How to Build a Play Kitchen

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

1. How to Build a Play Kitchen

   • 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
     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
     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
     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
     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
     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
     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.

Posted in: Toys and Games