As I wrote last week, big, outdoor toys like picnic tables and sandboxes are a ton of fun — and crazy expensive. In this article, I take on an old, faded lady-bug sandbox and make it into a like-new play space, thanks to a good scrubbing and a coat of paint!
Original color: Red
Spray Paint: Krylon (Indoor/Outdoor Gloss) Cherry Red & Black
Cost: $4.00
Time: 2 hours
This poor ladybug never had any spots, and that’s just sad. I decided I would give her new black spots along with a shiny shell. The Krylon didn’t go on as evenly as Rust-Oleum did, but the color was just as bright! I didn’t use the whole can this time so I had some extra to do touch-ups.
For the spots I taped off the edges with painter’s tape and cut a hole in a paper bag. Though it did take patience, it went pretty quickly. I couldn’t pop out the broken eyes, so I just filled it all in with black.
Here’s how she turned out:
In the end, I have to say spray painting old outdoor toys worked out pretty well. I’d recommend both Krylon and Rust-Oleum; they were the same price and both worked well (I would just use whatever is easiest to obtain.) Now you just have to get out there and find some toys! The ones I found were free off the curb, so they only cost the price of the paint.