REVAMP AN OLD TOY (SIA'S TUGBOAT)

For me, renovating a used item isn't just about saving money; The process allows you endless opportunity for customization too. I have been known to give total makeovers to all kinds of things. This time I was particularly in the market for summer items for my eight-month-old daughter. A local children's consignment store happened to have a Little Tykes tugboat swimming pool available. I waited until it was on sale and combined that with a coupon and scored this boat for about $40.

I know what you're thinking: "That's not much of a score." Well, it's true that it's pretty rough right now, but just wait. I decided that I wanted this boat to be more of a caribbean aqua color with a white windshield and silver accents. I went to Lowe's and picked up three cans of aqua paint, two cans of white and one can of metallic silver. 

The first thing I did was to remove the funky old panels on the windshield. I used a screwdriver to pry everything off. BE CAREFUL DOING THIS AND WEAR GOGGLES OR SUNGLASSES. These pieces are hard and brittle and they splinter off and fly all over pretty quickly, and they can sting! Be careful to make sure you get all the pieces up and into the garbage too.

The next step is to disassemble the larger pieces of the boat (leave the steering wheel on) and thoroughly scrub it clean with water and dish soap.

Once this dried completely, I painted the steering wheel silver and once that dried I covered it with a plastic bag and tape to protect it when I painted the windshield white. Then I used a dollar store table cloth to tape off the inside of the boat where the water will be. The reason for this is that in my experience when spray paint is used on objects that will hold water (like bird baths) the paint bubbles and peels over time.

Once everything is taped off, I painted the body of the boat aqua blue, and the windshield white. Use long even strokes to paint one light coat at a time to prevent blotchiness and drips. Let each coat dry completely before spraying another coat. This can take three coats or more especially if you're covering up a dark color with a light one like I was. 

Once every piece had dried completely and I was satisfied with the paint job, I un-taped it all and unwrapped the steering wheel. Time to name the boat! My daughter's name is Sia (pronounced Sigh-yuh, like Mya with an "S") The word "sayonara" means "good bye" in Japanese and the first part of this word is pronounced like my daughter's name. I felt that "good bye" is a good phrase for the name of a boat because  you can embark on a voyage and go traveling. Hence the name, "Sia Nara." 

In order to match the colors just right, I used the same spray paint from the rest of the boat to paint the details as well. The paint was sprayed into a piece of tin foil and dollar store brushes were dipped into it and used to paint the now-empty circle details in silver to match the steering wheel, the now-empty space on the top of the windshield the blue of the boat and the white to paint the name "Sia Nara" in two places on the boat. Use stencils if you must, but I think free-hand is fine!

I always try to include my daughter in everything I do, and talk to her as I go along to make each day a teachable experience. This sort of project is best in good weather and what better time to bring the kids out to hang too? (At a safe distance away from paint fumes of course.)

We're almost done! All that's left to do is assemble the boat and add water, and the baby of course!

The final product looks great and Sia loves it! The boat was $40 and the paint was about $20 totaling less than $70 for everything. I've seen people selling these in the condition this one started at, for around $80! This is a toy that can be used year-round and that a baby could play in and enjoy for years. It is also now one-of-a-kind.

The before-and-after is pretty amazing, don't you think?!

TIPS AND TRICKS:

*Many cities have places locally that have free paint available. At waste management and recycling facilities, leftover paint is taken in and then offered to the public for free. The one near me has house paint, wood stain, spray paint and more in every color imaginable and it's completely free!

*If you want, you can finish your project off with several coats of clear paint in order to make it even more durable and scratch resistant and to give it a glossier look but this Mama decided to keep things economical. 

*This can be done with any large plastic toy. Sia has a Little Tykes airplane swing that I'm going to redo next.  The possibilities really are endless and if you keep an eye out on Craigslist, local Facebook swap sites, and garage sales, you can find a good deal on an item that others may view as junk, but you know you can turn into something fantastic. 

*Keep clean and be safe. Lay tarps down under objects when you paint to avoid staining concrete and such. Gloves are good and wear clothing you don't mind getting paint on. Also, always paint in a wide open space for proper ventilation. (Don't do this in a garage or shed.) Keep kids at a safe distance and don't let them play on the toy until it is completely dry. 

*Hang on to your leftover paint. When your kids grow out of this and you want to sell it, you can touch-up any scratches and also cover over your custom name, making it easier to sell. This way you can make some, or even all of your money back!