My son is 19 months old and is just beginning to discover imaginative play. A few months ago, he decided that his stuffed dog needs to be walked outside on a regular basis but that was really the extent of pretend play until last month. Over Thanksgiving while my sister and I were cooking in the kitchen and wearing our grandmother's vintage aprons, my son came in the kitchen and decided he needed to wear an apron, too. We happened to have the apron my grandmother made my brother when he was a little kid so we threw that on him and he was happy as a clam. A few days later, he was carrying around baking pans and pretending to mix things up inside. That's when it dawned on me: he would totally dig a play kitchen.
So I started checking out play kitchens (to purchase) online. Most of them where huge chunks of plastic OR super expensive. Not our style and not in our budget. So I did what any crafter would do: I turned to Pinterest...and then I cruised Craigslist for a week and bought this:
 |
| (This is the photo from the Craigslist posting) |
Reasons why I'm loving the idea of a DIY Play kitchen instead of one from a box:
- I'm saving money
- I have complete control over the look and color theme of the finished piece (which is important since the downstairs of our home, where it's going to go, is an open floor plan)
- I can choose green materials to reduce toxins and VOCs
- Way more love goes into making something than buying it
If you're dreaming of making of play kitchens, too, check out these awesome inspiration pieces. These are all links to real blogs that show awesome in-progress pictures as well.
Chelsea from Finding Joy made a great play kitchen for her son, Jarvis.
Amy from Giggleberry Creations blogs about the awesome play kitchen her parents made for her daughter.
Britt from Britt & Her Boys blogs about the play kitchen she made for her son including how she did a lot of the details like the "granite" countertops.
Jenna from SAS Interiors made this great play kitchen from an old nightstand. Perfect if your kitchen needs to fit in a smaller space.
Read through the great links above (they all show useful in-progress photos) or check out my "Play Kitchen Palooza" pinboard where I'll continue adding great play kitchen and play food ideas. And of course don't forget to check back here over the next couple weeks (or better yet, subscribe by e-mail!) to see the big reveal of MY play kitchen and, of course, learn how I made all the details that's going to make mine unique.
Thanks, also to the great bloggers featured above who shared their work with the world. Please grab a featured button if you'd like:
