Frugal DIY Play Kitchen!

For little Man’s 3rd birthday party I decided that a play kitchen would be a good addition to our playroom! I didn’t have a lot of money to spend (none really) but I still wanted it to be cute! I found a possibility on etsy.com for a cardboard one and bought the PDF. I loved it but it required a lot more materials than I had available at the time. So I looked around and found some materials that I thought would work.
I first saw this end table that I was using as a cable box stand and nothing else. I grabbed that and replaced it with my file cabinet as the cable box holder lol
I knew I needed room for a sink too so I found an old drafting desk that the top ‘lift up’ portion of the desk was damaged on one edge but was long enough on the ‘good’ part to cover the top of the end table and then have overhand for the ‘sink’ portion.
So I had my handsome hubby cut down the desk top to the right size, cut the hole for the pie plate sink and screw it on to the top of the nightstand- lining up the edges. I caulked/used wood filler on the seam where the top of the end table and bottom of the wood came together. Then I taped off the half that overhang with painter’s tape and newspaper and spray painted the entire nightstand/remaining portion of desk top white. It took a couple coats and I didn’t do the back, the inside or the side under the over hang since those wouldn’t be seen. The reason I did this is that I wanted it to have some separation between the  stove/oven side and the kitchen side. It ended up looking like the sink is in a butcher block countertop- love it!

Next I took off the tape/newspaper and placed the pie plate in the hole. It has a lip and we measured the bottom of the plate (which is a bit smaller than the rim) so it fits in tight and the lip keeps it from falling all the way through.
I traced a saucer four times onto the ‘stove’ side of the kitchen and filled in the circles with black acrylic paint. Handsome Hubby drilled some small holes and fitted them with these little metal pegs I found laying around and that’s what we used to hold the ‘oven’ knobs on with. The knobs do come off but I didn’t want to glue them because I wanted them to be able to spin. I wrote the ‘temperature’ & ‘on’ ‘off’ with a thin line Sharpie.

Then hubby measured and cut plywood to fill the front of the end table for an oven door and he cut a ‘window’ in the middle for the oven window. I spray painted that white and we attached it to the kitchen with hinges at the bottom, magnetic tape to hold it closed and upright and a handle to pull it open with.  The ‘window’ of the oven is covered from the inside with a sheet of transparency film and it is just taped on using packing tape (so it’s clear and blends in). I might hot glue it on later but for now it works!
 

After that we just screwed the handles through the overhand/old desk top part of the kitchen for faucet handles and used Gorilla Glue to attach the wooden J (I painted it sliver first) upside down to look like a faucet. I would have loved to do a screw up through the bottom of the over hang into the bottom of the J but when we tried it started to split the J- so glue only was what worked for us!

I used sticky backed Velcro on the edge of the over hang and sewed the matching Velcro (using sew on Velcro obviously lol) to the bandanas to make a sink ‘skirt/curtain’
And that was that! I had everything but the hinges, handles, J and knobs on hand. The oven ‘knobs’ were free and the rest was all $1-$5 each.

 


So here are the materials you would need to make your own. I have linked to similar or the same products where ever it was possible!

Materials: End Table(I used one similar to this- only mine had two shelves)    
Pie Plate with rim (but no handles) (mine came in a pack of 2 and was similar to this)
wooden or paper mache letter “J” (mine is wooden- this link is for paper mache because I couldn’t find the right ‘font’ of J that looked like a faucet)
Kitchen or Bath Replacement Faucet Handles (mine are similar but couldn’t find them online)
Acrylic Black Paint
Metallic Spray Paint -Silver
Satin White Spray Paint
Replacement Oven Knobs (mine are actually from an old Helicopter)
Plywood (got mine at my local Lowe’s)
Sharpie Fine Point Permanent Markers
Wood to form ‘countertop’ (the same width as your end table from front to back and then about twice as long-mine came from the top of an old desk that part of the wood was warped. We cut off the bad part and used the good part)
Solid Color Bandanas - (Whatever Color you want)(mine are leftover bandanas from the Pirate Birthday party!)
Small Hinges (you’ll need at least two to attach the oven door with)
Magnetic tape (you can get this at Wal-mart or a craft store also)
Kitchen Cabinet Handle (this is similar to the one I used but I would have loved to use this kitchen cabinet long handle because it is longer-more like an oven handle)
Velcro (both sticky backed & sew-on)
Transparency Films
Packing Tape
Gorilla Glue
Screws

I hope you all find some interesting materials to make your own play kitchen! Just know that you CAN do it without spending a fortune on those wooden play kitchens they sell!
In fact, I’m not the only one who has made their own play kitchen.

Have a Happy Day,

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The Naughty Spot

My son, Little Man, is 3. I’ve heard 3 is more trying on the parents than the ‘terrible twos.’ In the past year we have been implementing timeouts. They are effective for us and I like them as a teaching tool. However my son needs boundaries (where to sit & stay during timeouts). I was using the forced hot air heating grate in the floor as the designated spot this summer but then remembered that this winter those metal grates would be hotter than hot if he needed a timeout while the furnace was on.
So I moved on to plan B. I made my own naughty spot.
I just used my silhouette machine and a free font-Pupcat. I designed a circle shape and put the text inside, cut the vinyl in my machine then, when it was done I peeled away the letters and outside the circle to leave me with the ‘negative’ space to put on my floor.
Here is the fun part: Don’t have a Silhouette or Cricut?? You can make one too! Go into paint or Photoshop or some similar image software. Draw a circle and insert text into it. Then go and get yourself some of this:

I got mine at Wal-mart about a year ago but I’m sure they still have it. 

If not you can buy full sheet adhesive paper at Papertrey, Ink. 

 

The only negative I can see with this method is that you only get white stickers (unless you draw your circle and fill it with color on the computer) and it might take you a little time.
So draw your circle in your image software and type your text inside the circle. Load your sticker paper in your printer according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the package and print out your design. Then take an craft knife or small sharp scissors and cut the circle then the letters out. Make sure you keep the interiors of the the letters O, A, P, etc. so that you can place those on the floor too.
Then just peel off your backing and press your sticker to the floor in the desired spot! Most adhesive printable sheets are low tac or low adhesive so they shouldn’t harm your floor when you remove them but I would test a small piece of sticker in a corner or under a piece of furniture to see. (Same with vinyl- it should be ok but it’s always best to test!)

Other variations of this could include putting it on the seat of a child-sized wooden/plastic chair (or an adult sized one if your adults need time outs too!) or on a piece of vinyl/laminate flooring remnant cut to size and painted a fun color (that way you can take it to Grandma’s or the babysitters to promote consistency in timeouts). Also use that sticker trick to make any and all wall decorations you want without having to buy a Cricut/Silhouette/cutter machine! :) Frugal & you still get to jump on the bandwagon of vinyl!

Hope you all have a happy day!


Linking to:

Baby Time Guest Post: A Chirp In the Forest

Hi! Today I have a guest post from a bloggy friend who calls herself Birdie! She blogs at "A Chirp in the Forest" I asked her to guest post because she & I seem to blog about the same things: crafts, house renos, gardening, etc. She's a good fit for a "Baby Time Guest Post" and if I had a ball of twine sitting around I'd be doing today's craft right. now. :) Take it away Birdie!

Hi All! I have a fun and SIMPLE little project to show you, but first I want to thank Kristi for hosting me at her blog today! I am so honored to do a guest post for her, and it's actually my first guest post EVER, so you know she's really taking a chance on me :)



Some of you might know me already and if so, you've already seen my spring centerpiece on my little kitchen table. But here's a reminder anyway so all the rest of blogland can see it too.









I thought it was pretty cute. Then the daffodils and tulips finished blooming......and I got the bright idea to try to root a piece of clematis in the little glass jug ......and I found another twine ball and absentmindedly added it to the mix......and before I knew it, my perky spring centerpiece looked like THIS:





It's ok. You don't have to tell me. I heard your cringe. It needs some help!



I went searching around the house for an idea. And I found a set of three mini flower pots I bought at the Dollar Store a while back. I hadn't yet found a use for them, partially because one was cracked.







But I got an idea and I grabbed the twine.....



A little bit of Tacky Glue and about ten minutes later, I had some cute little cottage-y flower pots!



Plus, I completely covered the cracked pot so that hopefully it will hold up a little longer.



I took some alyssum seedlings which I haven't been able to plant outside yet, and just plopped them right into the pots. I'm not sure if I'll still plant those three plants or if I'll just let them grow inside. I guess it'll depend on when I get tired of the centerpiece :)









There you have it. A little summery centerpiece for a whopping $1 + 10 minutes. I love being cheap ;)



(PS the mirror came from Goodwill and was painted, so it was cheap too!)



Have a great day!




Isn't that quick & easy? And the fact that I don't even have a centerpiece 80% of the time makes any centerpiece trump me! :) Hope you enjoyed today's guest post! Make sure you go visit A Chirp in the Forest & thank her for giving me the day off with her Baby Time Guest Post! :)

DIY Topsy Turvy

Hi all! Quick little post today to share with you how my hubby & I made our own "Topsy Turvy" tomato planter.
I really wanted a tomato plant & liked the idea of the topsy turvy but totally did not like the look of the plastic-y bag (plus I've heard it's hard to re-use it every year- it rips/breaks easily?).
So frugal little me did a little searching online and found this neat little tutorial (which is actually about a self-watering system-a little too high tech for me) and decided to steal the container idea.
I went to Wal-mart (where I really thought I had seen the trash can I was looking for awhile ago) but they didn't have what I was looking for. So I ended up at Bed, Bath & Beyond. Found the trash can & it was $6, marched right past the MOUNTAIN of Topsy Turvy's (for $15 thankyouverymuch) on my way out.

Alright so now you have one of these (in whatever color you like):

Image credit: Bedbathandbeyond.com

All you really need to do is drill a hole big enough for your tomato plant to slide down through (about 2"-3" in diameter if you buy a baby tomato plant) in the center of the bottom of the trash can (if you put some tape over where your spade bit will start the circle it'll help keep the bit from 'skipping' across the surface).
Then buy some chain (we got ours at Wal-mart one night because Lowe's was closed already- boo!) and S hooks and string it up! You could also just tie some string around the handles on the trash can and hang it that way too! I don't remember how much the chain & S hooks were (really cheap though!) and the wall mounted hook I have it hanging from I bought 2 years ago for $3.

Here's ours: 

The best part? It's sturdy ('cause it's plastic ha ha) & we can re-use it year to year! Plus it looks so cute!
I'm hoping to make some yummy homemade salsa later this summer! Anyone have any good salsa recipes that are mild to medium heat? (I am not a lover of super spicy)





P.S. Anyone care to make one out of the pink trashcan & send me pictures?? :)

Linking To:
The Shabby Nest: Frugal Friday
The Inspired Room

White Washed Brick

So my fireplace is about as done as it can get for right now! I only say that because it would be 100% done if I could decide on what type of mantel I want to add. Right now we have a mantle of brick but I would like to build a wood 'cover' to make it wider and more substantial.

Anyway here is what it looks like now:

 

Sorry the photos aren't the best but my computer isn't liking my camera card right now so these come from my iPhone. See how I didn't white wash the top brick? That's the mantle so it'll all get covered up anyway. I am so happy with it- even if it does look a little pink in direct sunlight! haha!

Here is a close up of the paint finish:

Also while this whole brass fixture/red brick makeover was taking place we added a new pet to our house. Since Lil Man loves fish we got him one and he named him Hollis (where he got this name I do not know haha). Hollis lives on the mantle so that Lil Man can see him all day everyday!

And just because I love a good before and after- here is a picture (the only full fireplace shot I could find!) I took two Christmas' ago of the fireplace before:

And again the After:

 

So much better don't you think?

A little info about the paint: 

 I used a little quart of Behr Swiss Coffee and poured a bit in a paint pan then added the same amount of water and mixed them together. I used a brush to put it on the bricks and then a cut up flannel pillowcase to wipe some off. Easy Peasy! 

If you have questions about the paint or process used on the lights & fireplace surround check out these posts.

That's it for today! Happy Friday!

I am linking up to Thrifty Decor Chick's Before & After Party!   

Get Your Face On Party!

So I decided to join Beth's (from The Stories of A to Z) challenge & show my nakey face, share a makeup tip & then the after. It is not something I would usually do but since she is good at pressuring/guilting on Twitter (hehe just kidding Beth!!) I decided last minute to join in. Her linky party needed some more links. 
So here is my just out of the shower face with just moisturizer on:

 

Now that is what the world sees about 99.9% of the time because I just really don't think to put on makeup unless it is an 'event' I'm going to. Which is sad considering I am a consultant for Pink Papaya and we sell color as one of our lines. Oh well.

So I start with Pink Papaya's Pore Perfecting Face Primer all over to just 'smooth' my skin and usually that's it for an all over face product because I don't really wear foundation.

Then I use a brown eyeliner pencil on both the upper and lower lids but only from the outside to about 3/4 of the way across and I drag my finger across to 'smudge' it so it isn't a harsh line.

Next is eyeshadow. I used two types today: Pink Papaya's Triple Split Shadow in Tribeca & Pink Papaya's Polychromatic shadow in Silk Sheets.

My tip is for mascara. I always suggest women put on one coat the way they usually do- just a little wiggle/sweep upwards under the lashes then turn the want vertical and do a windshield wiper motion with just the tip of the wand. Like this:

 

I know that's hard to see but you get the idea. It's really hard to put on mascara, take a picture and not look like an idiot anyway lol! The reason why I do this is that it coats the entire lash (the sides of each individual lash) not just the underside. I finish with one more swipe the 'normal' way to 'un-clump' any lashes that might have stuck together. I do NOT put the wand back in the mascara until I move to the next eye- no spider eyes/clumpy messes!! I use-what else?- Pink Papaya's HD Mascara in Carbon Black

Anyway, after that I'm usually done but today I decided to pop on some lip color. Pink Papaya's Lip Rougue in Melon Sorbet

Here are the products:

And the "after"

Not a whole big change but it makes me feel a little more 'put together' (Just a note- I did nothing to my hair...it's still straight out of the shower/air drying)
Don't forget to go check out Beth's Linky party for "Get Your Face On!" to see all the other links!! :)
-Kristi

Ok so if you are interested in trying any of the products free (and live in my area) please visit my Pink Papaya site and contact me. Or you can also shop online too.