The Play Kitchen Project

My daughter was turning two, and my husband and I both wanted to do something special for her. I know I wanted her to have a play kitchen. I started looking online, there are plastic ones, and the wooden ones, which I love. The prices, I did not. I would find one  that I liked, but then I would always find something I did not like about it, whether it is missing something that I wanted to have with it...and then it always goes back to the price...they are way overpriced. I started to noticed that most of them are built like an entertainment center...so why not make a kitchen out of one? I started my research, and I saw some that are made from end tables, and entertainment centers already. AWESOME. They gave me so much ideas...but I knew I wanted mine to be different. So, I started to go on Craigslist religiously looking for either a FREE entertainment center, or a really cheap one. And I found one, and it was perfect! It's pine wood, so it is light, and only for 20 dollars. 

Almost forgot to take a before Picture!

I had an idea in my head what I wanted it to look like, and it came out like this:

The backspash is painted in pale yellow and pink (Gallon each for 5 dollars, from the mistint section). I used fabric and modge podge for the doors including the fridge.

 My hubby and I came up with the wine rack. I had the idea on how to do it, and he helped me execute it. The wine glasses, of course are plastic, and I found them for really cheap at a discount party store.

 

 The curtains were hand-sewn from the left over fabric. This is before I got my sewing machine.

 The oven, we used a jig saw to cut the rectangle, and I simply placed a picture frame on top, and replaced the glass with plexi glass.

As for the refrigerator, the wooden shelves were replaced with plexi glass!

 Play food that was given to her for her birthday, everyone knew about our project!

 I wanted her to have a window, so I purchased a white picture frame from Goodwill. I used all her birthday cards, christening cards, baby shower etc. to cut out pieces to make the owl, the clouds, the trees, the stars. I had leftover canvas board from my art class that I used for this, I painted the background with blue glitter, and Voila!

 

This was the hardest part of the project. I did not see any idea online that I liked about doing the stove parts. I did not want them painted on, or modge podged. I wanted to create real-like burners. So, at home depot, I searched and searched. I had an idea of taking dowels and cutting them into pieces to make the lines of the burner. We bought tiles to place them in, and we flipped two of those tiles to make the grill (we spray painted it!) The round part of the burners are from carpet movers, I took out the felt to show the tin part of it. The knobs are cut from the wooden doors we took out! They turn too!

 This is all from Ikea. The cooking utensils, the towel holder, and the clips.

  The faucet we got from Habitat for Humanity for $5. And the sink, is an old baking pan I had laying around! The phone was $3 from Goodwill. The curtain below the sink is also hand sewn from three different scrap fabrics.

You see, a little creativity goes a long way. I love, love, love this kitchen. It is build to last, and my daughter enjoys playing with it. It is her very own kitchen made with love by Mommy and Daddy. This piece was definitely the start of it all! Enjoy!