If your garden urn has suffered one too many storms and is looking a little worse for wear, find out how to restore a garden urn. Urns have been used decoratively since practically the dawn of time, and the variety in design is infinite. But we know how to restore a garden urn, no matter what style of design or scale of restoration required.

Restoring a garden urn will require help from the professionals. But we have plenty of make do and mend tips. Learn how to recover a riding hat to get another season’s wear out of your headgear. Or if you want to duplicate a historical heirloom rather than restore, then learn how to copy a painting. The easiest way to ensure every member of the family gets to full enjoy the painting. Or if it is items in the house that look rather worse for wear rather than the garden, then learn how best to clean chintz curtains. Vital knowledge to keep them looking their best.

HOW TO RESTORE A GARDEN URN

I hope you will be able to advise me as I have a lead garden urn I wish to restore. It is 19in high, 15in in diameter, and I believe it to be Victorian.
BJ, Bedfordshire

The nearest lead foundry to you is probably The Bulbeck Foundry at Burwell in Cambridgeshire. The most sensible course would be for you to bring the item to the foundry for a thorough examination. The quality of the lead needs to be checked and whether there are any cracks that would cause disintegration when introduced to heat. If that were the case, the lead would be taken back to the solid lead and built back up from there. It is therefore difficult to give an idea of cost until the piece has been seen. If you prefer, you may send detailed photographs in the first instance. For further information call 01638 743153.