 Handmade Days
Six Sisters' Stuff