One day I had an idea that made me jump up and down and squeal with excitement. If I’m jumping up and down squealing, you know it’s a good idea!
True story. It all started with a cute little playhouse that needed a little love…
My super sweet neighbors had a Little Tikes Play House that their kids had outgrown. Knowing my kids would love it, they offered to give it to us. I have the best neighbors ever!
We were grateful to our generous neighbors but there were a couple problems.
- The color was a little faded
- Each time we had to mow the lawn, we’d have to move the house of of the way (which is super annoying)
- If the house stayed in the same spot for more than a day, it would kill the grass underneath
This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. See my full disclosure here.
That’s when the fantastic idea hit me.
How cute would it be to have a play house that matches our real house?
Very cute indeed! We decided to make a semi-permanent place for the play house in our yard and surrounded it with mulch on every side. We *spray painted the house in the same color scheme as our real house using high quality spray paint. Now the play house is super cute and we don’t have to move the house when we cut the grass! It turned out so cute {if I do say so myself!}
You guys….this project was so easy and made a huge impact!
My favorite part has to be the cute flowers right in front of the window. It’s so cute I can hardly stand it!
For an added touch of personality, we added a couple solar lights to the front.
When the kids are done playing, the play house also serves as extra storage for outdoor toys.
How Little It Cost
- 4 bags of mulch – $5 on sale
- Spray Paint: $6
- Flowers: $10
- Planter: $5
Grand total: $26!
Completely worth every penny, especially since we got the house for free!
The only problem I noticed was some of the paint was rubbing off where the door meets the frame. If you notice a similar problem, I would try to sand down the area that’s rubbing against the door to avoid more paint rubbing off.
I decided to leave it. I’m okay with a little imperfection since we got this house for free. Or maybe I’m too lazy to do anything about it. I’ll let you decide!
Speaking of outdoor toys, you’ll have to check out the BEST way to clean outdoor toys. This Outdoor Toys Cleaning Tip has been a life saver for me!
This post shared at: Whimsy Wednesday, The Best DIY Projects & Recipes, Saturday Sharefest, Sundays Down Under, Motivational Monday, Project Inspire{d}, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Think and Make Thursday, The SITS Girls Craft & Recipe Linkup, DIY Like A Boss and Link Party Palooza.
Hi, Carrie! We have the exact same house, and I tried to update it years ago, but had trouble with the door. Did yours come off somehow?
I had trouble getting the door off too–I had to recruit the hubby to get it off for me! There are two notches on the door that attach it to the house (one at the top corner and one at the bottom corner) I believe the one on the bottom is angled so once you get that out you can get the whole door off. Open the door and stand on the bottom frame of the door right at the corner and try to pull the door out. And if all else fails, do what I did and get someone stronger to do it for you! I hope that helps!
What kind of paint did you use? Did you use a primer and top coat? Also, how has it held up to the elements? I want to make sure to do it correctly because I’m afraid to do all that work and have the paint peel off! Thanks! YOURS LOOKS AWESOME!
Hi Emily! We did not use a primer or top coat since I didn’t want to take a lot of time with this project. We used this spray paint and while I’m still happy with it, it has peeled off in some parts. We have pretty extreme weather where we live, with hot summers and cold winters so I wasn’t surprised.
I would say if you’re looking for paint with the best lasting results, look for a spray paint that is specially made to bond to plastic, like this brand. This line reviews pretty well and may give you better results.
I hope that helps Emily! Let me know if you have any other questions!
My kids wil love this! And I really love what you did to it. Great colours. Thanks for sharing!
It’s a lot of fun for the kids (and me) to see their play house get new life! So glad you like it Veronika!
What a great make over. The play house looks brand new and custom. Great job!
Thank you so much! I love the transformation paint and a little effort can make!
What a super upgrade!
It looks so beautiful freshly painted, with its own garden and lights. 🙂
I really love the difference a little love & paint can make!
You are the master at makeovers! This is perfect! Sparkly clean, too!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
You’re so sweet, Carrie! I have to give the credit for this to the spray paint. It really does wonders!
Super cute! I have a not so little Little Tykes play set that is pink purple cream etc. – AKA hideous and I plan to spray paint the ugliness away this summer. You’ll have to update us on how yours weathers.
I agree-that pink and purple has to go! I can’t wait to see how yours turns out, Val!
It looks awesome! I love the more neutral colors, and the mulch around it really makes a big difference.
The mulch is a small detail that really made a big impact. Thanks Julie!