DIY Kids Kitchen for under $10 – Part 2

To be honest, I was starting to worry that it couldn’t be done. That this challenge that I had set myself to make Immy a play kitchen for under $10 was not going to be possible. It was the sink taps and spout that were getting me down. I was hoping to pick up a cheap set at the hardware store but they were much pricier than I expected. With only $4.50 left to spend, what was I to do?

To see Part 1 of the challenge, follow this link.

Part 2 of the DIY Play Kitchen Challenge

1. The first problem I wanted to fix was that of not being able to open the oven door easily, I was all primed to cut a finger notch in the top of the door, stanley knife in hand, when I started thinking that I really, really wished that I had a handle so that it could be realistic. I started considering all of our furniture and what I could ‘borrow’ a handle from. Nothing sprung to mind (I didn’t think our landlords would appreciate me taking a handle from the kitchen cupboards!)

Then I remembered that we had never put the handle on our Ikea Aspivk roll-front cabinet so I hunted around and found it in our tool box!

Play kitchen cardboard box

Measure and mark where the holes need to go and then pierce the cardboard with a pen (or similar), then simply screw the handle on.

Play kitchen cardboard box

Perfect! And it didn’t cost me a thing (good thing, cause I had already spent all my pennies!) Of course, if I didn’t have the handle I would have just stuck with the finger notch idea anyway which also wouldn’t have cost me anything.

2. Next job, was to install the kitchen sink.

Play kitchen cardboard box

I decided to use a mixing bowl that I already owned (you could use any container as long as it has a lip so that the bow doesn’t slip through).

Play kitchen cardboard box

I traced around a plate that was slightly smaller than the lip of the bowl and then cut out the traced circle with a utility knife, to make a hole for your sink to sit in.
And that’s the sink. Again at no cost. Still have my whole $4.50 left to spend.

Play kitchen cardboard box

3. Now onto the challenge of the spout! And this was my solution.

Play kitchen cardboard box

Four reticulation fixings! I also looked at plastic plumbing fittings which would have worked just as well but they were more expensive at my hardware store.

Trace around the small end of the fitting and cut a hole.

Play kitchen cardboard box

Join the three top fittings together. Poke the fourth fitting up through the hole you made and then screw it all together. Voila!

Play kitchen cardboard box

Cost= $4.34. That takes us to a total so far of $9.84. Not leaving much for the taps!

4. Luckily, the ‘taps’ didn’t cost us a thing. You see last week our local council was hosting a kerbside garbage collection for large items. DH was out for an evening walk and knowing of my dilemma, he scoped the garbage piles for a solution. After a few failed attempts at removing knobs from washing machines and the like, he came across an old cupboard and unscrewed these knobs. Perfect!

Play kitchen cardboard box
Mark where you would like your ‘taps’ to go. Pierce the cardboard with a pen and then screw the knobs into place.

Finished!

Play kitchen cardboard box
But of course we had to have a test drive of our new kitchen sink.

Play kitchen cardboard box

Keeping an eye on the eggs whilst filling the sink, multi-tasking at just 18 months!

So it is possible to make a Kids Kitchen for under $10. You just have to think creatively and be willing to reuse or re-purpose common household (and garden) items. Why not give it a go.

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48 Comments

  1. Fantastic!!! LOVE the shiny kitchen sink. Looks like she is having great fun 🙂

  2. tiff(threeringcircus) says:

    Oh! That is fantastic!!!!! I love it.

  3. Hey that's really cool! I likes it!

  4. Tammy James says:

    Amazing! You have done a stellar job! will RT this for you for sure!

  5. You are just too clever! What a fantastic job

  6. All I can say is WOW – you must be related to me!! I can just see my little munchkin playing with her kitchen – can't wait to come over and play along with her.

  7. SquiggleMum says:

    Love, love, love it Christie 🙂

  8. That is so amazing. I wish I was still there so I could play with Immy. Can you please make me one and send over?

  9. Excellent job! She will have so much fun making you yummy food, just wait till she incorporates playdough food into the mix. Yum!

  10. WhisperingWriter says:

    That is too cool!

  11. fantastic

  12. Busy Brissy Mum says:

    I've been waiting to see this blog as I loves part one. It looks great!

  13. Big brother, Little sister. says:

    Looks fantastic! well done! hope you get some delicious meals "cooked" for you! Bron

  14. That is so cool 🙂

  15. Roshni Mitra Chintalapati says:

    really an excellent idea!! Wow!!

  16. this is sooo cute! your little girl is adorable! my daughter loves to cook and, although we got her a princess kitchen for christmas, i bet she would love to make her own while her big brother is at school tomorrow! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

  17. A Happy Heart Blog says:

    Wow, what a great thing you've made for your daughter! Ingenious! Thanks for stopping in at a happy heart! Take care, Michelle 🙂

  18. This is absolutely brilliant.

  19. Anonymous says:

    This is so nice, my daughter is a bit older, but loves play cooking. I was going to get her a big wooden one, but I hated that they all had brand name logos everywhere. I've got some boxes, I think I'll try this one first.
    I saw a cool recycled project somewhere that used the top of the milk bottle itself as the bolt, and the lid as the nut. They cut a bit off just below the neck of the bottle, threaded the neck through a hole in the box, then secured it with the lid glued on. It then turns easily, without coming undone.
    Sandy

  20. Christie Burnett says:

    Thank you all for your comments of support. Immy loves her kitchen and it is holding up to the rigours of an 18 month old cooking up a storm!

    Christie

  21. I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.Susanhttp://carusbcharger.com

  22. Charlotte says:

    you are such a sweet & smart mama..love it! xo

  23. Fabulous Pants says:

    Unbelievably cute! I am filing this away in the "when I have kids" folder!

  24. erin, maker of chimes says:

    You did an awesome job on this! Love how you reused items to make the perfect kitchen. Looks like it's so well made that you'll be able to pass it along to another great kid once your little one no longer wants to cook 🙂

  25. you did a great job. Thanks for sharing

  26. Anonymous says:

    Creative genius! Delightful, simple and inexpensive (an understatement!). Good on you!

  27. RootsAndWingsCo says:

    Wow! I am impressed. I could seriously see making this out of wood instead of buying one. I wish I had stumbled upon a tutorial like this several years ago when my children would have played with a kitchen.

    I like that the contact paper really hides the fact that it is two boxes.

    Katrina

  28. Anonymous says:

    This is the most awesome homemade kitchen set ever! My 2 1/2 yr old son LOVES to 'cook' and we have debated buying a big ugly permanent piece of plastic that will live on long past any of us VS letting him continue to use his imagination with everything else we already own. We will definitely give this a shot!

  29. thanks for sharing this! My husband and I made this for his nephew's 4th birthday yesterday, and it was a great hit. We used some plastic cable ties threaded through the lids and the box so that the taps/knobs could turn.

  30. Narelle Nettelbeck says:

    I know this was posted a little while ago but I'm just catching up…..I LOVE this kitchen. Are you still buying her a "proper" kitchen? Yours looks awesome to me! Very creative 🙂

  31. An Almost Unschooling Mom says:

    Wow! That's absolutely wonderful.

  32. hi – i know this is an old post but i just made a similar kitchen for my son last night and he has played with it ALL DAY! loves loves loves it! thanks for the inspiration!

  33. Fantastic I absolutley love love love it. Miss 16 months is ready for a kitchen and I’m going to set to work making a replica of Immy’s…will let you know how we go. Thank you for sharing your very creative ideas

  34. Brilliant! This is great! I can’t wait to make this for my little girl… thank you, thank you for posting this.

    Erin @ Delight in the Days

  35. Nicolette says:

    you are so clever!! I can’t wait to make one.

  36. I just started making this for my son. I am using spray adhesive and aluminum foil. I just need to get the pieces for the faucet and finish off a few more gallons of milk for my knobs! Great idea! thank you for sharing!

    1. It sounds like it’s coming together, Angela 🙂 The foil is a great idea.

  37. What a brilliant idea! I’ve been thinking about a kitchen for awhile and this one is perfect! Let me start checking out my odds and ends to get crafting! Thank you so much!

  38. Amazing. You certainly are creative. I am so glad I found this after clicking a link that my aunt had on FB. I then got to your site & decided on a whim to check out just one more thing on your site. I have to make this kitchen! –and bookmark your site. Have been wanting a play kitchen for our youngest tot, but it just isn’t in the budget. But, THIS, is! Thank you! Perfectly cute! (I am going to use the top threads on the milk jug as the ‘nut’ like another commenter did.)

  39. So, years later, I am just finding this. I built a similar thing for my son when he was 18 months. I like your idea of the sink part more. I’ll definitely be making mine again, as it has been seriously beaten down with use. What I made is just the stove with one box, and then I used the second box to make a vertical refrigerator with shelves because he enjoyed stacking empty food boxes so much. I wish I’d found this sooner!

  40. Excellent job out there. End result looks great. Need to try it for my kid.

  41. Jessica C. says:

    I just came across this and love it! It looks it would be possible to make a cabinet for storing dishes under the sink by cutting two side-by-side flaps, and putting a free-standing wire cabinet shelf inside! And maybe use a third box with another free-standing wire shelf to make a mini-fridge for the play food!

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