A Fantastic Plastic DIY Playhouse

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I’ll be real with you guys… I really didn’t want a big, ugly, primary colored playhouse on my deck. There, I said it.

Of course I want my daughter to have all of the fun childhood things, but if my home is going to be covered in them can’t they be esthetically pleasing? C’mon, I know I’m not the only parent who feels this way… (Looks around for hands raised in the air.)

I started dreaming up adorable little playhouses in my head, ones that looked “realistic” like a mini house, not like a toy. Then I went looking to buy one and there really weren’t too many out there that fit the bill of what I was looking for… well unless I wanted to spend thousands of dollars on a playhouse. Umm yeah, no.

It became clear that I needed to DIY a playhouse to create exactly what I was picturing. In the world of playhouses, chunky plastic and bright colors is essentially the norm, with the exception of wooden playhouses. Wooden playhouses were more along the lines of what I was looking for, but were definitely pricier. Either way, I was going to be giving the playhouse a full makeover, so I started looking for used ones. Why buy a brand new one just to cover it up with paint and accessories? As it turns out, playhouses in my area go FAST on Facebook Marketplace. I was chasing secondhand playhouses for about a month without success. One day I remembered Craigslist still exists (yes, it does…) and took a look there. Within 25 minutes I secured a playhouse – a used Little Tikes Magic Doorbell Playhouse. It was only a few blocks away from me and it was just $20! Here’s what it looked like before… (Picture from Craigslist Post)

It was in pretty good condition and had good bones for my DIY. When I got it home I washed it using this awesome stuff (which is great for decks, railings and siding too!) rinsed it really well and allowed it to fully dry. I left it unassembled for the first part of the DIY, painting!

Using a combination of spray paint and exterior home paint made the playhouse look more like an actual house. Off-white siding, gray stone, a black door and shutters, and a dark gray roof. I used 4 cans of Rustoleum Painters Touch 2X Ultra Cover in Heirloom White – Satin for the siding, 4 cans of Rustoleum Painters Touch 2X Ultra Cover in Charcoal Gray – Satin on the roof (spray painted both sides), Sherwin Williams Resilience Exterior Paint for the stone (purchased a small quart during their 40% off sale), and used left over Sherwin Williams Emerald exterior paint in Tricorn Black for the door and shutters. I painted everything while it was disassembled, using painter’s tape and newspaper to tape off and protect areas I did not want to get paint on.

Once all of the exterior paint was dry, I assembled just the sides of the house before continuing. Inside the playhouse, I painted out certain details that are embossed in the plastic – the fireplace, the cabinets and a house plant. I added wallpaper which is actually contact paper from Dollar Tree. I only needed one roll. I applied it carefully to avoid bubbles or wrinkles, then used an X-Acto knife to trim the excess.

When everything was done I sprayed the entire house inside and out with Rustoleum Painters Touch 2X Ultra Cover Clear – Satin. This protected the paint job and sealed in the wallpaper. I attached the roof and clear coated it as well.

The small details are what makes this playhouse:

The exterior light. I mean, c’mon, is this not adorable? It’s solar powered and at night gives off the cutest glow. You can find it here. In order to install it where I needed to, I put a wooden plaque (like this) on the inside of the house so the screws would have a place to drill into. The plastic was too thin otherwise.

The window box and planter. I used a plastic drawer organizer (with some holes in the bottom for drainage) wrapped in scrap wood hobby boards that I had on hand to make the box. I drilled it into the playhouse window sill using exterior screws. I found the little wood and metal planter at Hobby Lobby for $3.75 on clearance. I used a water seal stain (that I had leftover from my utility sink standing garden project) on both. I decided to put real plants in them because I thought it would be an added bonus for Abby to be able to water her plants and watch them grow. My local nursery was very helpful in choosing non-toxic, non-bee attracting, kid safe plants. The window box contains “polka dot plants” while the planter has variegated oregano.

The kitchen. For this little area, I used a can of stone textured spray paint I had on hand to give it a “granite” look. I carefully removed the stickers for the stove and clock and reapplied them with rubber cement once the “granite” had dried.

The welcome mat. You never know what you’ll find at Dollar Tree! I trimmed the sides down slightly so it would fit better in front of the door. We roll it up and put it in the house when we’re not playing with it.

The pink Adirondack chair. It’s by PlayDay from Walmart for $4.97. It’s a seasonal item and may not be available, but the Little Tykes version is available here.

The whole playhouse project was fairly simple. It took a few hours over 3 days because of drying times. How adorable is it?! It’s still child-friendly, but in an adult-friendly color scheme that complements our outdoor space. But all in all, there was one person that needed to love it… And yup, it’s Abby approved! She absolutely loves her playhouse.

If you’ll be giving this DIY a go, keep in mind that this is painted plastic. It’s outdoors and will be exposed to the elements. It will be prone to chipping and/or fading over time. We live in the northeast and are going on summer #3 with this playhouse. Overall it’s holding up really well, but has required a touch up here and there. I’ll post an update on how it’s holding up soon!

Are you planning a plastic playhouse makeover? Have any questions? Drop them in the comments below!