Re-Purposed TV unit to Kids play kitchen

Milla’s Kitchen – handmade by Papa & Grandma Barbara- By Giggleberry

About 6 or so months ago I was floating through ‘blog land’ as I do from time to time and somehow I stumbled upon Sutton Grace blog, where a particular blog post jumped out at me:

A repurposed play kitchen

The very clever Erin of Sutton Grace blog had taken a 2nd hand TV entertainment unit and turned it into a mini kitchen for her little girl. I LOVED this idea sooooo much and sat looking at the blog post for the longest time trying to work out if I could do it myself…. I decided in the end mine would never look that amazing. So after sending the link onto my mum and sisters to show them how cute the kitchen was I continued on floating ‘blog land’ and kinda forgot all about it…. Until, this weekend just gone.

As you have probably read in my previous posts, it was my little girl, Milla’s, 2nd birthday party on the weekend so all her cousin’s, aunties, uncles and grandparents got together for a little party.

My parents live approx 4 hrs away so they were making a special trip to Sydney for the party, or so I thought. In fact they had a special delivery to make to the birthday girl…

It all started with this pre-loved TV unit that they got for $30!

The dvd player shelf was removed and all the doors were taken off for sanding and the first coat of undercoat paint.

Shelves were added to what was the cupboard to make it a fridge & freezer.Then another coat of paint was added.

A hole was cut in the shelf where the TV once sat and a tap was added. The fridge and freezer were fitted for their doors.

Then another coat of paint.

Dad removed the entire back of the unit and replaced it as their were holes in the original back for the TV and DVD player cords.

The microwave was added to the top corner of the TV space. Then another coat of paint.

The fridge, freezer and cupboard doors went on.

The microwave and over doors have dark perspex in them to add to the real look.

A ‘window’ was added by placing a photo behind a piece of clear perspex with a frame around it and attaching it to the wall. Mum made curtains and matching tea towels.

The stove top is a piece of timber with four coasters glued on it to act as hotplates.

Four knobs were added down the side of the stove top that all turn so Milla can ‘really’ cook.

Dad even added little baskets to the inside of the fridge door soit looked just like a real fridge.

Then with a printed out keypad added for the buttons on the microwave and a few hanging cooking utensils the amazing transformation was complete!!

Milla LOVE, LOVE, LOVES her fabulous kitchen and so do I!!! We went through our real kitchen cupboards and found all kinds of boxes and bottles to put in her fridge, freezer and cupboards and we have baked non stop since the new kitchen was ‘installed’!

I can see many, many, many years of fun with this handmade with love treasure.
Thanks Papa and Grandma Barbara xoxox

We also found a few others check them out:

• http://playkitchens.wordpress.com/
• http://create.northridgepublishing.com/diy-play-kitchen-how-to/
• http://toomanytalents.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/entertainment-center-turned-play-kitchen-repurposed-furniture/