'' Krafty Kool Kitchen''

                              

This blog is going to be a little different , I am going to dedicate this blog to all the wittle bitty toddlers of the world. Here's to hoping that your mommas or pappas find inspiration here.
The other reason behind this blog is because these seem to be everywhere I go lately.

I don't know about you , but growing up I used to love playing pretend kitchen with my twin sister and younger brother.  Then again who doesn't ?  It seems that no matter what age or gender the child is - they will be naturally drawn to this , one way or another.

Growing up , I wasn't lucky enough to have one of these in my playroom. Instead my mother let my siblings and I play with her Tupperware , utensils and anything
else we could get our little paws on in our actual kitchen. Now looking back , was that the best idea .. probably not. Sure that was the moment where I fell in love with cooking and baking - which is great.
It was also the same moment where we almost burned our house down.
Turns out little hands hiding little Tupperware jars in a big oven is bad news.
( please note that no children or pets were hurt during this time)

Finding a pretend kitchen these days , is an easy task. Everyone ... and I mean everyone is selling them.

Playschool was one of the first to start this trend , and shortly there after places such as Toys R us, Walmart, Target and even IKEA joined in on this sensation that has been brewing over many generations.

The real problem with this is that , although they are easy to find , and come in a large variety of shapes, sizes, colours and patterns .. they unfortunately also come with a very steep price tag.

Which is a shame really. More children would be able to ignite their love and passion for cooking  if this amazing product had a reasonable price tag attached to it.  Not to mention all the developmental benefits this toy has on a toddler.

Problem solved ! It seems that parents around the world have taken matters into their own hands and have started to create their own play kitchens !
How awesome is that?

That's right every single picture on this post , was hand made!
All you need is an old shelving unit and a little imagination!

Now there is nothing that I love more than a project that literally anyone can do.  No matter what budget you are working with - you can make this happen.

Now that I think about it , I have seen so many old entertainment units, desks, end tables, coffee tables and shelving units that would be perfect for this!
You can walk into any thrift store or second hand store and grab yourself one for under 25.00$
In fact if you really want to get crafty , I am willing to bet that you could find amazing deals at any and every garage sale.We're talking - amazing gift or project for pennies.

Now I know you're thinking.. Common! There is more involved in this project than the frame. Your right... lucky for you - I've thought of that!

As for any paint you want to use. Guys! Please before you walk into any store to buy anything . Please , go through the stuff you have stored away in your basement or spare room. Half the time , we forget about what we actually have right under our nose!

So now you need to go to the store, don't panic!
A lot of hardware stores have half pints of paint that other customers  have returned that they sell with an 80% price reduction. Great News! Same thing can be said for any material or wall paper - if you look around , you can find samples or amazing prices. After all you won't be needing very much.

Last but not least , the trinkets. If you have access to second hand hardware stores - that would be the place to go!. Right of the top of my head , I am thinking of the Habitat for Humanity chain of second hand renovation stores. You get your items for a low price , and all the proceeds go to a great cause. Win-win situation.  If not. That's ok as well! A little bit of digging and you can find great prices. Make sure to look through the weekly phamplets that the store has. That's where you'll find coupons or great deals.

I am just waiting for the day I have children now. You can be sure I will be whipping up one of these myself. Infact as soon as the itty bitty babies that are in my life ( mostly cousins and my friends babies... because lets all face it - everyone is pregnant these days) get a little bit older I will be putting my crafty skills to the test.

Now if you want to attack this project head on , right now. I have found an amazing couple that blog about their all their decorating adventures. Lucky for us , they have tackled this ...and achieved it with such amazing success. Infact the second picture on this post is from their blog!

I've attached a link to their blog where they walk you through it step by step . So that you can  do it!

That's right little children of the world! This is all for you!
All you crafty parents out there , to you I say - Get Crafty !!
Happy painting & Good Luck!

http://www.younghouselove.com/2012/01/claras-christmas-kitchen/