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How to Build a Play Kitchen

Contributor
By Michelle Powell-Smith
eHow Contributing Writer
(0 Ratings)

A play kitchen offers many opportunities for creative play, ranging from playing house to playing restaurant. Play kitchens are an excellent gift or play area for boys or girls. While purchasing a good-quality wooden play kitchen can be expensive, you can make your own from a repurposed bookshelf, nightstand or cabinet, creating an adorable and affordable play kitchen for your children, for a classroom or a day care situation.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Small cabinet, bookcase or old nightstand
  • Wooden shelf, width to match your kitchen base cabinet
  • Stainless steel bowl
  • Flat wooden rounds
  • Wooden knobs
  • Small towel bar
  • Sandpaper
  • Paint or stain
  • Polyurethane
  • Drill and bits
  • Sturdy wood glue
  • L-brackets

    How to Build a Play Kitchen

  1. Step 1

    Choose a piece of old furniture. Use any piece that is a suitable height for your child, and look for one that is at least 24 inches by 12 inches; however, size can vary.

  2. Step 2

    Trace around the bowl using a pencil. Drill a hole with a large bit to create an opening for the jigsaw blade. Cut out an opening for the sink in the top surface using a jigsaw. Sand the edges quite smooth.

  3. Step 3

    Sand the surfaces smooth. Be sure that no splinters remain, especially if you are reusing a worn piece of furniture. Use sandpaper to smooth and prep the wooden rounds, knobs and wooden shelf as well.

  4. Step 4

    Paint or stain the play kitchen as desired. Use a stain that matches the room in which the play kitchen will be situated. Opt for a dark stain and high-gloss polyurethane for a rich look in your traditional living room or kitchen or sweet pastels for the playroom. Be sure to seal all parts of the kitchen with polyurethane sealer for easy cleanup.

  5. Step 5

    Paint the wooden rounds black. Allow these to dry thoroughly, then glue them into place. Create a two- or four-burner stove with your play kitchen depending upon the size of the toy kitchen. Screw two or four knobs into place on the front edge of the play kitchen.

  6. Step 6

    Screw a towel bar into place on the toy kitchen. Arrange the towel bar on the side or front of the play kitchen depending upon the overall design of the homemade kitchen.

  7. Step 7

    Secure the kitchen into place against the wall with brackets. Mount the shelf above the homemade kitchen.

Tips & Warnings
  • Add curtains to your homemade kitchen or paint details on it, like an oven window or a built-in spice rack.

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