Play Kitchen

Before: A sad old nightstand...
I thought I wanted 4 burners, but decided 2 were enough. The wooden letter I trimmed to make it look like a faucet.

The top of the nightstand was really thick, but my jigsaw managed ok.
I will attach the backsplash once I've transported the kitchen to Idaho for Christmas. I used chalkboard paint on the side...
The burners are wood discs from a craft store that I painted.





First, let me say that I did not invent the idea of turning a nightstand into a play kitchen. I got lots of inspiration from other bloggers out there, so thank you (particularly the blog Husband, Wife, Happy Life)

So, I started with a thrift store nightstand. The hardest part was getting it all cleaned and the hardware all off. I took out the drawers and kept the face of just the top drawer. I tried to use stuff I already had in the garage, so I used leftover primer and white paint (spray paint would probably be lots faster). I wanted the knobs to be able to turn, so I used carriage bolts with a couple of nuts underneath so that the wooden wheels would spin. The faucet is a wooden letter found at the D.I.

Tools I used: Drill, jig saw, chop saw


Get a metal bowl (another thrift store item) and make sure it has enough of a lip to hang on the countertop. I traced the bowl on a piece of paper and then used a compass to make a circle inside the outline about 1/8" smaller. I traced the circle pattern on the top of the nightstand and used the jigsaw to cut out the hole.

I used leftover cabinet hinges on the drawer face to make the "oven". I had to screw a small block of wood inside the cabinet to keep the drawer face from falling inward. I used stick-on velcro to keep the "oven" shut.

The fabric was a cute turquoise and red "bowl of cherries" that I had leftover from another project and I used a tension curtain rod.

I have about $20 in materials invested (including the nightstand)--I made the felt food last year and so the kitchen is good to go! Perfect for triplet 23-month old cuties (my adorable nieces and nephew).