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Directions for Building a Toy Kitchen

Children have an incredible ability to pretend and play. One popular game for children is playing house. While you could spend more than $100 purchasing a plastic child-size kitchen sink and stove unit, the store model will most likely be poorly built and not last through more than two children. Instead, consider making a wooden child-size kitchen sink and stove unit using an old bookshelf or nightstand, and provide your children with hours of fun for a fraction of the price.

Things You'll Need

Small bookshelf
Scrap wood
Jigsaw
Metal bowl
Hammer
Nails
2 small L brackets
Masonite, 1/4 inch
Contact paper
Sponge brush
Red paint
Piano hinges
Magnet
Power drill
Dresser knobs
Polyurethane laminate
Paintbrush

Instructions

- 1
  Locate a small bookshelf or nightstand to use as the base for the play kitchen.
- 2
  Construct the back shelving using scrap wood. Begin by forming the skeleton of the shelving with two pieces cut to the desired height. Place a third piece the width of the play oven over the top and secure into place with nails. Add any desired shelves inside the skeleton and connect them to the shelving with nails.
- 3
  Sketch and cut the space for a sink with a jigsaw. Place a metal bowl in the space.
- 4
  Install the back shelving using a hammer and nails. Place a small L-shaped bracket on the back of both sides of the shelving and nail the brackets into place.
- 5
  Cut a piece of Masonite with your jigsaw, measured to the size of the entire play stove, including the shelves. Attach the Masonite to the back of the play kitchen with nails spaced no more than 6 inches apart.
- 6
  Cut out four circles from another piece of Masonite for the range. Cover them with concentric circles of contact paper and paint the entire circle red with a sponge brush. This will give the circles the appearance of burners. Once you've finished painting the stove burners, carefully remove the contact paper and let dry. Attach the stove burners to the stove with a thin coat of wood glue placed at least 1 inch away from the sides. This will prevent any glue from leaking out when the burners are positioned.
- 7
  Cut an oven door out of Masonite and install it with a piano hinge onto the lowest shelf on the play kitchen. Place a magnet on the top interior so that the oven will stay closed.
- 8
  Install the stove top's knobs by first drilling a lead hole at the place each knob will sit. The best positioning on a play stove would be to the side of the burner it coincides with. Next, screw the knobs (furniture knobs) into position, leaving them slightly loose for easy turning.
- 9
  Paint the entire play kitchen with a polyurethane laminate so that it is smooth and shiny.

Childrens Toys