Plastic Playhouse Paint Makeover

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Wondering what the best paint for plastic toys is? Look no further! Learn how to paint on plastic outdoor toys easily with good results.

Four pictures of before and after of a plastic playhouse paint makeover

A few weeks ago a neighbor put up on Facebook that she was getting rid of a plastic playhouse that had seen better days.  My inner hoarder cannot turn down free things so I told her I would gladly take it.  I have to admit that my husband wasn’t convinced this was a good idea but I knew it would provide some entertainment for all three boys in the backyard now that the weather is turning nice and I knew how to paint plastic if needed.

I also learned how to spray paint fabric if you are interested as well!

After we had it set up in the backyard I could tell my husband Randy still wasn’t loving it-we’ve been putting a lot of work into the oudoor living areas lately so when he went back to work Monday I thought I’d surprise him by giving the playhouse a quick makeover to make it a little more aesthetically pleasing!

good bad painted plastic collage

This wasn’t the first time I’ve painted some Little Tikes plastic toys in our yard.  Last summer I spray painted a chair and table set (another one my hubby wasn’t loving due to it’s faded appearance.) That didn’t go so well for me.  Although I used spray paint meant for plastic I didn’t get a good result at all.  I was determined this time would be different.

Yield: 1

How to Paint on Plastic

Four pictures of before and after of a plastic playhouse paint makeover

Wondering what the best paint for plastic toys is? Look no further! Learn how to paint on plastic outdoor toys easily with good results.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Active Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $15

Materials

  • Plastic Paint Primer
  • Plastic Spray Paint

Tools

  • Sponge

Instructions

  1. Thoroughly clean the plastic item you wish to paint. Use a sponge with soap and water to clean all surfaces. Any kind of build up on the plastic can reduce the ability of the paint to adhere to the surface.
  2. If you suspect any kind of build-up on the plastic use rubbing alcohol to wipe down the surface before painting.
  3. Spray plastic with a plastic primer and allow to dry.
  4. Spray the plastic with spray paint specially formulated for plastic. Use light even strokes when spraying. Allow to dry completely between coats. Repeat coats until the desired color and coverage is achieved.

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When I was looking for paint at the hardware store I went in thinking I would buy Krylon Fusion plastic paint because that is what I read was best.  It was also what I used on the ill-fated table and chairs though so I wasn’t too disappointed when the store didn’t have it.  I found some Valspar Plastic Primer and threw that in the cart but I was not loving the color selection in the Valspar plastic specific spray paint.  I wanted the playhouse to match our house colors and I was drawn to a pretty gray-blue in Valspar’s new Color Radiance line.  The can said it was good on metal, wood, and plastic so I decided to give it a shot!

our home

The first thing I did was wash down the house with warm soapy water.  Then I rinsed it and let it dry.  I started spraying the roof black and I could immediately tell the difference with the Valspar paint than the paint I used last year.  It sprayed on perfectly-no drips, fantastic coverage…I was sold! I used the color radiance on the roof and house sides but for the door I used the plastic primer and regular red spray paint I already had on hand.  Again, with the plastic primer the paint went on great.  Oh and by the way, this is NOT a sponsored post, I’m just a spray paint lover and had to share with you guys when I find something that works so well.

Four pictures of before and after of a plastic playhouse paint makeover

The entire playhouse took only one coat which ended up being one can of black, two of blue and that leftover red. (I only partially did the inside of the house-my kids don’t care at all what it looks like, I was just trying to make it less of an eyesore for us!) The finish seems much more durable so far than the table I did with the Fusion spray paint-of course the area at the bottom of the door where it rubs when opening and closing is going to wear off almost immediately but I think that’s to be expected. I’m so excited with how it turned out and I think it’s new look has guaranteed it a bit longer stay in the backyard!

Have you painted plastic before? What are your tips for getting a good result?

If you get the spray paint on your skin, see this post showing how to remove spray paint from skin!

Update 2016 (3 years later): We no longer have this playhouse but passed it along to another family when our children outgrew it and last we heard it was still looking great with some minor touchups over the years!

You might also like these posts:

How to Spray Paint Fabric

DIY Painted Curtains

How to Chalk Paint Distressed Mason Jars

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150 Comments

  1. Omg. I bought the exact same thing for my kids and while it’s a cute playhouse, color is very ugly. I’ve always wanted to paint it glad i keep holding back till i came across this blog. Great tip!!

  2. Hello! First, I want to say the house and your painting job on the house looked gorgeous!

    I have a plastic baby saucer seat I was looking to try and paint, which led me to coming across this post. I’ve researched the Valspar paints you used, and found that they were NOT Non-Toxic! I would never be able to consciously use the paint for a toy my baby would be constantly touching, playing with, and possibly putting his mouth on 🙁

    Now I’m back to square one. *sigh*

    1. Just curious. Did find a non voc to use? I want to repainted a castle bed but worried of dangerous toxic harm as she sleeps. Thanks

  3. Just worried about the VOC’s and other toxic chemicals in the paint peeps are using to “refurbish” the faded plastic toys. Anyone else worried, or is is just me?

  4. Did you put a primer on before you painted or did you just spray the valspar radiance straight on.

  5. Do you think I may be able to use the Valspar plastic primer on my kitchen Aid mixer since it can be used on metal? I’d been wanting to paint it a desired color. I have the Black Classic Kitchen Aid.

  6. How is it holding up now? (If you still have it) I have going to paint a slide and some other parts of a little tikes swing set. Thanks for this post! Very helpful!

    1. I actually don’t have it anymore but it held up well before I passed it on to another family 2 years ago, I recently saw that family passing it along in a FB picture and it looked pretty good from what I could tell!

  7. Hi I just bought a swing set and we are doing it a mekover.
    It has two plastic green slides, I will like to change the color but I don’t know if going to a light tone will be the right thing to do.
    If I prime it and then apply the dark color will it work?

  8. Thanks for this info I’m fixing to paint a cozy coupe to look like a batmobile car and was wondering what paint to use.

  9. I used valspar plastic primer, then valspar paint and valspar clear coat and protecter on a little tykes bed that was brand new and it peels off. Dont know what to do! any suggestions.

    1. I’m not sure Richard, I didn’t have that issue with the valspar plastic primer and the valspar color radiance. Did you try the color radiance? It made a big difference to me.

    2. Brand new plastic needs to be stripped of the oils on the surface. I’m painting an old plastic deck storage box and a new plastic storage bench this weekend. I will wash both with detergent, adding a little vinegar for good measure. The new bench is going to need some elbow grease, some rubbing alcohol and maybe something else to get the oils off. I can feel the oil but I don’t want to wait until it wears off. I bought textured plastic Rustoleum for the majority of each piece and satin 2X Rustoleum for the tops. I will use primer too because I really want this to last and I have temperature extremes here on an NYC rooftop.

  10. Thank you. We just recieved a little playhouse from our neighbor that needs a little tender love and care. My 5year old daughter would love to change her “new” faded yellow house into a purple and pink castle…. thanks you for the info. Now i know what to use for our next week diy project. 🙂

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  12. Just got the same exact playhouse today! I’m inspired to redo it similar to our house colors! Thanks for the blog. Will try Valspar.

  13. I love this! I just bought one and plan to do the same thing. What colors did you use for this project? An issue I am having with the one I purchased is that it has tons of dirt and yard debris inside of the plastic and I am not sure how to get it out. Any suggestions? Thanks!

    1. I have the same issue- “stuff” on the inside that shows through the white walls. Since this is going to be an outside toy anyway, I’m just going to paint it a darker color and hope the “stuff” doesn’t show through as much!

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  15. I painted a picnic table with Krylon for plastic and it totally sucked! It started peeling on the second day. I wish I had tried Valspar! Maybe I’ll make that my next project and try it.

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