JustLovelee: A Play Kitchen For My Darlings...

I have a theory in life... If you can't find it or afford it, you should make it.

..........

This theory definitely came in handy lately when we decided one of my angels "needed" a play kitchen. She is constantly serving everyone cakes and tea and other creations she has made. So sweet it almost makes a sappy mama like me cry!

So, we began searching and scouring stores and the internet, but could never find what we wanted. I am a self-proclaimed snot about some things, and particle board is one of the things that I refuse to spend my money on. So we narrowed our search to this one... It is at Pottery Barn and cost an unsightly $879.

I could barely pick my chin up off the floor! They say you can't put a price on love, but I would dare say that most parents are like me and would draw the line around spending $900 on a toy their princess will outgrow in a few years. I decided I am just too cheap for this toy...

Instead, I found plans for a homemade version on the Lowe's website that would work out just as well. The plans said *advanced* level... Cue the sound of me calling in my dad for reinforcement! We ended up with this:

We built the ENTIRE thing out of scrap wood that was just laying around. Then added some real details that stepped up the style for my babies!

The knobs are authentic and came from a second-hand appliance store, and the burners are a combination of mortar saw blades (not sharp, I promise!) and furniture slides.

The sink (a boat sink from a local surplus store) and the faucet (donated by the greatest papa in the world) are perfectly sized for tons of imagination and play!