I know, I know, I am full of updates to previous posts today. Long ago, I wrote about the blue french horn I “found” stenciled on the sidewalk by Blue Bottle Coffee right around my six month anniversary with Dan. People still click through to this post every once in a while (there isn’t much in the way of results for “blue french horn”), so since I finally bothered to take some decent photos of my subsequent work, I thought I would share. This was my original idea for our six month anniversary but it fell through because the ebay seller whose french horn I won by auction took over a month to ship it, supposedly on account of a death in the family (I had planned way in advance but not enough for that kind of delay after already waiting for the auction to end). So, I still had this bulky french horn in my possession come Christmas, and at the risk of overdoing the How I Met Your Mother reference, I decided to make it blue.
Filed under: Art & Design, Entertainment, Music, Portfolio Tagged: | blue French horn, How I Met Your Mother
wow–i had no idea you “made” this. how awesome–and creative.
This is what I want to do for my 3rd anniversary with my fiance! Would you mind maybe telling me how in the hell you got it, and if it was overly expensive? Also how did you get the paint to stick to brass? I’m sorry if it doesn’t make sense, I’m just so happy to be able to find someone to ask how to execute my plan
Thanks!
hi i want to make this for my best friend for her up coming 21st birthday, she is like my soulmate so i want to do something special so if you woulndt mind please sharing with me how you did this i would greatly appreciate it!
Hi Jessica, I’m replying directly by email so as to avoid giving away all my secrets (as if they were valuable!) to the world of the internet without knowing who might use them. Obviously, I’m happy to share tips with others who are interested via email as well.
Hello this a really amazing gift! and I was just searching though hundreds of google and online selling sights looking for a “blue french horn” and you probably know how hard that can be when i found this! I want to surprise my new boyfriend with it for Christmas since we met at the pub Mcphees that Mclarens is created after in HIMYM. I was just wondering how you got the paint to stick so well onto your horn? it looks great! but in all the other sites I’ve went to they said it was incredibly difficult? Hoping you can help
Thanks:)
Hi Clair, thanks for sharing your Mclarens story! I bought a horn that was very used, so I think it helped that it was a little tarnished. It’s possible that those who have had trouble were using spray paint from a hardware store and not an art store. The specific type of paint I used is Montana Gold. It’s a flatter paint and not glossy on its own. I think I sprayed from one angle at a time and let about an hour pass before turning and working from another angle.
This is so awesome! I’m planning on doing the same thing as a present for a friend (I’m currently looking on ebay for an old one that no longer plays so that I won’t feel so bad about “ruining” an instrument haha) — how difficult was it to paint? What kind of paint did you use? Thanks so much for your help!
Hi! I have been looking all over for a cheap horn to buy and paint… but can find any how on earth did you do that it is amazing and just what I want!
Hey I sent you an email awhile ago asking basically the same thing. If you wouldn’t mind someone else jumping on the band wagon. Any painting tips and I guess where to pick up a decent horn would be greatly appreciated.
Hi commenters, apologies for the slow response. Since “blue French horn” is one of the primary search terms that drives traffic to my site, I may as well divulge the details of this project so that blue French horn joy can be spread throughout the world.
How did I find the horn? Ebay. I recommend looking for a horn that is not perfectly functional since we don’t need that anyway and it will save you a pretty penny. Other places to try include Craigslist and local high schools that may have a collection of retired instruments. Unfortunately, French horns are a surprisingly hot commodity and are not that easy to pick up on the cheap.
How did I paint the horn? I used spray paint that I purchased from the local art store. Just go slowly, painting from one angle at a time, to avoid drips. You could also have a horn professionally powder coated if you’re really serious but that will be quite expensive. I used a spray gloss to make the paint job more durable since the spray paint itself isn’t very durable.
What would I do differently? I would maybe try to find a spray primer to start with.
How did I mount the horn? I never did! If you have great ideas about how to do this, please share. I’m sure if I spent some time I could think of something but the space over my fireplace is taken by a perfectly sized painting anyway.
If you read this and decide to make your own blue French horn, please snap a photo of the completed project and send it my way. I’d love to create a gallery of DIY blue French horns.
If you don’t mind me asking, was the horn still playable after you painted it?
Hi Kirsten, I believe that the horn would still be playable, but I have no idea how to play one. The moving parts seem to still move properly, so the only issue would be the taste of the spray paint on the mouthpiece (though you could try to tape off near the top when painting or get a second non-painted mouthpiece).
where did you find the spray paint/what was the color? I have been on the hunt for a french horn on ebay for months, but i always lose out.
Hi Krystan, I bought my spray paint from Blick. It was Montana Cans in 5075 Signal Blue. Good luck!