Hoop, there it is. File this under my weirdest “Dude, Get On That Already” challenge to date. Much like many of our other DGOTA adventures, this mini update involves something that sat around bugging me way too long + a trusty ol’ can of spray paint. But this time it’s not an animal. I know. Total shocker.
John actually laughed at me for this little tweak (and I’m fully expecting you guys to as well), but they say it’s the little things that make ya happy… and seeing a bright red and blue plastic hoop against the back wall of our carport every. single. time. we pulled into the driveway (it was so bright you could see it from the curb) did not a happy momma make. And I know it’s dumb, but I worried the neighbors may have thought it was junky and tacky to have a big colorful hoop in plain sight 24/7 (they all do such a nice job to keep their yards looking nice, and many have kids but their toys are tucked away by evening). So because I’m what my dad likes to call “a strange bird” (seriously, I’ve been weird since before it was cool – wait, it’s still not cool?), I’ll share my odd little DIYed hoop-redeeming solution. Just promise not to compare me to Monica from Friends (I don’t fold my underwear, I swear).
First of all, this basketball hoop is super important.
Why? Because it makes Clara a happy girl. And a happy girl = a happy momma. So I devised a way to:
- keep the hoop right there in the carport (after trying several locations it’s the best spot for it)
- keep it just as functional (don’t need to explain this one, right?)
- make it simmah-down-now from the curb (in the slightly altered words of Jay-Z: we got 99 bright toys I love, but this hoop ain’t one)
That plan? A can of ORB spray paint. I mean, would you expect anything less from me at this point? I’m definitely not one of those people who thinks all kids toys should be neutral or white or should match the living room. Clara has a ton of brightly colored toys and I’m even the gal who painted her hand-me-down highchair bright yellow, made her a happy little dollhouse with cheerful furniture to match, and painted her formerly neutral wooden crayon truck sky blue…
… but after four months of rounding the block and seeing that red ring of fury on that bright blue stem, I realized there had to be a solution that worked for Clara, the hoop, and the mom. I love that bright colors help with development, but I just decided that one item out of many (this girl’s got toys for days!) that’s not a bright color is OK since I’ve never sprayed anything else of hers a muted color (and have actually added color to muted things, like her high chair and her crayon truck… so hopefully it all balances out). And come to think of it, her very favorite “toys” are rocks and sticks, so ORB fits right into that color scheme.
Sadly I didn’t get a good shot of the basketball hoop in all of it’s primary color glory before my paint-fest (bad blogger, no Oreos for you) but I actually made this photoshopped rendering for ya. How nuts am I? Wait, don’t answer that.
In the “real photo” category, you can actually see it peering around the back of the table in this post. See, it’s even brighter in real life than the one in the rendering. Haha.
And you can see how he looked all naked and ready for a new suit in the back yard (I removed the net part for the spraying phase so it wouldn’t get all gunked up).
The thing was visible from space, I tell ya… and then it wasn’t.
Thank you ORB. For those wondering what I used or if it works on plastic, Rustoleum Universal All-Surface spray paint is made to work on plastic and hold up outdoors – it even has a built-in primer for a better hold (I used the oil-rubbed bronze color of course). Total cost: $0, since I already had half of a can leftover from another ORB adventure. And in the time department, it took under twenty minutes to knock this baby out. Fast and free. Why didn’t I do this four months ago?
Just as I suspected, Hooper is a total looker with his new finish. As for why I went with oil-rubbed bronze spray paint, it ties into the carport light and a few other dark accents around the outside of our house and hides more dirt than something lighter/brighter might. No more “Loook! I’m a little plastic hoop! Check me out!” – just chill aloofness and that “I’m cool enough to fall back and do mah thing without demanding everyone’s attention” vibe. And the contrasting white net makes it easy for Clara to slam dunk (it’s not all flat and dark, so she can still clearly see the basket).
Small personal projects like these are my favorite. They might seem completely crazy to someone else (or maybe everyone else, haha) but they really have the power to make your day. It’s kind of like how I’m a terrible baker and you probably couldn’t pay me to attempt a three layer cake but my BFF does that stuff FOR FUN (really?! for fun?!). To each his own (picture me raising a can of spray paint as if to say “cheers”).
So in summary: Mommy likes. And happily, Clara and Daddy like it too. See how he’s hardly visible from halfway down the driveway now? Life is good.
Way better than this, right? And there are still dozens of bright toys in our midst (seriously, you should see our living room right now).
The cutest part is that Clara apparently has a thing for ORB like her momma. She has even taken to calling it her “so so shiny hoop.” Love that girl. And of course she has a whole bunch of multicolored balls that go with it (they tuck away into that storage container next to it) so it’s not a sad little drab thing when it’s in action. Everybody wins.
Except for Burger. He can’t play basketball. Poor guy.
What small-slash-quirky-but-somehow-woefully-overdue updates have you guys been tackling (or planning to tackle)? Do you all think I’m crazy? Anyone else painting something outside? Or do you have a dog who plays basketball? That would be the most impressive of all.
Sjmatt says
Never actually commented before, but just wanted to say that I have been thoroughly converted to the ORB universe by your blog. My husband and I just bought a very ‘fixer-uper’ house, and i have totally gone to town with the stuff. Chairs, hinges, curtain rods, coat racks, door knobs, the builders-basic faux oak bathroom vanity, etc. But I think the best, and the biggest, project was doing all the radiators in the house. That nearly killed me with the smell, but they are so amazing now! No more dingy rusty supposed to be white. Just smooth shiny black. It’s just enough of an accent in each room. So thanks for the constant adverts for it here! I literally pick up a can whenever I think about it now just so if I get the urge to spray something I always have it around!
Amber says
Ha ha, we have this very same hoop. My dad got it for my son for his birthday last year. It lives in our family room, which is my son’s play room, and the room we most often enter from and entertain guests in (most of our guests are family or also have toddlers). It stands there in it’s primary-colored glory, and I wouldn’t change a thing!
Although, this is coming from the girl who had a full-sized Little Tikes playground in her living room as a teenager because my brother is 10 years younger than me. We had a big living room. :)
Alison says
Chester doesn’t play basketball, but he does play volleyball (sort of). We found a half-inflated volleyball down by our community pool one morning (unloved, in the bushes) and Chester decided to take it home. Chester is a puggle. The volleyball is bigger than his head. Watching him toss that thing around and carry in his mouth is HILARIOUS. He still believes that it will fit under the sofa despite copious evidence to the contrary.
Here, I posted a picture on my blog just for you: http://piesandpuggles.blogspot.com/2012/08/chester-attacks-volleyball-and-kitchen.html. I was writing about painting kitchen cabinets anyway (totally using your instructions, yay!) so it was as good a segue as any!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, Chester = my hero.
xo,
s
Kathryn says
Oh Sherri, You’re funny! If I attempted that here I sure my hubby would officially ban me from spray paint and put it all under lock and key {sad face} haha…although the more I look at the eye sore of kiddie b-ball hoop in the backyard, the more your solution sounds good, but that would involve hiding it from my sports crazed two year old long enough for the paint to dry!
Kimberly says
I love it! My daughter has a multi-colored (all primary colors) desk and I hate it every time I look at it. Painting it to blend with our living/dining rooms is definitely on my list.
Also, I fold my underwear. What? ;-)
Amy says
Hmmmm…I’m thinking of doing something similar to my daughter’s red and yellow Little Tikes Cozy Coupe. Any pointers on how to “pimp my preschooler’s ride”?
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I would do that bright green or blue or pink! I love that! Just use a spray paint made for plastic/outdoors and do thin and even coats.
xo,
s
Skooks says
Google image or Pinterest search ideas for making over a Cozy Coupe. I’ve seen some fun ideas for both girls and boys!
YoungHouseLove says
Fun!!
xo,
s
Mandy S says
Love it!! And the transformation from a distance is so different! I never knew something as simple as spray paint could change something so much. You have helped me realize potential in so many things that I never would have before, just by thinking of how I can change what I’m working with to suit my needs.
Oh, and I am also a ball up my underwear and throw it in the drawer kind of girl! If I had enough space, I would just hang all my clothes instead of folding them. Much easier!
J+H @ Beyond The Stoop says
first, don’t mind the “foul” language… but i used to babysit a little girl who LOVED to play ball like clara, but she had a bit of a mix-up with how she said “basketball hoop”… instead, she always wanted to play with her “ass-ball-poop”! it was so funny, and awful, and wonderful all at the same time. then she wanted “ass-cream” for a treat.
oh little kids. i can’t wait to have one (or five) of my own!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha, that’s so funny! A few months ago Clara pointed to a lady and said “that lady is pooping!” – I almost died. I tried to cover it up by saying “yes, that is a firetruck on the wall!” but I don’t think it worked. I was ten shades of red!
xo,
s
Lisa says
Ha ha ha Sherry oh god. That is so funny :D
Can’t wait till my son Julius will embarass me in public. He is eleven months so still some time to go.
Steph says
So clever! I love it. I also think it’s absolutely adorable the Clara gets just as excited as you guys about makeovers. Makes my heart smile! :)
Here’s a question for you. I, also, am a fan of the ORB. I redid a mirror a while back and pulled it back out for something else and the paint wouldn’t actually spray. Assuming it was either out or gooped up in the nozzle, I bought a new can…only to experience the same issue. I have a small pile of things I’d love to ORB, but can’t get the darn spray paint to work. You seem to have much success. Do you have a preferred brand or any helpful tips. We’ve used the rustoleum one…and I’ve never had this problem with any other color spray paint.
Thanks!
steph :)
YoungHouseLove says
Ugh, yes! I get those bad cans too! Thankfully they let you return them for a full exchange, and it usually only happens to me one in every ten cans or so. I do love the Rustoleum Universal All Surface spray the most, although that does it occasionally jam, just because I love the trigger spray and it holds really nicely with the built in primer.
xo,
s
Steph says
The handle was my reason for buying! Good tip…I didn’t know they’d let you return the bad bottle for a good one. Long weekend DIY here I come! :)
Thanks for all the inspiration.
steph :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, just save them and bring them back. As long as they feel full (not empty) they’re cool about trading for the same kind! I always just tell them it’s a bad can and they let me switch it out!
xo,
s
Nora says
I like how you get a bad can every tens cans or so. Dang…how many cans have you gone through? Ha! ORBing like it’s your job. I shouldn’t talk though. I streamline my sandwiches by ripping off excess bread. My food always looks like a rat got at it.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha I do that too! Seriously, not cute looking but I think things are “too bready” sometimes!
xo,
s
Annie says
In the Great Underwear Debate 2012 I fall into the non-folding group. I tried REALLY hard to become a folder, but it didn’t last.
What did John think of your great idea?
YoungHouseLove says
He totally laughed at me, but he’s secretly happy. Admitted it befroe bed last night. Haha. I think as soon as he saw Clara lovingly petting it and calling it “so so shiny hoop” he was in love.
xo,
s
Stefanie says
I’m all for children’s exploration of color and all of that, but I would totally do something like this. I hate primary colors. Can’t these toy companies use cuter colors nowadays? Anyway, kudos to you! Looks great.
lauren says
I have to say at first I was skeptical but when you showed those pics of it coming up the driveway– holy cow! it makes such a difference. sorry for my skepticism. nice work! i may just have to tackle some of my own projects like this.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Lauren!
xo
s
Deanna says
Looks great! Did you raise it to spray it or will it be half-blue, half-bronze as Clara gets taller? (And I fold the underwear of all five of us in our house–but no one would ever know by looking at the rest of our house! HA!!)
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, I totally pulled it up to get the inside of that blue stem!
xo,
s
Megan says
Love the painted basketball hoop, are you thinking of painting the storage box next to it?
YoungHouseLove says
I don’t mind that yet since it ties into the color of the trim, but if it gets dirty or faded it’s totally not safe from the spray paint! Haha.
xo,
s
Heidi P. says
Haha. That is so funny. Who’du thunk? I’m so doing this to our hoop! But maybe a uniform bright color. :) Thanks for the fun/crazy idea! :)
Katy says
So this post is pretty awesome. I have been secretly wishing I could paint my daughter’s bright orange play table- white. However, it’s the West Elm Parsons play table and has a lacquered finish. Do you think this type of paint would work on it? Am I nuts to want to paint it? It’s pretty cute, but I just don’t know if the orange is too… orange.
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, it sounds super glossy so I would sand it a bunch to rough it up first (use low grit and then high grit to smooth it out) so it’ll stick. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Deb says
love it! you with spray paint equals my friends dad with christmas decorations… if you sit too long, chances are he will decorate you! it looks all sheek and high dolla’ now!
Elisabeth A. says
Love yall, love the blog but this is a bit much for me IMO. Nothing is safe from Sherri and her ORB spray paint! :)
Xanthe says
It can’t be too hard to fold all of one bra!! ha ha or do you have more now?? x
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, the bra is always in use, so it never makes the drawer :)
xo,
s
DemMom says
Yeah, I think that’s totally over the top weird. And I fold my underwear. :)
Lilly says
Basketballs, no, but our dog has been know it pick up a football by the laces and carry it through the house. Weird because she’s only 25 pounds and the football is 2-3x the size of her head.
Amy says
I just spray painted over the price sticker on the new flowerpot in our backyard. The sticker would not come off. At all. So, mercifully, I had paint that matched the pot…and saved myself a lot of time to try and remove said sticker.
It’s not a big project…but it was a little “wow that’s ugly and needs to be dealt with dude-get-on-that” project. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahaha, I love you for that.
xo,
s
JennD says
I really wanted to repaint my daughter’s little tikes house in colors that compliment our real house. Of course, my husband thinks I am loca :) This may be the motivation I needed :)
GingerMae says
My boyfriend recently commented that he’s never had anyone fold his underwear before. The funny thing is I never realized I was “folding” it. I was simply laying it in a nice pile.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, hilarious!
xo
s
Jen@The Decor Scene says
I actually think I like it. Doesn’t look all plastic-y anymore. It looks expensive now. The white netting gives it some definition. I likey!!! Sherry, maybe you should come out with a line of ORB kids toys. I think it would be a hit!!!
And I fold my underwear and hubbies too…so I guess I’m weird or a little OCD!!! Oh well…we like it that way. ;)
Leah says
Brilliant!
jodi says
you are a genius! it looks so much better!
donna says
I usually love what you do, but this update makes me a little sad. I am a believer that kid stuff should look like kid stuff.
Of course, mine are in middle school, so maybe I am just missing them being little kids?
YoungHouseLove says
I’m totally with you! I’m the girl who painted a wood highchair that blended in bright yellow! I think just in this case I love that it blends in (and thankfully Clara loves it just as much) but in general I’m a lover of color and happy cheerful kid stuff!
xo,
s
maria says
girrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl, I see why you did it, but I think I personally would not post this, it would be my dark littlesecret.
while clara looks cute playing with her hoop (my son loved his for a very long time at that age) its just wrong! It doesnt even look cute. maybe you should’ve chosen a different color, ORB is not the answer to everything…
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you know me, I’m an open book! I’m the queen of over-sharing :)
xo
s
Ashley says
You are so so ridiculous. But I love you anyways!
Anne says
My little update was finally updating my blog with a project that’s been in the works for many moons…my brooch bouquet for my wedding. It still makes me so happy. Love the ORB’ed hoop!
Here’s my brooch bouquet if you want to see it in all its glory:
http://annebronkema.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/brooch-bouquet-tutorial/
YoungHouseLove says
So cute!!
xo
s
Suni says
This totally made my day…. thanks for the giggle. I totally agree..it looks so nicely NOT obvious from the road now. :)
Christine C. says
I’m so conflicted! It really does look better but I’m not sure if I could do it. Kudos to you for allowing posts that are not 100 percent in approval to show up. I know it’s a drama-free zone, but sometimes I wonder if opinions are allowed to be stated.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we never delete comments about decor opinions (good, bad or ugly) – we really only keep about one comment a year from going up if it’s completely off-topic and mean-spirited (ex: your kid is ugly). Because my mom would track that person down and give them “what for” – haha. It’s for their own protection. Otherwise it’s all fair in decorating and commenting :)
xo,
s
Tania @ Carnoustie Lane says
I am on the floor with this post!! I love it!! My kids run the other way when I have a spray can in my hand b/c they think I will spray them white or blue.
Hooper does look better in black! Very slimming.
lrlockwood says
OMG! I AM bagging up (ode to the 90’s) You MUST be a better mom than I am because I wouldn’t buy those plastic toys JUST because they were all big and bright colors that didn’t match ANYTHING! My daughter is 14 now so I don’t have to worry about it anymore unless I want to ORB her cell phone… hmmmmm :)
P.S. Heck with folding the underwear, more time to find something to spray paint!
Christina @ Homemade Ocean says
It is the little things in life.
I would have never thought to do that, but WHAT a difference it makes!
Next thing you know all your neighbors are gonna have ORB’d kids toys. I love your ORB addication.
Krystle @ Color Transformed Family says
I don’t think this makes you bad or weird at all. I would probably do the same thing. It’s kinda how I feel about the bright blue plastic swimming pool in our back yard. You want the kid to enjoy but at the same time don’t want that to be the first thing everyone notices about the deck.
On an equally random project note I just made a faux throw for the foot of our bed… for our cat!
http://www.colortransformedfamily.com/2012/08/28/unusual-accomodations/
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, fun!
xo,
s
Whitney Dupuis says
Fantastic! I hate some of these toddler toys. I definitely understand the need for bright colors when they are young, but do they have to be so obnoxious?! I love it!
Ashley says
Hilarious! Before I scrolled down, I thought “I bet she’s going to spray it with ORB. No, that’s too crazy.” And then you TOTALLY DID!! Also, it kind of looks amazing. You let your freak flag fly, honey. It’s fantastic!
heather s. says
I like it but I don’t think that is what would make you lose some points with the neighbors. Having chairs on your driveway like y’all do would totally make you lose points with the neighbors around here. Chairs are for porches, patios, decks – not the driveway. ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Thankfully other neighbors have chairs and benches in the front of the house since we’re all set way back from the curb so our kids play in the driveway and we sit there and watch them!
xo,
s
heather s. says
Yes, but are theirs in the driveway or under a tree/on the front porch/etc? ;) The only houses around here with chairs in driveways are the (for loss of better word) trashy houses. No offense – I’ve just never seen a nice house with chairs in the driveway before and its not a south vs. north thing since I’m originally from the south. I just find it very peculiar.
YoungHouseLove says
Oddly enough they’re in the driveway too – of at least four other homes near ours! It’s where us parents sit to watch the kiddos play. We even have a bench on our porch but it’s too far away if Clara or her friends fall, so we like to be closer to run and save them. Haha.
xo,
s
Crystal @ 29 Rue House says
We’ve got neighbors that also leave chairs out in their driveway and sometimes we pull ours down from the porch if we don’t want to sit in the grass. We’d probably have them in our driveway more too (plus kids playing on it) if our driveway wasn’t just one cars length long and old, bumpy pavement.
Crystal @ 29 Rue House says
Oh and I didn’t even notice the chairs in the driveway until I read this…plus your chairs are nice looking with pillows on them. Most of the chairs I see are white/green plastic!
YoungHouseLove says
Ours totally need some love, but at least they’re wood with little outdoor cushions and a drum stool in the middle. Haha.
xo,
s
Elizabeth@ Food Ramblings says
I love this!! What a simple but awesome way to make this fit with the decor :)
Scott says
You lost me at ORB spray paint. Couldn’t you have just turned it so you only saw the profile, which would be minimal, from the street? Or put it on your patio?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, totally could have if it made sense for the fam, but Clara likes to dribble and the cracks in the patio make the ball bounce all crooked and sometimes send it into the mulch where Burger goes to the bathroom (we totally tried that first), so this solution worked better for our family :)
xo,
s
christy says
First, I have to admit that I’m fellow “strange bird” – I actually do fold underwear!! However, I’m a bit torn. On the one hand (that is held up by someone who has spent years in the world of developmental pediatrics), this makes me a little sad. Bright primary colors are chosen for most gross motor skill toys because they positvely affect brain development. The high contrast is stimulating and good for kids during intesensly developmental stages. Learning to mentally discriminate the location by the color isn’t just about finding the net. It’s also about training your brain to process evironmental information.
On the other hand (held up by the type A who likes everything to flow), I get it and would probably itch to make it more visually appealing if it were something that all of my neighbors saw, too.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the info Christy. I love that bright colors help development, etc – I just decided that one item not being a bright color is ok since I’ve never sprayed anything else a muted color (and have actually added color to muted things, like her wood chair that I painted yellow or her wood crayon truck that I painted blue). So hopefully it all balances out :)
xo,
s
christy says
You’re totally right! It’s all about balance!!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks Christy!
xo,
s
Barb says
Think you might spray paint the toyboxcontainer too? I hear ORB calling!!!
Looks fabuloso.
B.
Katie says
This is a total inspiration! I too hate all my kids outdoor toys. But the toys that look pretty and modern are crazy expensive. Now I know how I’m going to fix the eyesore picnic table (garage sale), slide (goodwill) and anything else that comes along. Thank you!!
Cindy says
What you did with the hoop is adorable! I looks like the pretty little sister of those large black ones people park on the curb.
I love love LOVE that paint. It’s a sickness. I just posted yesterday how I used it to paint outdoor chairs with the plastic straps. I was hooked once I realized it would stick to that plastic and not rub off. Nothing is safe from me and my ORB paint!
Sherri robinson says
It is camo!! What about that toy box now? Bet you have a little paint left.Looks great for not much effort or expense.It’s the little things.
YoungHouseLove says
We don’t mind the storage box since it ties into the trim/columns and isn’t super bright, but if it gets faded or dirty over time I’m totally down with painting it!
xo,
s
Kyley says
Poor Burger. Maybe he’ll pick up baseball instead just like my dog & pony. :) http://www.ammothedachshund.com/videos/ (as seen in the second video down)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahah, in LOVE!!!
xo
s
Lauren Nicole says
I can picture a 28-year-old Clara rolling her eyes at you when she discovers that her Mom orb’d her basketball hoop. :)
nicole says
I’m thinking our vey old/faded/hand me down “Cozy Coupe” may be getting a much needed face lift…THANKS!!!!
p.s.-you mentioned several times in your comments Rustoleum Universal and ORB are they one in the same?