Play Kitchen

Quick Breakdown:

Carcass: $15 entertainment shelf from the thrift store (YES-finally found something that would work)! I love the granite-looking top and the curved front, as well as the height.  It fits perfectly under the kitchen bar).  This is the "before" shot-though I guess it's actually the "during" shot.  Originally it had some short feet, and that black thing on the left was attached to the bottom and would swing out-perhaps for hiding a remote?  The panel on the left was originally some shelves that were the same width as the ones on the right.  I moved the panel over and added a door.  I'd also already cut the hole for the sink before I thought to take the "before" photo.

Doors, drawer and added shelves: reclaimed particle board from Habitat for Humanity.
Knobs: unfinished wood wheels from hardware store, painted and bolted loosely so they spin, unfinished wood handles and a black sphere knob for the drawer (~$12.50, not including the two handles I broke before I realized the bolts included were too long).
Sink: brownie pan from the dollar store. I cut a hole in the top of the entertainment center the size of the pan minus the rim, and dropped it in.
Faucet: pvc p-trap ($4) spray painted copper (because that's what I had already).  I thought at first I'd use some blue ribbon for water, but found this cool yarn in my stash and decided to use it instead.  I just tied it together at one end, ran it through the pipe, and tied it to one of the bolts I used for the water taps. 
Oven Door: cut hole with jigsaw, then attached a $4 piece of plexiglass to the back.  I found the stove rack 2/$1 at the dollar store. I originally planned on putting one halfway up but they were too short.  I may do that if I find one that fits.
Stove Burners: painted wide-mouth mason jar lids
Hardware: I used four of the smallest hinges I could find ($1 for a two-pack), and two magnetic cabinet fasteners to keep them closed ($1).  I spent a lot more on screws and bolts than I thought I would, about $5 total including the bolts.  You'd think with all the random hardware I already have that I wouldn't have to buy anything...but nothing I had quite worked with that silly particle board.
Paint: One can of red spray paint, and some crafting paint. $3
Accessories: The dish set was part of the present, and his aunt sent the cute wood condiment set from Plan Toys.
Apron:  I made this in a hurry a few days ago when he insisted on an apron like mine while helping me cook.  I just used what I had on hand-but love how it turned out. I may make a pattern up and post it if there is interest.


My little buddy is still at the stage where he wants to do everything I do-and cooking is one of his favorites.  Tonight he helped put the chopped apples into a pot and to his delight, he got to sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar.  This concoction went over some pork chops, yummy!
For his second birthday I wanted to get him a play kitchen.  I looked around, and of course fell in love with the most expensive ones...and suddenly all the plastic ones just wouldn't do.  Some of my favorite play kitchens were re-purposed nightstands and entertainment centers.  A few months before his birthday I started watching the thrift shops and ooggled every garage sale I passed, without finding anything that would work.  A few weeks before his birthday I decided I'd need to make one from scratch.  I found some particle board at our local Habitat for Humanity shop-it was odd stuff, and had a light wood laminate sticker on one side, and a darker color sticker on the other.  It was the right price though- $3 per 8' board.  Luckily the darker color was pretty close to my kitchen cabinets so I drew up plans and started cutting-and immediately ran into problems. 
I soon found out the wood I'd bought was NOT intended to be cut with a jigsaw...but ya work with what ya got.  The particle board just fell apart when the teeth pulled up.  Switching to a scrollwork blade helped, at least the side I'd have facing outward wasn't too jagged but I started to have my doubts.  I am the ultimate amateur when it comes to woodworking.  I just jumped into the deep end and used black paint to cover up the worst of it...You'll notice I didn't take any closeup photos of my cut edges.
The night before his birthday I'd cut a few pieces but hadn't gotten very far.  I happened to try the thrift shop one more time, and found the entertainment center!  I don't think I could have made anything out of that particle board that would have lasted more than a week.  That entertainment shelf really saved the whole project.  I just had to move one support side over to make it wide enough  for the fridge, and add the drawer and stove door to the middle.  Sounds simple right?  It worked fine but took me two weeks of irregular use of nap-times and evenings.  Throw in multiple trips to the hardware store...I guess maybe I should sign up for that rewards card...and two weeks later I got it done. The point is I GOT IT DONE!  That's kind of a big deal in itself, judging by all the half-finished projects cluttering my craft room.   In hindsight I should have just bought a sheet of nice plywood and I would have been a lot happier with the results, rather than trying to be thrifty and green by using reclaimed wood.  I did learn from the experience, and I have to keep reminding myself this is for a TWO-YEAR-OLD.  I still might replace the doors later-most of the hard work is done already.  The project was not as cheap as I thought it would be considering I went the most inexpensive route I could-it just cost a bit here, a bit more there...  In the end I'm happy with the result, and think it was worth it, but I definitely could have bought a decent play kitchen for what I spent-and probably will do that next time.

You know what's the funniest thing is about all this? I found a table saw at a garage sale for $10 tonight!  Wish I'd found it a few weeks ago...

Toy Box

For Christmas some of my siblings wanted to give our mom a "Grandma's Toy Box".  My contribution was to paint the exterior, and then I sewed some canvas bags to hold some of the toys with lots of pieces. 

The canvas bags have a basic shape drawn on them with a permanent marker to so even kids who can't read yet know what is inside without dumping them on the floor.  The toys shown are all from Ikea...love that place!

For safety, we installed some brackets that keep the lid from closing too fast.  This was a must since the lid was heavy.

Easy-Peasy Light Box

Light boxes are a great way to introduce a toddler to color and light.  Because children are interested in the way light plays over and through objects, they can be used to hold a child's attention while you introduce other concepts. Colorful shapes can be used to teach sizes, shapes and sorting skills.  They can also be used to introduce math concepts such as counting and basic fractions. Because light boxes are fun, children use them in sensory, exploratory, and imaginative play. -And by the way, did I mention they are cool?  I wish I'd had one as a kid!

A professionally built light table is pretty expensive, and so are many of the blocks and objects sold for use on light tables.  Buying one wasn't an option for us, so I got creative.  There are quite a few homemade light box tutorials out there, and I combined a few features from my favorites-using the most economical materials I could find.

To build your own light box, the name says it all.  You need a box, and a light.  You need a box with a transparent or translucent top that is fairly durable, and you need a light source that is diffused and not too bright or dim.  This leaves you with a lot of options when it comes to making your own.  Most tutorials either suggest you build a custom frame with glass or plexiglass tops, or use plastic storage totes.  For lighting the favorite is the under-counter fluorescent lights-they are relatively inexpensive, cover a large area, and do not heat up.  Battery powered closet lights are also popular for boxes that need to be portable.   Other creative solutions for lighting included Christmas light strings and rope lights. The most unique solution I saw used an old flatbed scanner-but I don't have the electronic expertise to rig one of those.

This is what I came up with:

1. Two small totes: Only one child will be using this at a time, so I didn't need a large box.  I wanted the totes shallow-you don't need much height for a light box, and I wanted the height of the box to be manageable if I stacked a second tote on top to contain objects. I'd hoped to find something with a flat bottom, but had to make do with two small indentations on the lids and base of the totes.  The deciding factor: these were on sale.
2. Extension cord: I used one I had already.
3. Aluminum foil to line the tote. Most light boxes are set up so the bottom and sides are opaque, and they are usually lined with something that will reflect light back to the top.
4. Socket plugs ($0.97).  I looked at a lot of options for lighting.  These totes were slightly too small for the undercabinet lights I already had, or I would have used those.  It would have cost about $10 to get a shorter light, and a bit more to buy a rope light, which would have been another good option.  These sockets plug into a normal plug, and hold a standard size light bulb.  I worried using bulbs like this would make two bright spots, and the rest of the box would be dim, but the tissue paper diffused the light well enough that you don't really notice the two brighter spots much.  (And I figure this is a temporary setup anyway).
5. Light bulbs: don't use regular incandescent bulbs, they get too hot and would possibly melt the box and in the worst-case-scenario could start a fire.  Compact florescent bulbs can generate heat, but not enough to cause a problem if used for short periods of time.  I wouldn't suggest leaving it on for more than an hour or leaving the box unattended without checking the temperature.  How hot it gets will depend on the wattage you choose. So far we haven't had an issue with heat.
6. Tissue paper: you need something to diffuse the light a bit so you don't have a few bright spots and the rest is dark.  I like tissue paper because it comes in larger sheets, so you don't have to tape it together and it is thin enough to let a lot of light through while spreading the light more uniformly instead of having a few bright spots.  Some people like contact paper with an etched glass look.
7. Tape.

To assemble:

1.  Line one tote with foil, and line the lid with tissue paper.  I just used a bit of tape to hold it down. In a few tutorials they've spray-painted the inside of the bottom tote with silver.  I figured I can more easily re-purpose the totes if I use foil.

2.  I plugged the sockets into the extension cord, and screwed in the bulbs.  Some tutorials suggest drilling a hole in the tote for the cord, but I found the lid closed easily over the cord without pinching it dangerously. Again, this will let me use the tote later for something else when I get around to building a nicer light box.
3. I suggest using some packing tape to hold the lid of the tote down, so it isn't a temptation to open the light box.

Some ideas for using the box:

I tried to find some affordable colored plexiglass or other colored blocks to use with the tote, but everything turned out to be rather pricey.  While I'd like to get some sometime-I decided any translucent plastic could be used in the box.  First find: some plastic binder dividers.  I cut some shapes out of the plastic and we were ready to go!  These were heavy enough that they haven't bent yet.  I may get some more and make some blocks and cups or cones to play with.

Another favorite activity has been the floral gelatin beads.  These are fun to pour and scoop-and there are a few that came out tiny-and we had fun sorting through them looking for the itty bitty ones.

I bought our beads for $2 at the big W.  Each package contains about a teaspoon, but once hydrated, one package was enough to cover the bottom of the tote.  These are non-toxic, but can be a choking hazard, so use supervision if your child is curious or mouths objects.  These feel wet and rubbery, don't squish too easily, and are pretty fun to run your hands through.  They also seem to last indefinitely, and are slow to dry out (a few that fell on the floor and were found a few days later had shrunk to half their size but returned to normal after being soaked).  They can be put in a sieve and rinsed if you feel they need it, and I just dump them into a plastic zip bag and keep them in the fridge.  I guess they will gradually loose their color but after a few weeks ours still look the same as day one.

Cons: they do bounce if dropped and can be a bit hard to contain, I have to pick up a dozen or so after each play session but feel it isn't enough of a mess to do away with them.  The red ones don't stain fingers or the tote that I used-though a white plastic scoop I let him use picked up the dye.  To be safe I rinse out the tote and wipe it down after each use.

Not everything needs to be translucent-one of the favorite toys to go in the box has been a pile of little plastic animals.  The light makes great silhouettes out of the figures, and my little buddy likes moving them into cups and containers then dumping them out.  He also picks up random objects to put in the box, and it is fun to stand back and watch him experiment.

The next thing I'd like to try is salt painting-just pour table salt or sand into the bottom of the tote so it has a good covering, then draw in the salt.  This would be a good way to practice letters or shapes, or tell a story.  Here is a link to a video showing a master artist using this technique.  You could even show this video to older children, then have them tell their own story. 

Sherpa Bomber Hat and Gloves

I've been wanting to make my little buddy a bomber hat when I found some great Sherpa microfleece last year.  I've been searching for a simple bomber hat pattern I could use and finally found one at Delia Creates.  I followed her pattern measurements, and it just fits my son's 18 1/2 " head.  It probably would have been nice to cut it a bit larger-but I figure it will fit him until we are out of the cold weather.  Since the Sherpa fabric was fleece on one side and microsuede on the other, I didn't line the hat, and sewed most of the seams so they were on the outside.  I like the look of the fleece peeking through.  I rolled the fleece and sewed it down so the bottom edges would look more finished, and I did the same to the brim before attaching it.  Since I didn't have to sew the lining, it worked up very quickly!  I do like how it comes low in the back to cover his neck, and his ears will stay toasty warm.  I left off the ties for now, but I'd like to find some matching twill tape to sew on so I can tie the flaps up if I want. 
I thought he should have some matching mittens so I deconstructed a mitten to create the pattern for the ones in the picture.  I did make a lot of changes to the mitten pattern, so I think I can post that for you without problem.
 Now I just need to make him a jacket, scarf, boots, pants, and goggles!

Mama's Little Helper

When my little buddy had been walking a month or two, he started trying  to do everything I did.  He especially liked sweeping, but such a long handle being waved around by someone without much fine motor control was a bit hazardous.  Luckily I had a small broom with an aluminum handle that I cut down with a bow-saw and popped the plastic top back on to the cut piece.  Perfect!  We jazzed it up with some stickers and my little buddy was just tickled.  He still gets it out frequently and helps me "seep".  Lately he's been wanting to help me "keen" the bathroom and dust, so I thought I'd encourage this while he was still small enough to think it is fun.  (He's about 20 months old now).  Maybe I'm the one that needs to look for the fun in cleaning...
I made this little kit for him using mostly dollar store items, and things from around the house. He helped me stick stickers on everything, and we are good to go!  I haul around my cleaning supplies in a tote, so I found a basket he could use to carry everything-and it doubles as a place to keep his cleaning things when he's not playing with them.  I included a microfiber rag, scrub brush, dustpan, duster, a few sponges, and  a squirt bottle with a little water in it.

 
We'll see how the water bottle goes-it might be too tempting to squirt everything, but so far my buddy is pretty good about using things like this the way I show him.  The only problem I've had so far is with the dust pan.  He was "helping" me cook the other day and I didn't see him take a measuring cup and dip it in the sugar.  That went mostly on the floor as he went to dump it in the bowl.  I helped him use his dust pan to clean it up, and unfortunately it must have been way too much fun, because he now tries to head for the sugar when he has the dustpan.  I'm thinking I'll get out some paper punch dots for him to sweep up, or some pom poms until the sugar is forgotten.


I tried using a technique to transfer printed images to wood using acetone as described in this tutorial, but had limited success.  I ended up having to go over the image with ink and paint before I was happy with it.  Too bad, I was hoping it would work better, I have a lot of projects where I'd like to transfer my art to wood but it seems like it might be easier to just work on the wood. If any of you have a better technique I'd love to hear about it!

Here you can see how it turned out.  In the photo I'd started going over the lettering with a very fine-tipped permanent ink pen-a thicker one bled into the wood.

Homework Stations

There is no quick and easy way to get kids to do homework, but these stations might eliminate some of the excuses and avoidance tactics kids sometimes use.  In addition to being portable, they are fun and easy to put together-you certainly don't have to dress them up as much as I did-but I don't have girls, so I love the excuse to make something girly once in a while.



Some things I like about this idea:

• All supplies are in one place.  No more "I can't find a pencil!  I need glue!" and so on.  This prevents the child from having to embark on the dangerous supply safari, from which they may never return...
• The sign on the front flips back and forth between "Working on it!" to "I'm done!".  This may be an incentive in itself for some kids.  It also allows the parent to see how it's coming without having to nag as much, shifting the responsibility for making sure it gets done more to the child.
• There is now a specific place for homework to be deposited when it comes in the door, and a place to leave it when it's done out of the dog's reach.  If used regularly, it will become a habit to check their station for completed homework as they head out the door. 
• I always work better when things are organized-and cuteness makes me want to use it even it if it's for a task I'm not looking forward to all that much.  I think the same applies for kids.  
• This idea is easily customized to fit the needs of your child, any box or container from a decorated cereal box to a little basket will work.  Just fill it with supplies that are used often, and decorate it up with something the child likes.  Involve the child and they'll be even more likely to use it.

Filling the crates:
I color-coded the baskets and items in the baskets so each girl knew who the item belonged to.  In addition to a pencil case full of things like scissors, glue sticks, colored pencils, pens etc.  I added a ruler, and a blinged-up monogramed notebook.  The cover is removable so the notebook can be replaced as it is used up. If the girls had been older, I might have included a calculator and calendar. 


To make the crate liner:
I used some mini milk crates that were going for $1 during the back-to-school sales.  They were ok, but I wanted to line them to help contain items, and to spiff them up a bit.  These instructions include dimensions for the mini crate I used, but can be used to make a liner for most straight-sided containers.  If you want to line a basket that narrows at the bottom and don't know how to adjust the pattern, make a straight-sided liner based on the widest point, then insert the liner into the container with the seams towards you.  Pin the seams to fit your container, and re-sew the seams.  Do this before hemming the liner or inserting elastic.

1. Measure the opening of the container you want to line.  The mini crate I used had an opening of 8x6 3/4".  Halve both measurements, and in the corner of a piece of tissue or larger paper draw a box using these dimensions (mine was 4x3 3/8").
2.  Measure the height of the interior of the container.  The mini crate I had was 6" tall.  Extend both lines by that amount.
3.  Draw a line parallel to the height lines to form your seam allowance line.  I put my seam allowance at 1/2".

4. To allow yourself enough give in the fabric so you can wrap it over the top, lay a ruler between the corner of the box and a point about 1/2 inch short of the end of the height line.  Extend the seam allowance line along this angle for about 3", or more if you'd like the fabric to extend down further.  Remember to allow an extra 1/2 inch or inch for hemming. Repeat for the other corner.  Extend the line back to the edge of the paper to complete the pattern.

Your completed pattern should look similar to this.

5. Cutting: fold the fabric in half, then in half again.  Position the corner of the pattern over the corner of the fabric, then cut. (I bought some fat quarters to use for this project, but found they are slightly too small.  Oh well, more for the stash).
6.  Fold fabric so two adjacent cuts are together, and sew.  Repeat for each side, so your fabric forms a box.
7.  Trim extra fabric from the corner and press seam open.Check fit at this point.

7. Create a rolled hem around the top by folding the fabric over 1/2 or 1/4 inch, depending on how thick you want the hem (be sure to allow enough room to thread your elastic through).  Fold over again, press and sew.  on the corners, create a rounded corner by rolling it as shown in the photo.  Trim extra fabric at the corners if needed.  If threading elastic through the hem using a safety pin, leave one opening, if using a threader (I love these!), leave another opening halfway around.  The corners can be a bit tricky to thread elastic through, so if you keep all the folds going the same direction it helps.  Another option is to set your machine on a zig-zag the same width as the elastic, and sew the elastic to the inside edge of the fabric, pulling the elastic taut as you sew to create a gather.  The unfinished edge can be hidden by ric-rac or ribbon once it is on the container.

8. Measure elastic length by wrapping it around the exterior of the container, and cutting it about 3 inches short depending on the give of the elastic.  You should be able to take the cut piece and stretch it around the box without it being too taut, but having enough give to overlap the ends about an inch.
9.  Thread elastic through the hem and sew ends together.  Finish hem by stitching the opening.
10. Place liner into container and adjust the gather so it is even.

The finished boxes are ready to decorate!

Waterwall

My little buddy is definitely a water baby.
I thought I might as well encourage some good old scientific inquiry-I mean fun playing in the water.

Water walls are a frame that holds a variety of containers and tubes that can be rearranged to explore how water moves-and is a great way to cool off on a hot day. It always seems to be the simple things that provide the most fun!



To make your own waterwall, first construct a frame. I took two 1 1/2" x 3/4" boards, and cut them so the short length would be as wide as a roll of plastic hardware cloth I had. I put two screws in each corner to keep it square and spray-painted it.
You can skip building a frame and use some pegboard, hang everything on a chain-link fence, or just duct tape everything to a wall. I found one person that used suction cups with hooks on her shower wall.

For the inside of the frame I stapled some plastic hardware cloth to the frame.
It turned out the roll wasn't quite as wide as advertized on the package so I had to run three strips across the frame instead of running it the length of the frame. I figured that when the cloth wore out I could easily replace it with something more durable.

Next you need some containers and something to fasten them to the frame with. I'd saved some plastic containers, and really lucked out at the dollar store where I found some accordion tubes that hook together and hold their shape when bent. (Pop-toobs can be bought here). I cut the containers up, taped the tubes to the bottles and poked holes in various places to create drips. I also found a few tubs at the dollar store to catch (most) of the water. I looked at a lot of options for attaching the containers and tubes to the frame, from wire to Velcro, and finally decided to use pipe cleaners. They added color, were kid friendly, and are easily removable so I can re-arrange things when this configuration gets old.

My one year old loved it, so mission accomplished.
I think next time I'll tweak a few things: I didn't think to raise one of the short lengths of board to make a gap for the tubs to go directly under all the dripping. I also think I'll use chicken wire or some metal hardware cloth when I need to replace this though.




(Safety note: Be sure to secure the frame so it can't tip over on kids, and don't leave kids unattended-I'm sure you are aware toddlers can drown in a few inches of water in a tub like these. You might want to tape over some of the cut plastic edges if they turn out a little sharp.)

Here are a few blogs that inspired this waterwall:
Share and Remember Blog
Let The Children Play
Pre-School Play

Quick Quiet Books

I'm working on an overly ambitious quiet book but in the meantime I wanted a few quiet books for my little buddy. I just used what I had around the house, and this is what I came up with.

Changeable Albums
I have two little accordion style photo albums I'd picked up on clearance ages ago but hadn't done anything with, so in one book I put pictures of grandparents and our family, with the idea I could teach him names, especially of those who don't live close. I had an extra spot so I put in a picture of the cats too. :) The other book I cropped some pictures of him so I had a closeup of his eyes, nose, mouth, hands, and ears, and one picture of his face. Once he learns these words, we can change the pictures to teach him colors, numbers, etc. He likes looking at these, and likes playing with the snap. I thought I'd also pick up a few mini photo albums and put cut out pictures from magazines, or put postcards in them. They will hold his interest longer if some of the pictures change occasionally.

Magazine Saver

Little Buddy likes reading his magazine but insists on turning pages himself. He does pretty well for a one-year-old, but in the meantime I've been putting his magazine into sheet protectors to help it last until the next month's issue. I simply cut the magazine along the fold line, and insert one page into each protector. I used heavy weight sheets and this has worked well. I keep a few favorite pages from each issue and just leave those at the back, and I've been saving some of the coloring and activity pages for when he's older. I also save a few pictures for clip art and projects before recycling the rest. This magazine is available online so I can always go back and get copies of stories, so I don't feel bad cutting it up. Judging by how often the stacks of magazines get touched in our library, I feel I'm getting more out of it this way.

Temporary Sandbox

Problem: Our backyard isn't so toddler friendly at the moment, so I thought a little sandbox would give my little buddy something to do while I worked back there. We aren't ready to put something in permanently and I wanted something cheap but functional until then.

Oh, did I mention we have a cat problem?

We have a cat Problem. There is a feral colony that gets fed at the vacant trailer behind us. I have yet to convince the cats my square-foot garden isn't just a glorified litter box, and the last thing I wanted was buried treasure in this sand, so the number one priority of a sandbox was that it has a lid.

This is what I came up with:
Smallest kiddie pool at K-mart: $8.00
Sand: free from the side of the road. We have a lot of fine grain sand here!
Cover: $2.00 for the doohickie that holds the string tight. The waterproof fabric was from Freecycle (yeah Freecycle!)
Little Buddie's smile: Priceless!













If you were wondering how I made the cover, I laid out the fabric and traced around the upside-down pool about five inches out from the edge.
I sewed a fold around the edge and threaded the string through using a safety pin. I decided the string was too light so I tied some heavier string to the light string and pulled it through, and threaded the ends through one of those thingamabobs that hold string tight. I'm sure they have a real name but I can't think of it right now. I found them with the buttons at W mart.


There cat problem solved. Did I mention we have a cat problem?