This was SUCH a fun project to take on, and I was excited to share with you all after completing it (though I admittedly keep adding accessories haha).
I'll take you through the steps, provide helpful tips, as well as links to some of the more specific products and accessories I used from start to finish!
Some things to think about before you start:
What type of playhouse do you want? Plastic? Wooden? There are pros and cons to each-plastic houses will be cheaper but less sturdy, but easy to move for mowing, etc, while Wooden playhouses are more costly, heavier, but may be easier to paint.
How much room do you have to allocate? Keep this in mind when searching for a playhouse-if you are unsure about the footprint, a can of white yard spraypaint comes in handy!
Will the playhouse be inside or outside? If the house is inside, you do not have to worry about weather-proofing for the elements or animals/insects. It all comes down to how much space you have, and what you are looking for.
I will be giving details on the makeover of this Little Tikes Cottage Playhouse I found on Marketplace for a steal! Here is the before picture:
The house came disassembled, but as you can see the stickers were already placed, which leads me to the first step:
Step 1: Disassemble, clean, and dry all pieces to your playhouse. This step is important, as paint will not stick if the house is dirty. For the stickers, Googone worked like a charm!
Step 2: It's time to paint your house!
IMPORTANT: make sure that your spray paint says it works for plastic, otherwise you will get immediate peeling of your paint. There are tons of options in terms of brands (I used Colorshot and Rustoleum on the project, and my favorite was the colorshot as it dried in 10 minutes but was the most expensive-go figure!)
Tip: the door will need additional coats and is prone to chipping, so keeping a can handy is good for future touch-ups! I opted to leave the windows and doors white, to avoid needing to touch up the doors! I decided on a Navy blue for the house, with a charcoal roof.
Supplies for painting:
Canvas drop cloth (don't use plastic as it will stick and peel off the paint to your house)
Body of the house: Colorshot in Stamped Passport (7 cans)
Roof: Rustoleum Charcoal Gray Satin (2 cans)
Sealant: Rustoleum Clear Gloss (2 cans) over entire house
Step 3: Assemble your house and accessorize!
This was by far the best part of the project! You can really go wild with what you choose to add to your little house-your imagination is the limit!
Here is the final product again! I love how the color turned out, and the accessories make it even more fun!
Accessories:
Boxwood wreath and watering can-Target
Play phone-Amazon (pictured)
-Working doorbell-Home Depot
-Number for address-Home Depot (I spray painted this white to match the color scheme)
-Shepherd's hook and flowers-Home Depot
-Planter box-Hobby Lobby (flipped and cut off the raffia handles)
-Black brick rubber pavers-Home Depot
-Machine screws were used for the number, planter box, doorbell, and play phone (Flat phillips with nut #4-40x1/2 in, and #6-40x3/4 in for the doorbell)
So far the playhouse has held up well to heavy rain, and wind (anchoring it down on the inside with the stakes helped quite a bit!) I imagine over time I will need to do touch ups of paint in certain areas, but it has been well worth the effort from start to finish! My daughter has loved the playhouse and accessories-she is currently obsessed with the doorbell and play phone and will sit in the house in her little folding chair making her calls :)
Like this project? Want to DIY your own playhouse? Comment or share your own creation!
Enjoy your little one, and get creative!
-Katie the OT Mom