What does every groovy babe need for their 70s themed birthday? A mini-VW bug of course! Wanna know how I transformed this sun faded Little Tikes car into a cute pink + white car? Keep reading to see this cozy coupe VW makeover! Honestly, it was way easier than I thought. I pulled the whole thing off from start to finish in one night — procrastination at its finest, lol.
What You’ll Need:
- Little Tikes car (the older version without the eyes)
- White spray paint, ~2 cans
- Pink spray paint, ~ 2 cans
- Painter’s tape
- Plastic shopping bags
- Extra large trash bags
- Chrome edging
- VM emblem *or use cutting machine + vinyl
- Custom cozy coupe license plate *or use cutting machine + vinyl
- Optional: acrylic paint & small craft brush for car horn
How To:
Step 1: Get yourself a Little Tikes cozy coupe. — I’m talkin’ the OG version that doesn’t have the silly eyeballs on it like the new ones have. I found mine on Facebook marketplace for $15.
Step 2: Clean ‘er up. Mine was in rough shape covered in dirt and cobwebs, so my husband gave it a good clean with the hose. I may or may not have proceeded to leave it outside to the elements for two more months, sooo I had to pleasure of washing her all over again by hand. 🥴 But whateva, she was clean + ready for a fresh paint job.
Step 3: Now, in all the cozy coupe VW makeover tutorials I watched, they all took apart the car to spray paint it. I did not have time nor patience for that, so I opted to spray paint her the lazy way: fully assembled. You figure taking the time to prep is probably just as time consuming as trying to take the car apart. I used an extra-large trash bag to place under the car along with plastic grocery bags+ painters tape to cover the wheels.
Step 4: Once your wheels are covered and taped off, go ahead and spray paint the whole car white – that’s right – the whole thing. (I used Rustoleum Paint + Primer in White.) Let it dry and repeat for a second coat. Oh, and don’t forget to spray with the door open and shut.
+PRO TIP: I did this project in late October, which is not ideal spray-painting weather. I did get some drips due to the cold temp and my own pure hastiness, but you definitely want to try and get as smooth of a coat as possible. Don’t worry about covering everything the first go-around. Also, don’t worry about underneath the car — just paint what is visible.
Step 5: You’ll want to make sure the second coat is 100% dry before continuing. This is the most time-consuming part, but it’ll be worth it; I promise. You’ll want to tape off where you want to keep white. I started with the angles in the front of the car first, making a very crisp ‘V’ with my tape. I used a mixture of leftover shopping bags and large garbage bags to lay over the car as I taped it all off. You can see I left the whole top uncovered and followed the natural groove on the sides of the coupe to tape along. I also covered the steering wheel, seat, and back part of the car. Spray two coats of your accent color. (I used Rustoleum Paint + Primer in Candy Pink). She looks a hot mess, but just wait…
Step 6: I let the car dry overnight before removing the tape. Now comes the best part! Peel that tape off and reveal your masterpiece! But we ain’t done yet! (*Totally optional, but I did use acrylic paint to paint the horn on the car.)
Step 7: Add your VW emblem. To save money, I just cut one out with my Silhouette machine using white vinyl. However, if you want it to look super authentic, they do sell actual VW silver emblems online — Here are some I found on Amazon.
Step 8: Add chrome edging to the front and sides of your car where the pink and white paint meets. This stuff is so dang easy to work with! Just peel the backing off to stick it to the car, then peel the top blue layer off to reveal the chrome. It’s super easy to cut, too. I just used regular scissors.
Step 9: I, again, used my Silhouette machine to cut out the girls’ names on pink vinyl. If you don’t have a cutting machine or want something a little fancier, there are shops on Etsy that make custom license plates specifically for cozy coupes. Here is one I found with great reviews.
And that’s it!
It seems like a lengthy process, but I started this project the night before the girls’ birthday party and finished the morning of. As long as you’re diligent about taping off your paint areas, you’re golden! If I can do it, you can do it! And if you don’t want to do pink, just substitute out the pink for any other color you want! (I do recommend a paint + primer in one though.)
It came out so stinkin’ cute and was a hit with the kids at their party! If you have questions or you use this tutorial to make your own cozy coupe VW makeover, please comment below, tag me, all the things so we can connect. And to see more 70s inspo, be sure to check out my Two Groovy Party post and DIY Lava Lamp Favors post!
Peace out, groovy mamas! ☮
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