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DIY Play Kitchen Project Ideas

Play kitchen project ideas
(clockwise, from top left): Young House Love; Ikea Hackers; Spacey Casey Creates; The Dancing Toad Blog 

I have been ooo’ing and ahhh’ing over DIY play kitchens for months.  I especially love the ones made from bound-for-the-trash furniture pieces.  These little DIY’d gems are so adorable (and such a great chance to paint some kitchen cupboards, since the Hubs vetoed painting ours ages ago).

Because Hubby & I have chosen not to have children, I pushed these ideas to the back of my mind until one day it dawned on me: there are kids in my family!  How the heck did I forget?  I’m the worst auntie/cousin.  Having remembered about my tiny family members, I am finally planning my own mini-kitchen makeover, for my adorable little cousin (you can spot her in this post).

I rounded up some inspiration, and I am headed off in search of some thrifty supplies.  Has anyone made one of these?  Any tips, tricks or ideas?

UPDATE: I actually made one! Check it out here.

Inspiration for DIY play kitchen
(clockwise, from top left): flickr; Dwellings by DeVore; Life as a Thrifter; flickr

Below is one of the coolest makeovers I’ve seen.  I love that someone saw potential in that wall unit!

Design*Sponge
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16 Comments

  1. Olga@Stardust-Decor&Style
    March 13, 2012 / 2:07 pm

    The last one is so unique because of the little details. They even placed a window with a view to the nature!

  2. Christine
    March 13, 2012 / 2:49 pm

    These are all soooo adorable! I've noticed you pinning them on Pinterest and figured you had a plan. Making one for a family member is a great idea- maybe my niece needs one of these this year for Christmas! Thanks for the inspiration!

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      March 13, 2012 / 7:50 pm

      I wondered in anyone noticed my mad kitchen pinning! I hope to see your version if you do tackle one of these. I'll be sure to post the outcome of my project.

  3. PinkTulip
    March 13, 2012 / 3:47 pm

    Completely adorable!!! I love the modern ones. Can't wait to see what you come up with. Is this for the basement?

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      March 13, 2012 / 7:50 pm

      I'm actually going to make one as a gift. I'm attending some conferences close to my Uncle and his wife in May, so I'm hoping it will be ready and I can drive it over to their place and surprise my little cousin.

  4. emilie
    March 13, 2012 / 4:09 pm

    This is pretty much the best idea I've ever seen (my goodness that media center transformation is amazing!). I had a mini kitchen when I was a kid and I LOVED it. Great idea! Can't wait to see it!Emiliewww.liveeatsmile.blogspot.com

  5. Dana@Mid2Mod
    March 13, 2012 / 4:28 pm

    My grandsons are growing up seeing their dad doing as much cooking as their mom, so one like the natural finish modern one might be really cool for them, especially since we're much for the idea of gender-specific toys.

  6. Shannon
    March 13, 2012 / 5:13 pm

    That last one is awesome!

  7. Sarah @ { rad: renovations are dirty }
    March 13, 2012 / 9:24 pm

    My favourite is the long turquoise 'suite'. Sooo freaking cute!I just wanted to say that I'm happy to know that I'm not the only blogger who doesn't plan on having children!

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      March 14, 2012 / 12:12 am

      Oh, me too!! I feel like an oddity, as bloggers (esp. design/DIY/home bloggers) all seem to have or eventually have children. Thanks for sharing your decision. I don't feel so alone now 🙂

  8. Rosa @ FlutterFlutter
    March 14, 2012 / 5:05 am

    Good for you! There is no reason not to follow where you heart leads! You'll be a popular aunt with this gift! 😉 Makes me think… I always say I wish I could make one of these, but I don't have girls… same applies I guess!

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      March 14, 2012 / 2:34 pm

      I think boys could love this! And grow up to be famous chefs ;)I am planning to make my version in neutral colours, adding stereotypical "girl" colours only in the accessories so that my other little cousin (a boy) can enjoy it when he grows up, too.

  9. Carol@TheDesignPages
    March 15, 2012 / 3:01 am

    I so love these little kitchens. We had a couple of them in our house when the kids were tiny but I wish I had known about these diy versions then:) I'm sure you'll do an awesome job.

  10. Patti
    March 15, 2012 / 10:50 pm

    I was so obsessed with little kitchens growing up!! it was amazing playtime!

  11. Sherrie
    February 17, 2013 / 5:20 pm

    So cute! Thanks for the ideas! Where did you find the sink and faucet and how much were they? Also did you sand the whole thing down before priming it? Thanks again!

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      February 17, 2013 / 5:31 pm

      Hi Sherrie! For my play kitchen (linked to this post), I used a stainless steel mixing bowl from Value Village ($3.99) as a sink, and a real faucet, found in the online classifieds for $15.00 (after some negotiating). I did not sand it down prior to priming, and the primer did a good job, but I usually do give everything a light sand before priming. So far, it has held up well!I have more info in my post on my version (below), but feel free to ask any other questions :)http://dans-le-townhouse.blogspot.ca/2012/04/diy-play-kitchen-reveal.html

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