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For this project I wanted to re-create a Christmas photo I saw using a Little Tykes Cozy Coupe car and a few christmas props. In order to re-make the image I needed to paint the cozy coupe car festive colors. Its easy to do if you want to make one too.
Heres how to do it.
Supplies Needed:
- Little Tykes Cozy Coupe car
- Rust-Oleum or Krylon spray paint in the color of your choice. (Be sure to get the kind that says it adheres to plastic)
- Medical mask
- A bucket
- Soap
- Water
- Scrubbing pads and or brushes
- Masking tape
- Newspaper
- A tarp or old sheet
STEP 1
Find an old Cozy Coupe car. Don't forget it doesn't need to be pretty since were going to repaint it anyway. Try searching garage sales, craigslist, your local flea market, Facebook swap groups or maybe you already have one you would like to use. The cheaper the better! I found mine for $3 on a Facebook swap group.
Step 2
Gather your supplies. I had most of the supplies around the house and you probably will too. I did have to purchase my spray paint but its fairly inexpensive and you don't need a ton of it.
Make sure that you purchase a spray paint that is specifically for plastic or one that says it adheres to plastic. you can find it at any Home Depot, hardware or craft store. Pick a color or colors that will work well for your taste. I went with Apple Red in gloss for the body of the car and Ivory Silk in Satin for the top of the car since I was going to use it in Christmas photos.
Step 3
Before we get to the actual spray painting we will need to wash the car thoroughly using the soap, water, bucket, and scrubbing pads or brushes. I couldn't find my scrubbing brush so I just used the scrubby pads and they worked great. Spray your car down and scrub the entire thing with soapy water, get all the nooks and crannies. If there are any stickers or decals on the car scrub those off too. I had a little trouble with my decals so I busted out some steel wool.
Step 4
After you've allowed the car to dry completely it will time to use the masking tape and newspaper. If your using multiple colors like I am you will want to mask off the top or bottom of the car and attach the newspaper. I didn't worry about it too in this step since I was going to use the second color anyways and that would cover up any over spray. Don't forget to cover your wheels too!
All taped off and ready for paint.
Step 5
Finally the fun part! Get your spray paint and medical mask on. This would also be a good time to lay down a tarp or old sheet if you wanted to. Now spray away. You can do as many coats as you feel necessary the paint I used dried pretty quickly so I was able to get 2 or three coats on it in no time.
Tips: If you have never used spray paint before the best way to apply it is to make sure you aren't too close to your object with the can. Hold the can 10 to 12 inches or so away from your object and move the can back and forth while you spray. If you are too close while spraying it will cause dripping, puddling and splotchiness which will probably leave you with an unhappy result.
Split view. I love how the gloss paint makes it look like a shiny new car.
The body finished.
Step 6 (optional)
You will only need to do this step if you chose to use 2 colors... Once your car is dry, reverse your masking job to protect your new paint from the second color. Now spray away again using as many coats as you like.
The finished top.
A close up of the finished top.
Step 7
The end result. Remove all masking tape and newspaper and take that annoying mask off. Now admire your Cozy Coupe with its awesome new paint job!
Shiny & new!
Red and white fits much better than orange and yellow with my Christmas theme plus the car looks clean and new.
Step 8
If your using your car as a Christmas photo prop like I am find yourself some christmasy props to go with it.
Step 9
Get some pictures of your fabulous work! Take pictures yourself or hire a professional photographer to take beautiful images for your christmas cards, special event, holiday or just because.
Total Cost:
Cozy Coupe: $3.00
1 Can Rust-Oleum Apple Red $3.98
1 Can Rust-Oleum Satin Ivory Silk $3.98
Mini Tree: 3.99
Wreath: 4.99
Total Without Props: $10.96
Total With Props $19.94
This was a fun, cheap & easy project to do and left me with a great prop that I can use in multiple ways in the future. The only difficult part about this project was keeping my kids out of the yard and away from the car while it dried.
If you try this project I would love to see pictures of your work in the comments.