Sunday, August 8, 2010

Cardboard Play Kitchen

I was having a hard time finding a play kitchen for my little boy. Everything seems to be geared towards girls or they are a bit pricey. I started searching for cardboard play kitchens and up came this website http://meggiecat.blogspot.com/2008/01/little-girls-play-kitchen.html

I figured I was a a little crafty and could make my own. I started with this large computer box.
Then gave it a few coats of light blue paint, painted on the stove top by making four black circles, and cut out a hole for the kitchen sink (a plastic bowl from the dollar store)...
I cut out a door for the oven, painted on another oven door, then cut out a door for a cabinet beneath the sink. I used cardboard to make the kitchen faucet and painted wooden knobs from Hobby Lobby with silver paint to be used as the cabinet handle, burner knobs and hot/cold knobs for the faucet. I knew the faucet would probably be pulled off by the kids, so I used velcro to put it on and used velcro to attach a kitchen timer by the burner knobs (from the dollar store).

And here it is!


Then I sewed a table cloth and used velcro to adhere it to the box, used an eye hook to hold measuring cups and stapled some fabric on to create a handle where I could hang a dishtowel. I also staple gunned fabric to create a "bulletin board" and used velcro to display pictures of our family.

Here's Catherine - she loves peeling off the timer!


So far they love it! I got some plastic pans and play food from Target and John Patrick has been cooking all night tonight. :) All in all it took about an hour and a half and here is the cost breakdown:

box was free

6 acrylic paint bottles (3 blue, 1 green, 1 orange and 1 silver) $6

sponge brushes $2

set of 10 knobs from Hobby Lobby $3

fabric (used remnants I had...free)

Dollar store items: spatulas, timer, dishtowel, tea set, set of two plastic bowls $5

TOTAL is $16 And it was fun to make!! Give it a try!

11 comments:

Cheech said...

Thanks for your comment on my post! Having new viewers is always exciting! YOur cardboard kitchen is adorable! Great idea!

Jennifer said...

It came out great! I searched high and low for a play kitchen for my son, finally I found one. I didn't even think to make it. I am sure it will bring them hours of fun :)

Nikki said...

You're right, I see lots of pink and girly kitchens on blogs but never more masculine/boyish ones. I love what you did with cardboard -- cute AND economical!

Nice to meet you, btw :)

Alison @ Oopsey Daisy said...

I am dying to make my son a kitchen for Christmas, and you make this look do-able for me. So thank you SO much for this tutorial!!

~Alison
http://oopsey-daisy.blogspot.com/

Kerri said...

Oh my word! I love what you did with a cardboard box...just incredible!!

Bonnie Weeks said...

That is such a good idea.

Unknown said...

very cute!!

Sachiko said...

How cute! You did nice job on this kitchen. Thank you for linking to my party!

Rebecca said...

This is just too cute~ and even more adorable in person. Looking at it, I never would have guessed I could do it, but now I'm inspired! I'm going right now to rescue the big car seat box before it goes into the recycling so maybe I can make one!

Emily Thompson said...

hi! I'm featuring this on a cardboard kitchen round up that I am posting this afternoon. The link will be live in about 5 hours. Come by and grab a featured button if you would like. http://www.nap-timecreations.com/2012/09/cardboard-kitchen-round-up.html

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