5.31.2011

Handmade Play Kitchen

Ever since I saw my first handmade play kitchen, I wanted one.  I knew my kids would love it too, but I have to admit, I wanted it for me more than the kids.  Who could resist something so unique, thrifty, and adorable?

I was so happy when my husband surprised me and the kids with this kitchen he made:

When I first started seeing homemade play kitchens pop up on blogs and other places on the internet, I originally wanted my husband to make one out of an entertainment unit like the one here or here.  I showed him all my ideas, but he got creative on his own while the kids and I were on vacation.

This was what he started with...







...and This is how he did it:

First he went to a place here in Pittsburgh called Construction Junction and bought an old bathroom vanity and an old kitchen counter-top (for 10 dollars total.)  He put the two together and they magically fit!


Then it gets tricky.  He took the doors off the right side and turned them 90 degrees so one could open down and one would open out.  He had to build a shelf and a wall from the stove area to the drawers area.
Then he cut out a window in one drawer to make it look like a stove and made that drawer open down.  Then he painted the vanity and put handles on all the doors.
After cutting a hole in the counter-top for a sink, he bought counter top spray paint (right in the spray paint area of home depot.)  This spray paint made the counter-top more of a textured neutral color kitchen counter.  The sink is a silver bowl.  He bought a small faucet and attached it.  The burners are plates that he bought and then spray painted.  He also made burner dials out of some wooden handles that he spray painted.  
He used some old wood and attached it to the back of the entire thing and added some bead board for the wall.  Then he got a very kind nurse at work to sew (since I don't sew) curtains for the window and took one of my pictures of the Teton mountains and attached it for the window.  This nurse who made the curtains also made two dishtowels and four dish clothes for it.  What a wonderful person! and didn't she choose the cutest fabric ever?
Then all of our kitchen stuff went into the drawers and Whala!  I have the best husband ever!


Then a few months later he bought an old cupboard and turned it into fridge.  The kids love playing with this.  
I love looking it at and knowing no one else has the same play kitchen as we do.  I love unique!



21 comments:

  1. That is absolutely precious!! I don't even have any girls, but I'll have to show my hubby this! ;)

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  2. THAT IS AWESOME!! I didn't even know I needed one till I saw yours! Love it! Kristy from my crafty, DIY healthy blog www.apronsandapples.blogspot.com

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  3. oh my buckets laura!! this is totally beyond the best diy kid's furniture piece i've EVER seen! your hubby gets a daddy award for that! how blessed you all are to have a man who's so handy and full of so much love for his kiddos! i would LOVE if you would share this at my 1st ever tip-toe thru tuesday party!

    blessings, andiejaye

    http://crayonfreckles.blogspot.com/2011/05/1st-ever-tip-toe-thru-tuesday-party.html

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  4. WoW! I really love this! So cute and fantastic to reuse something old instead of buying new. What a clever daddy! :)

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  5. Oh my goodness! This is amazing <3 What a wonderful surprise.

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  6. This is just adorable! Well done! Even my little guy loved playing in a kitchen when he was little. Thanks for sharing!

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  7. I found you from RedTedArt! That is just amazing! Fantastic! x

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  8. I Am in AWE! I have wanted to do one of these myself for ever... and then we went and bought one. You are brilliant and your kitchen is BRILLIANT! I am very impressed!!

    Thank you for linking to Kids Get Crafty.. much appreciated!
    Maggy

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  9. wow, your husband did an amazing job! and so sweet of him to make it while you were gone! thanks so much for sharing on Craft Schooling Sunday!

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  10. That is just adorable! What a fabulous change and I bet it is fun too! Thanks so much for linking up to this week's Catch a Glimpse party!

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  11. hey laura! i just wanted to pop in again and say thanks for linking this up to my tip-toe thru tuesday party! i still think that it is pure awesomeness!!! make sure you check out the party next week. i think you might like what you see **wink wink, nudge nudge**

    xxandiejaye@crayonfreckles

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  12. This is awesome! I think I need one now! Thanks for sharing, have a great weekend!

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  13. He did an awesome job. I love all storage spaces.

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  14. WOW! I am sooo super impressed by your hubby's work! Awesome! We bought my son a play kitchen from Walmart for Christmas, and it's nowhere near as cool as that.

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  15. What a great play kitchen - now I want one for my boys! Isn't he such a clever Dad!

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  16. It turned out amazing! Your husband did a great job! Looks like lots of fun, and what a good idea about using the chain to make the oven door. Thanks so much for linking up.
    Crystal

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  17. Aaawww, what a SWEET labour of love from a great Dad!!

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  18. Oh my goodness who wouldn't want to play with one of these. What a wonderful husband!

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  19. just wanted to let you know that i'm featuring this at my tip-toe thru tuesday party. pop over and grab yourself a button!

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  20. Just saw you over at Andie Jaye's blog . . . this is absolutely incredible! I LOVE it! And it looks like your little girly loves it, too :-) What an amazing job your husband did . . . I would LOVE to try and build something like this for my little boy. So fun!

    Rachel @ Maybe Matilda

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