Thursday, July 15, 2010

DIY: Travel Play Kitchen Set

This travel play kitchen set was super-frugal to make, and is perfect for small living spaces since the entire set folds up!


I'm thinking we'll take it with us for trips to the garden plot, visits with grandparents, or just playing outside in the backyard like we did this afternoon.



I used an ordinary folding TV tray table for the base, and sewed the stove top cover using wool felt. Here you can see the curtains under the stove where Emily stores a basket of play food, pots and pans.


As soon as I put it outside, the girls wasted no time and got busy cookin'!!


Emily liked firing up the burners....


....and drying her hands on the kitchen towel.


Clara thought the "drawer" pockets were so much fun!


They played outside until it was time to get dinner ready!


What I loved about bringing the kitchen set outside was how it led to all sorts of neat "play" food experiences, like leaves for "salad" and grass for "spinach angel hair".


Bon Appétit!!

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72 comments:

Mark said...

Dear Valerie,

I like how Clara is mixing the pockets. What was she cooking in there?

Love,
Mark

Natalie PlanetSmarty said...

Ooh - this is so neat and looks so well done. I am lazy, so I am thinking that just putting a cardboard with drawn burners on such a table will work wonders here - thanks for an idea!

Phyllis said...

You are quite clever as well as an accomplished seamstress. Makes me wish I had more girls...I can just see my boys making mud pies on them and that would be that for the beautiful kitchen; nope best just stick with wood planks for my boys! :) Perhaps I will have granddaughters soon...?

LJ said...

Valerie - you are just SO clever. Really. I love your blog. Thanks for the inspiration and also the positive feedback you left on my post yesterday. I realy appreciate what you said - it has stayed with me.

Lisa Anne said...

Oh how I wished I had a Daughter instead of a son. Maybe I'll make it for the fun of it. I mean I need something for all my play felt food.

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ Lisa Anne -- Play kitchen sets are not just for girls!! I made this one as uni-sex as possible on purpose because many of Emily's friends are boys and they love to "cook" too. :-)

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ Raising a Happy Child -- It really would work well with just cardboard and burners drawn on! Kids need very little to be happy! :-)

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ Phyllis -- LOL Nothing wrong with wood planks! ;-)

Scott said...

Very clever.

(And you're right. My boys like to cook almost as much as the girls.)

The girl who painted trees said...

We used to play kitchen outside a lot in Costa Rica. I find Atlanta summers a little too hot for comfort and we hardly play outside! I can't wait for cooler September air, then we'll be outside again. And I love this playset. It's beautiful.

angelina said...

thank you for the suggestion, val , my boys would love it also!

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ Scott -- That makes me very happy!! :-)

@ The Girl who Painted Trees -- I don't think we'd be up to outside kitchen play if we lived in Atlanta either. We had a major heat wave last week, and if I even thought of going outside I would break out into a sweat. ;-)

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ angelina -- Yay!!! :-)

Ariella said...

very cool, what sweet photos. once again, my mother-in=law is the excellent seamstress and I'll have to recruit her for this project!

M/T.A. said...

Would you consider writing out the pattern? I know..it should be pretty easy, but I'm a beginning seamstress!!!

Living the Scream said...

This is ADORABLE! I just need to learn how to turn on my sewing machine then I am good to go! Thanks for he comment on my blog! :)

MaryAnne said...

Valerie, this is darling - I think it's one of your best creations to date =)

organicmommy said...

I am totally loving this. I think my kids would have a LOT of fun with this, however they would want it in the sandbox with them, I wonder if I could make it from tablecloth fabric instead of felt for that purpose!

Laura said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Your blog is awesome - I love all your great ideas! You are very talented!

Wooden tv trays said...

just need to learn how to turn on my sewing machine then I am good to go!

Kami said...

Oh my, this is just the cutest thing! Love it!

Nadia said...

that is adorable! dunno how you came up with that... but its perfect

Pip said...

How lovely! you are so creative!!!
I am awful at needle work lol!

Thanks for popping by my blog and your lovely comment!

Pipxx

Pip said...

How lovely! you are so creative!!!
I am awful at needle work lol!

Thanks for popping by my blog and your lovely comment!

Pipxx

brooke said...

What a great idea. Our house is ready to explode~ This might be a good way to ditch the HUGE plastic kitchen that is open taking some good floor space.

brooke said...

And you should sell this...

Cheryl said...

Oh no, not another good idea, that I need to add to my list. I haven't done the last 50. You really do have some great ideas. This wouldn't take up too much room and children love to cook. I'm hoping to renovate their playhouse this summer, so this would be a lovely addition. Yeh!

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ M/T.A. -- I don't think I will post a pattern, per se. Though I'd be happy to email you some instructions if you're having trouble. valerie (at) frugalfamilyfunblog (dot) com

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ organicmommy -- I see no reason why you can't use tablecloth fabric, or even reuse an old tablecloth for this. I've never attempted appliqué with tablecloth fabric though. You could try colored contact paper for the burners and knobs. Have fun!!

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ brookie -- Not enough hours in the day! But I might put one or two up in the shop sometime.... Just because they are super-fun to make!

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ Cheryl -- Oh, it would be perfect for a newly renovated playhouse!!! Have fun!! :-)

Brynn said...

What a wonderful little kitchen!

Sherri said...

This is too cute....Can you make me one? =)

Mom of Two said...

I love this! What a great idea!

Ticia said...

Hmmmm...... If I made one it would be so filthy so fast. My kids make mud soup...... But, it would get a lot of use. Maybe some of that vinyl covered fabric......

Zion said...

That is amazing, you are so talented. I have loved looking at all your crafts. Your daughter asking for tuna is just too cute.

Jolene said...

I just love all these things you do with your girls. Thank you so much for sharing all these wonderful ideas

Anonymous said...

oo love this!!

Committed Recycler said...

Val, again: I love your blog. I am definitely going to make this TODAY. It's so simple, and I have a few of those TV trays to spare. This is so fortuitous, as I just was thinking, "Did you really think you were EVER going to use all this grey felt?" HA! Yes, I think I will.

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ Ticia -- This set doesn't need to be used outdoors. The girls already have a kitchen set at our house (it's the same one I played with when I was little). So we just use this one for little trips or when we play outside instead. It would be great for any small living space, really!

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ Committed Recycler -- Yay!! Have fun!!! :-)

Larissa@Just Another Day in Paradise said...

Saw this at tatertots and jello. LOVED it.

Would make such a great present.

I would love for you to link up this great idea at my Christmas in July linky party. It is a sort of gathering of tons of great homemade gift ideas...the whole month I am doing stuff.

I hope to see you there.

Just Another Day in Paradise

Night Owl Mama said...

this is too cute! very creative and they adore it too

Jenny H said...

This is an amazing, crafty little travel kitchen, and I think it's so much neater than those big, clunky plastic kitchens that sit in the corner of the playroom. You could take it anywhere. What an excellent idea.

biancifiore said...

cute!!! I've an award for you, just in my blog!!!

Ricki said...

Super cute, love that you used a TV tray!

Randi~Dukes and Duchesses said...

That could not be cuter and I love that it can be put away so easily. Amazing job!

Petula said...

That is very cool and, I agree, it's so cool how they used the grass and leaves to continue their play. Fabulous.

memakingdo said...

That is just adorable such a neat idea! I featured it go check it out and grab a button!

MrsHonea said...

Very awesome!! My daughter saw me looking at the post/pictures and begged me for it.

So....I don't sew. Can't. Just how much would you charge to make another and ship it to TN?

Email me at mrshonea@yahoo.com
Thanks!!

Nancy said...

This is so cute, what a fun idea and so well made! Just saying hi from tatertots.

Stacie said...

This is AdoRaBle! It would be FuN to take camping too! I featured it here:

http://thecreativecrate.blogspot.com/2010/07/diy-travel-play-kitchen.html

Thanks so much for sharing! :)

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Absolutely adorable!

Unknown said...

Genius idea! I love that you used an old tv tray. So clever!

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ Larissa -- I"ll be over to check it out! Thanks for inviting me to link up! :-)

@ biancifiore -- WOW!! Thank you soooo much!! xoxo :-)

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ Heather -- Thank you so much for the link! I really appreciate it! xoxo :-)

@ Stacie -- Thank YOU!! That is so sweet of you! :-)

michelle@somedaycrafts said...

So fun! What a great idea!

Jaedyn said...

Wow, SUCH a good idea! The pockets and place to hang the towel = genius. :) I love it!

(V.Kerr) School Time Adventures said...

So we went on a wonderful campout for the past few days and I love catching up on these great posts! These turned out really great! Good Job!

shauna said...

Genius! I can't wait to make this. My daughter would love a play kitchen but we have such a small house. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out how to make one for her. I can't get over how cute this is too!

Jennifer said...

What a fantastic idea! And you put it all together so wonderfully. I love it!

Tammy @ she wears flowers said...

Great idea! I saw a tv table at a yard sale today and passed it up--wish I hadn't!!

thanks!

anne maskell said...

Awesome idea! My girls would have loved this when they were small! I'm visiting you with sumo, hope you visit me too!

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ Lindsey -- Thank you so much!

@ shauna -- I think this will work out perfectly for a small house! Have fun!! :-)

@ she wears flowers -- That always seems to happen to me too! LOL Don't worry, I almost always see TV trays at thrift stores, so I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding another one.

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

@ anne maskell -- I'm on my way to check out your blog now! :-) Thanks for stopping in!

And Live said...

You just gave me a million ideas from this. I'll be sure to post about them when I get around to it. At 33 weeks pregnant, I'm more consumed with making baby clothes right now. :)

Lenetta said...

Well done, as always! :>) Linked -

Donene said...

This is simply adorable! what a creative cute idea!

Jamie said...

wow! that's incredible! I'm totally adding that to my "to make" list! awesome!

Misty @Creative Itch said...

What a clever & fun idea!! Thanks for linking @Creative Itch's "Sew Cute Tuesday"!

Unknown said...

Hi Valerie. That is one of the smartest and definitely the cutest things I've ever seen! You are one creative Moma. I wish my granddaughter lived closed, I would try to make one of those.

Hugs...Tracy :)

Stephanie said...

That is totally awesome. My girls - ages 1 and 3 - would love something like this! Thank you for the idea. :)

stephanie@metropolitanmama.net

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