Trying to figure out what to make it out of was interesting. Some of the blogs I was looking at people were quite creative. I saw play kitchens made out of anything and everything, from end tables and entertainment centers to even chairs! I just started browsing different pieces of furniture for sale on Craigslist and Swap shops until I finally found a winner.
A family friend was selling this on swap shop...I know what you're thinking, how perfect is this!?!!
So it will need to be modified a bit because here are the main items I want it to have:
- Counter top with a sink
- Refrigerator
- Oven
My thoughts right now are cutting some of the sides off and replacing it with a particle board counter top. I picked up this mint green chalk paint to cover most of the surface. I want to use some pretty contact paper to cover the mirror (thinking about getting a frame to showcase some of the mirror, so that it looks like a mirror hanging on the wall).
I think once I get the base figured out it will be super easy from there.
Well, I drew up some plans. We will see how similar they turn out (they never go according to plan).
Turning the base into a usable counter top:
Some of the sides just had to go in order to install a counter top. I used particle board to make the counter and the depth was bigger than the dresser top so it will provide additional support. This thing is heavy and I certainly don't need it toppling over. I found the particle board at Sutherland's for $10.
I was so lucky, my cousin was in town. He helped me out a bunch one evening getting this project going.
I also built a frame for under the counter so that I could install my doors and things. Added some particle board to the bottom of each section. I started out with different wood to make the doors out of (for the oven and fridge) but I ended up using particle board for those too.
The Counter Top:
Sponged in white and gray to make it appear as an actual counter top. I wanted it to stand out among the rest of the base.
First step was to put a primer on the particle board.
Here are the colors I picked out at Michael's. Each were $0.99. In case you were wondering, that is the same sponge I used when I did my faux marble counter tops.
I started with the darkest gray, and I sponged over the entire surface including the edges.
First coat of gray.
After that, I sponged on the white. I didn't rinse the sponge out. I just kept dabbing. Dabbing, dabbing, dabbing.
Next, I used the lighter gray followed by one more coat of white.
Then I put on one coat of semi-gloss polyurethane and called it a day on the counter.
The rest of the kitchen was painted in the Americana brand chalk paint that I get at Sutherland's. I was testing it out in the picture above (I'll be honest, during those test spots I was really not liking the color AT ALL). I finally got 2 coats applied though and I'm much happier with the appearance.
The Sink:
I used some PVC connectors and a plastic faucet I found at Sutherland's, think I spent around $5 on these items. I also picked up some metallic bronze spray paint. I had an extra stainless steel bowl lying around the house, so that got spray painted too.
I cut a hole out of the cabinet so the sink could sit in there, I used a jigsaw for this. I used a larger drill bit and just went down about 1/8" for the faucet. I tried using gorilla glue to keep both of these in place but I found out that was quite a mess and didn't dry as quickly as I needed them to. So I ended up using hot glue and white silicone instead.
Under the Sink:
A dowel rod was used to hold up the fabric. I made it 3 tiered and scrunched the fabric to make it look more girly. I saw a lot of these under the sink skirts on Pinterest and I couldn't help myself but to give it a try. It also gives the girls some storage space for their pots and pans.
I first stumbled on this idea from a blog called Crafting Chicks.
I found my fabrics at Walmart and spent under $10 for these. I got a half yard of each and then some elastic trimming.
I was originally just going to make one panel. Then I thought it would be easier for them to get to their stuff under the sink if it were split into two. Looking back I wish I would have stuck with just one.
In process of making the 2nd panel.
I hung the dowel rod into place by putting in a screw on either side. I pre-drilled a pilot hole in the middle of the dowel rod so it didn't split. I am definitely not a seamstress, so I was pretty happy with the way it came out (aside from it being 2 panels instead of 1).
The background:
I used contact paper for most of the mirror. I also picked up an old picture frame and painted it white to showcase some of the mirror. A girl has to see how good she's looking you know. It's also nice to represent some of the original piece.
I got the contact paper at Walmart for $5
The contact paper was one of the more frustrating processes of this entire project. Once I finally got it on straight, I battled with air bubbles even though I was being so careful and using a tool to smooth it out. If I were to go through this process again, I would not be using contact paper. I also cut out a little hole so that some of the mirror would still be there.
The mirror frame was just hot glued into place (it's a plastic picture frame but really doesn't look plastic after spray painting it white).
The Stove:
I used a sheet of acrylic that I picked up from Lowe's. I used black poster board for the stove and white computer paper for the burners. I purchased wooden disks at Michaels, and spray painted them black. Again, referencing another idea I saw on Pinterest by One Dog Woof...I thought this was a super clever idea on how to make the dials.
After figuring out how big I wanted the stove to be I just used white paper and some round items (planter pot and a paint can) to make stencils for the burners. Nothing too fancy here.
The sheet of acrylic went over top of the poster board and was screwed down to the counter. My first attempt at securing the acrylic didn't go very well. Even though I made pilot holes one of the edges broke and I had another edge crack. I guess I didn't account for the top of the screw head. Once I used another drill bit to make it larger, the acrylic took the screws just fine.
Originally, I had planned for the stove knobs to be on the counter right beside the stove, but they just looked way too close to the sink, so they went on top the stove instead. They aren't screwed down all the way so that they can twist and turn. I had 6 discs total, so 2 of them got cut in half and that's what is used for the top of the knobs.
The whole disc is first screwed in (almost all the way down, leave a little wiggle room so it can turn) and then the half disc was glued on top. I used both wood glue and hot glue to attach the half discs.
The Oven:
I used a sheet of acrylic that I picked up from Lowe's. It has a handle that was purchased at Walmart (the handles came in a set of 2). I also bought a magnetic closure for the oven, so the door doesn't fall down. It's secured with two hinges.
Originally I was going to paint the oven with the mint chalk paint but....I was over-ruled by a 2-1 vote. I painted it with the black chalkboard spray paint. Looks like a real oven now.
The Fridge:
Painted in chalkboard paint. Added a handle that I picked up from Walmart. The fridge also has a magnetic closure.
Shortly after the picture below I really messed up the refrigerator door, so I'll be making a new one.
Last Minute Touches:
You may have seen in some of the pictures that I had extra scraps from the original piece that were on the way to the trash at this point. Instead of throwing them away, I thought of how I could incorporate them. Every kitchen needs salt and pepper grinders. With a little trimming, spray paint and chalk board labels....they didn't come out too bad.
Also, the oven really wouldn't have been an oven unless there was a baking rack inside. I don't know what I was thinking, about to go without this. How in the world are these two supposed to cook their food without a baking rack?!?!?!
Same goes for the refrigerator. There were no shelves or anything to speak of inside the refrigerator. Last minute fixes are the best.
Also, added some quarter round because there was a gap between the counter top and the mirror. I had some laying around the house so I spray painted it in the bronze fixture color and glued/nailed it in to place. You'll notice it below in the final pictures.
Before and After
After putting on 2 coats of the Americana chalk paint and letting it dry, I sealed everything with a clear wax. I know this post has been extremely long winded, but I haven't been this excited about a project in a while....and this one was extremely fun to put together. Believe it or not, this project took about 5 days in total to complete (some days longer than others). At some point though, you have to say enough is enough...because I probably could have kept adding things to it...once I got started, it was WAY too much fun!
So, is this what you visualized it looking like from my first sketch? Yeah, me neither.
The Big Reveal....
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you....
Well, I drew up some plans. We will see how similar they turn out (they never go according to plan).
Turning the base into a usable counter top:
Some of the sides just had to go in order to install a counter top. I used particle board to make the counter and the depth was bigger than the dresser top so it will provide additional support. This thing is heavy and I certainly don't need it toppling over. I found the particle board at Sutherland's for $10.
I was so lucky, my cousin was in town. He helped me out a bunch one evening getting this project going.
I also built a frame for under the counter so that I could install my doors and things. Added some particle board to the bottom of each section. I started out with different wood to make the doors out of (for the oven and fridge) but I ended up using particle board for those too.
The Counter Top:
Sponged in white and gray to make it appear as an actual counter top. I wanted it to stand out among the rest of the base.
First step was to put a primer on the particle board.
Here are the colors I picked out at Michael's. Each were $0.99. In case you were wondering, that is the same sponge I used when I did my faux marble counter tops.
I started with the darkest gray, and I sponged over the entire surface including the edges.
First coat of gray.
After that, I sponged on the white. I didn't rinse the sponge out. I just kept dabbing. Dabbing, dabbing, dabbing.
Next, I used the lighter gray followed by one more coat of white.
Then I put on one coat of semi-gloss polyurethane and called it a day on the counter.
The rest of the kitchen was painted in the Americana brand chalk paint that I get at Sutherland's. I was testing it out in the picture above (I'll be honest, during those test spots I was really not liking the color AT ALL). I finally got 2 coats applied though and I'm much happier with the appearance.
The Sink:
I used some PVC connectors and a plastic faucet I found at Sutherland's, think I spent around $5 on these items. I also picked up some metallic bronze spray paint. I had an extra stainless steel bowl lying around the house, so that got spray painted too.
I cut a hole out of the cabinet so the sink could sit in there, I used a jigsaw for this. I used a larger drill bit and just went down about 1/8" for the faucet. I tried using gorilla glue to keep both of these in place but I found out that was quite a mess and didn't dry as quickly as I needed them to. So I ended up using hot glue and white silicone instead.
Under the Sink:
A dowel rod was used to hold up the fabric. I made it 3 tiered and scrunched the fabric to make it look more girly. I saw a lot of these under the sink skirts on Pinterest and I couldn't help myself but to give it a try. It also gives the girls some storage space for their pots and pans.
I first stumbled on this idea from a blog called Crafting Chicks.
I found my fabrics at Walmart and spent under $10 for these. I got a half yard of each and then some elastic trimming.
I was originally just going to make one panel. Then I thought it would be easier for them to get to their stuff under the sink if it were split into two. Looking back I wish I would have stuck with just one.
In process of making the 2nd panel.
I hung the dowel rod into place by putting in a screw on either side. I pre-drilled a pilot hole in the middle of the dowel rod so it didn't split. I am definitely not a seamstress, so I was pretty happy with the way it came out (aside from it being 2 panels instead of 1).
The background:
I used contact paper for most of the mirror. I also picked up an old picture frame and painted it white to showcase some of the mirror. A girl has to see how good she's looking you know. It's also nice to represent some of the original piece.
I got the contact paper at Walmart for $5
The contact paper was one of the more frustrating processes of this entire project. Once I finally got it on straight, I battled with air bubbles even though I was being so careful and using a tool to smooth it out. If I were to go through this process again, I would not be using contact paper. I also cut out a little hole so that some of the mirror would still be there.
The mirror frame was just hot glued into place (it's a plastic picture frame but really doesn't look plastic after spray painting it white).
The Stove:
I used a sheet of acrylic that I picked up from Lowe's. I used black poster board for the stove and white computer paper for the burners. I purchased wooden disks at Michaels, and spray painted them black. Again, referencing another idea I saw on Pinterest by One Dog Woof...I thought this was a super clever idea on how to make the dials.
After figuring out how big I wanted the stove to be I just used white paper and some round items (planter pot and a paint can) to make stencils for the burners. Nothing too fancy here.
The sheet of acrylic went over top of the poster board and was screwed down to the counter. My first attempt at securing the acrylic didn't go very well. Even though I made pilot holes one of the edges broke and I had another edge crack. I guess I didn't account for the top of the screw head. Once I used another drill bit to make it larger, the acrylic took the screws just fine.
Originally, I had planned for the stove knobs to be on the counter right beside the stove, but they just looked way too close to the sink, so they went on top the stove instead. They aren't screwed down all the way so that they can twist and turn. I had 6 discs total, so 2 of them got cut in half and that's what is used for the top of the knobs.
The whole disc is first screwed in (almost all the way down, leave a little wiggle room so it can turn) and then the half disc was glued on top. I used both wood glue and hot glue to attach the half discs.
The Oven:
I used a sheet of acrylic that I picked up from Lowe's. It has a handle that was purchased at Walmart (the handles came in a set of 2). I also bought a magnetic closure for the oven, so the door doesn't fall down. It's secured with two hinges.
Originally I was going to paint the oven with the mint chalk paint but....I was over-ruled by a 2-1 vote. I painted it with the black chalkboard spray paint. Looks like a real oven now.
The Fridge:
Painted in chalkboard paint. Added a handle that I picked up from Walmart. The fridge also has a magnetic closure.
Shortly after the picture below I really messed up the refrigerator door, so I'll be making a new one.
Didn't end up making a new door. Sanded the old one and touched up the paint. I've never used chalkboard paint before but discovered if you use a fine grit sandpaper after the paint drys....it feels exactly like a chalkboard. I still haven't read the directions, it probably says to do that right on the label.
You may have seen in some of the pictures that I had extra scraps from the original piece that were on the way to the trash at this point. Instead of throwing them away, I thought of how I could incorporate them. Every kitchen needs salt and pepper grinders. With a little trimming, spray paint and chalk board labels....they didn't come out too bad.
Also, the oven really wouldn't have been an oven unless there was a baking rack inside. I don't know what I was thinking, about to go without this. How in the world are these two supposed to cook their food without a baking rack?!?!?!
Same goes for the refrigerator. There were no shelves or anything to speak of inside the refrigerator. Last minute fixes are the best.
Also, added some quarter round because there was a gap between the counter top and the mirror. I had some laying around the house so I spray painted it in the bronze fixture color and glued/nailed it in to place. You'll notice it below in the final pictures.
Before and After
After putting on 2 coats of the Americana chalk paint and letting it dry, I sealed everything with a clear wax. I know this post has been extremely long winded, but I haven't been this excited about a project in a while....and this one was extremely fun to put together. Believe it or not, this project took about 5 days in total to complete (some days longer than others). At some point though, you have to say enough is enough...because I probably could have kept adding things to it...once I got started, it was WAY too much fun!
So, is this what you visualized it looking like from my first sketch? Yeah, me neither.
The Big Reveal....
Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you....
