Creative Mum Turns Free Cozy Coupe Into Amazing Personalised Car For £40
- Laura Tyler, 30, wanted to buy her son a Cozy Coupe, but wanted something extra special
- She got one free on Facebook Marketplace and transformed it using Frenchic paints and stickers from ebay
- She’s saved a Cozy Coupe from landfill and given her son a one-of-a-kind gift
If your child is begging for a toy car, but you want to get them something a little different, take inspiration from this incredible transformation.
Laura Tyler, 30, a retail store manager and mum of one from Hampshire, wanted to buy her son a Cozy Coupe.
However, she didn’t want him to have one that everyone else had, so she set about transforming an old one she picked up for free on Facebook Marketplace.
She spent £40 transforming it into an eye-catching personalised vehicle for her little one, coming in cheaper than buying one new for £55 - and providing her son with his own style of car that no one else in the world will have.
Laura told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: "My little boy had just turned three and I knew he’d love his own Little Tikes Cozy Coupe.
“However, I didn’t fancy buying new and wanted it to be a one of a kind.
"I spotted an old Cozy Coupe for free on Facebook Marketplace, and picked it up that same day from a lovely lady.
"Obviously it wasn’t in great condition.
“It was discoloured and dirty and covered in cobwebs, so I gave it a good scrub, hose down and left it to dry outside.
"Then it just needed a light sand and was ready to paint.
"I picked up a few tins of Frenchic paint in red and black colours and sourced new stickers and labels from ebay.
"I cleaned and sanded as prep work is the most important step for a successful upcycle.
"I removed the wheels, steering wheel and petrol cap, then I painted three coats of red paint all over and left two hours between each coat to allow the paint to fully dry and cure.
"I then painted the pieces I had removed in black and painted the seat in three coats of black, again allowing two hours to dry between coats.
"After allowing the car 12 hours overnight to fully dry, I reattached the pieces and stuck on the new labels and licence plate I ordered from ebay.
"My last step was to spray the entire car in a clear lacquer for a bit of extra protection.
"After about a week's work, three coats of paint and a clear lacquer finishing spray, it was ready for play time.
"In total I spent £40 on materials.”
Laura is thrilled with the response she’d had to her project, and is happy she managed to give her son an eco-conscious gift too.
“I saved this little car from landfill and hopefully my son will have many years of use out of it,” Laura adds.
"I’m astounded with the response after posting it online, and I’m really proud of my work.
"My son was thrilled.
“He doesn’t say many words yet but the smile on his face was enough for me to know how excited he was.
“He’s been pushing it up and down the house and obviously we’ve given it a trial run outside!
"I keep waiting to catch our lovely postman so we can show him.
"In this day and age, humanity doesn’t seem to care about the environment unless it’s having a direct affect on them.
“This saddens me as one day our grandchildren and their children will be living with the consequences of our selfish actions such as plastic waste and dumping in landfill.
"Our animals and ocean creatures are dying because we just throw away everything without a thought as to where it’s going to end up.
"Reusing and recycling will always be the better option and the gratification you’ll get from completing a project yourself instead of just buying new is a feeling like no other!"
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe is an iconic childhood toy, and Laura has managed to give her son a totally personalised, bespoke version that he’ll love for many years to come.
“Rather than buying a new one online, Laura has saved money and helped the planet by making her son his very own model.
“This is something he’ll cherish for years to come, knowing his mum made it just for him - and it’s great that Laura is setting an example about reusing and recycling to her son from such a young age!"
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