How to Paint a Plastic Playhouse
Playhouse makeovers are not a new phenomenon. But I’m always impressed by the creativity that comes with each new project I come across. My mom had snagged this Step2 plastic playhouse on a swap page about 5 years ago. We kept it in our basement until we moved to our current home, therefore it was in excellent condition. Just a little dirt from sitting outside for a while.
This is a very simple project, but the drying time require between coats can make it a bit of a lengthy process depending on your weather conditions.
Here is a before picture of our playhouse. To prep, we simply gave it a good scrub and washing with dish soap and the garden house.
I highly recommend investing in a spray paint trigger such as this one before you tackle a project this large. Your fingers will thank you. I personally used this Rustolem Painter's Touch 2X Ultra cover spray paint, but whatever you choose to use, make sure that it is appropriate for plastic. I also coated mined with 2 coats of plastic primer beforehand. Overall I used 16 cans of paint for the interior and exterior of this playhouse.
Here you can see the prep process of primer, and then white paint. Make sure you allow for appropriate drying time in between coats.
All painted, now time for some detail work!
To add some dimension and character to our little house, I used an exterior paint from Deco Art to blend some various shades of grey for the stones. I painted it directly onto the stones using a brush, and once it had dried well I gently sanded / distressed it a bit for more texture and depth.
Once everything was reassembled I gave it all another coat of clear sealer. I made sure to go over high traffic areas like the door and shutters 2-3 times. I can already tell that these areas will wear down quickly. But overall it’s such a fantastic improvement from the before!
Once all of the painting was done, it was time to accessorize! This was the best part for me!
I shopped my house for some small accessories to use like this wreath. I also spray painted a plastic bowl from the dollar store and hung it from the ceiling with rope to mimic a hanging pendant light.
Our little one loves having her own space, and the fact that it's customized just for her! For more details and images on this playhouse transformation, be sure to visit the blog post!
Resources for this project:
See all materials
Comments
Join the conversation
-
I would love to live in there It is beautiful
-
This is AMAZING!!!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Why didn't you paint the fireplace stones like you did the outside stones?
I want to do this for our huge Mastiff’s dog house!
Hi! I'm painting the exact same playhouse for my daughter. Just started the primer coat today. But wondering - How on earth did you get the door and shutters off? Does the kitchen piece and table also come off? HELP! Im having a hard time. Please advise. Thank you