Play Kitchen Fun!

You are probably wondering where I have been. I wish I could answer that- I am really not sure. Somewhere between October and Now my calendar just skipped ahead. Maybe now that the holiday season is past I can get back on track. One of the projects that I have been working on for this last while was the girls' Christmas present- this play kitchen inspired by here. Thankfully, my in-laws showed up just before Christmas and helped us get it much more ready than it would have been otherwise (sincere apologies to all who hoped to see us Christmas Eve- we were no where near ready).

 This is the full set that we came up with- Fridge, Stove, Dishwasher, Sink (with Ikea play pans).

 The countertop was inspired by the one in our "real" kitchen. I wanted to go for the granite look, and I think it turned out well. First, the top was painted black. Then I sponged on Country Tan. I followed that with a sparse painting of a darker brown. When it was dry I used some polyurethane that was left over from the girls' bed to make it shiny and also provide a protective coat. I think it turned out well. The sink came from the dollar store. The faucets I sanded from some scraps of wood, added knobs, and spray painted. It could be better, but worked for my time constraints. On my to-do still list if I ever get around to it is a curtain for the front.

 The dishwasher was a pain to figure out. My father-in-law and husband figured out the door engineering. The rack was the best I could find. I wanted a second shelf but was unsuccessful in finding all of the hardware that I wanted that would fit.

 The stove was fun. If you look closely, my husband set the temperature at 350 for 40 min.- the time and temp for bread. Someday I hope to make cute dish rags to hang on the front.

The fridge is bare. Someday it could get cute felt play food to adorn it's innards. I have the pattern. It could happen. I am not a big fan of the cheesy looking cheap plastic foods so my children will just have to be patient with me.

Overall, I am pleased with how it turned out. Thanks to all who helped.