Quick Update: Painted Swing Set

When we got the kids a swing set last year for free (yes, I obsessively scoured the internets for the cheapest possible way to make this happen and it did), I knew it was going to need a little TLC. Typically these things are stained in a shade of red that is just never ok, and this one had been around for some time, so the stain was also peeling off and the canvas on the roof had been ripped. Enter this quick painted swing set update with some exterior paint from PARA Paints, who graciously sponsored this post!So, you wanna see what it used to look like?Yeah... It's standing, but that's about all this thing had going for it. Let that not sound ungrateful, because I was super happy this cost us nothing but a little time and my dad a little gas to get it to us. I'm just being real about the state of the thing.To start, here is what I used for this project:PARA Paints TimberCare Solid stain in EbonyPARA Paints TimberCare Solid stain in Pioneer WhiteI decided to have the white accent some of the vertical pieces a little more so that the whole thing could take on a bit more of a playhouse feel, and the black also made more sense for areas the kids step on and that are close to the ground.I wish I could say this was a super easy project, but the painting actually took me a really long time to finish. Between the fact that I was trying to do this only at nap times, we had a VERY rainy period, and it's really best to give wood a day or two of dryness before painting then another 1-2 days after, and we simply did not seem to have any weeks where we had 4 consecutively dry days. I even ran into the issue of painting and then getting rained on, which was so sad... all the paint washed away. But that's totally Mother Nature's deal, and also my fault for not trusting the weather app!For the roof, I ripped off the old canvas that was there and had been ripped and replaced the tops with random pieces of plywood I happened to have in the garage. I cut them to size and painted them in black as well, then I used cedar shingles to finish off the look. The painted swing set already looks so much better though, doesn't it?I am in love with the final outcome, and the kids also love it so so much! I did put on two coats of white to cover up the dark stain underneath, but I only had to do one coat of the black stain, which was amazing!Here's a quick before and after!Amazing what a little paint can do, right? The beauty of this, is that is not only means this will last a little longer now that the wood is protected, but also that I get a prettier view of the backyard from inside the house.Have you ever tried making over a kids' outdoor play structure before? Would you?As always, if you have questions, leave them in the comments! And thanks so much again to PARA Paints for working with me on this. We are thrilled with the outcome of this super simple (as long as the weather cooperates) DIY!