Entertainment Center Play Kitchen

I know these entertainment center play kitchens have been done like crazy, but I had to throw my own in too. Plus it is fun to get ideas from other people. I have included the Silhouette files for the stove, oven, sink drain and sign here in case you want to use them. They could also be used to make a smaller play stove.
DOWNLOAD SILHOUETTE FILE (ZIP)

When I first saw these entertainment center play kitchens I was in love. I could also kick myself. Just a few months before I had gotten rid of our old entertainment center (which would have worked perfectly) by unceremoniously leaving it on the curb with a free sign on it. It was gone in a few hours, obviously by a mom who had seen the play kitchens on Pinterest before me.

Unfortunately we don’t own a truck and buying a new one and transporting it to our house was going to be more money than I could justify. Luckily once we redid our fireplace and mounted our TV to our wall, I had yet another entertainment center I didn’t need anymore. It wasn’t exactly the one I wanted, but I knew I could make it work.

First I needed to build it up and find something I could use as a fridge. So I headed to the Habitat for Humanity Restore and found a little cabinet that I could secure to the top of the entertainment center.

I also used some leftover lumber from our patio to build a support beam and attached a board along the top with a shelf bracket to help secure it. For the back I used beadboard because I wanted her kitchen to match mine. Matchy matchy! Some moms match outfits, but not me, I match kitchens.
Next I removed the doors. I have to admit that the doors were the hardest part. I wanted to make them drop down like a real oven and dishwasher but I HATE hinges! I could not get them to work right. And the door I made for the oven with a plexiglass window totally fell apart on me (I wanted to cry). It was Christmas Eve and I finally had to decide it was time to move on. So I ended up just using the original door for the stove and had it swing out. I made the dishwasher drop down though and in retrospect I wish I hadn’t. It made it nearly impossible for D– to get in the fridge without standing on the door. Eventually the door broke off and I now need to replace it.

For the middle part I left the shelves in and covered them with a curtain. I made the curtain rod with a dowel and hung it by drilling a hole on either side of the shelves. I kept it in place by screwing a washer in each end.

It was a lot of work, but it was so worth it. My little girl screamed her head off when I gave it to her Christmas morning. And she still plays with it ALL the time. When kids come over it is the first thing they go to. Better yet, she likes to make me dinner at the same time I am making the family dinner. Sweet, sweet distraction.

One of my favorite parts of the entertainment center play kitchen is the stove. I made it by painting a piece of wood I cut out silver. The stove knobs are made from finials I bought at Hobby Lobby. The oven knob is actually the lid of a baby food jar painted black. I then used my Silhouette to cut out stickers to make the ranges and to label the knobs.

My one splurge was on the sink. I wanted her to have a spray faucet, so I bought the cheapest one I could find at Lowes. I made the sink basin out of a wood bowl I found at a thrift store that I then painted white. I made the drain out of a vinyl sticker I cut out with my Silhouette. I ended up spending about $40 on the whole thing.

I added an old phone we had sitting around and I love that she has a place to hang her aprons.

I painted a picture frame I had with chalkboard paint so that she could write notes on it. And I got the frame and hooks at a thrift store for $3. I made her a dish towel and pot holder to match.

I bought some handles at Lowes that looked like oven handles.

I have decided that doing a project this big right before Christmas is crazy, so if you get started right now you will be set! Send me your ideas, I would love to see them!