DIY Play Kitchen

I am starting on a new project. It will probably take a while to get it done, but we have at least gotten started. It is a DIY play kitchen made from a used entertainment center. I found a bunch of examples online and just had to make one for Kyler. He is always in my pantry and tupperware storage areas so this will be a lot of fun for him.

I hope my kitchen looks similar to this one found here.

I found an entertainment center on Craigslist for $10 that should work out perfect. It is in good shape, it's not very heavy (made of the cheap particle board stuff and not solid oak - good for us since we'll hopefully be moving in 6 months or so), and it's just the right size. It has a series of shelves up one side which will eventually get a door and become the refrigerator. There is the open place for the TV which will become the sink and stove. And then there is storage underneath with two cabinet doors. The plan is for the side under the stove to become the oven.

We visited our local Habitat for Humanity Restore store and picked up a few additional items for the kitchen. I found a small square sink with faucet that we got for $12. It needs cleaned up but will provide much more of a "real" look than using a metal mixing bowl. I also bought some round wooden knobs to paint and use as oven knobs and a couple of pulls for the refrigerator/freezer doors ($6 total). I am going to use either old CDs/DVDs painted black for the burners or things like sour cream lids. I also got a couple pints of paint - one white and one light blue ($1 each) - to paint the appliances and cabinets.

This kitchen is very cool but too big and fancy for my skill level.

I still need to find some additional items - a pice of ply wood to put on the back of the space where the TV once was, an outdoor print to use as a window, some fabric to make curtains around the window, something to make a small chalkboard out of, an old phone, an old clock, some hooks for utensils, wood and hinges for the refrigerator door, and some tinted Plexiglas to make an oven door. I may even add a microwave in the top corner of the TV space but that will probably be a later addition. I also thought it might be fun to add a "real" tile backsplash - and it would be good practice. But that would be another later on project.

Oh, and we need some play dishes and food - there is some cool stuff out there. I will probably splurge and buy a pots and pans set and then just wait and buy used dishes and food. And I might steal some of Kyler's pantry space for my own pantry food since my kitchen is so tiny! He'll think that is cool.

I will try to post about what we did and how we did it as we get going. And eventually there will be some before and after pictures. I just hope it looks cute like the ones I've seen online, and not like an amateur did it!