Growing a Green Family » make your own toys http://www.growingagreenfamily.com Green living year round Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:09:56 +0000 en hourly 1 DIY Green Toy – 12 DIY Play Kitchen Sets http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/diy-green-toy-12-affordable-diy-play-kitchen-sets/ http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/diy-green-toy-12-affordable-diy-play-kitchen-sets/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:00:51 +0000 Jennifer Chait http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/?p=9603

DIY play kitchen sets are a great alternative to more expensive, already built play kitchens. Usually, homemade play kitchen sets are more affordable, especially if you re-purpose materials. Plus, you can make a homemade play kitchen as eco-friendly as you like, so long as you choose green materials.

Aim for materials such as real wood, not plywood or MDF, organic fabric for curtains and of course add eco-friendly play food and play dishes. If you’re at a loss for how to get started on your own DIY play kitchen, see these options below. Each takes some time, but if you get started now, you’ll have your cute kitchen ready in time for a Christmas unveiling.




DIY Play Kitchen from IKEA Hackers: This bright and cheerful vintage style play kitchen offers tons of play space plus an awesome window view. I wouldn’t modify with MDF, but otherwise this kitchen is amazing.

DIY Play Kitchen from Southern Exposure: Recycled nightstands and coats of fresh paint, along with some really cool knobs and accessories allow for a fully functional and super cheerful play kitchen.

DIY Play Kitchen from The Crafting Chicks: One of the more beautiful play kitchens I’ve seen, this blue beauty was, incredibly, the builders first project – wow right!?

DIY Play Kitchen from What Happens at Naptime…: This play kitchen safely features curtain instead of cabinets (zero slammed fingers), plus low shelving for younger, shorter kids.

DIY Play Kitchen from Happy Hawkins: See how to transform a $10 end table into a wonderful play kitchen.

DIY Play Kitchen from Apron Strings: This kitchen is tabletop and space saving, plus offers a very unique working burner light. Classic white dishes and knit play food add lots of charm.

DIY Play Kitchens from Ohdeedoh: Ohdeedoh features play kitchens often, but two cream of the crop creations include Virginia’s easy to make Ikea-based toy kitchen and Jack’s “Suzy Homemaker” Play Kitchen, that includes an awesome table component.

DIY Play Kitchen from Ana White: Just beautiful (the stars are an amazing touch). A pregnant mama made this one no less!

DIY Play Kitchen from A Project Hopper: A sweet, gender neutral kitchen handmade by one very cool dad. No in-depth instructions offered, but a good base design in the works.

DIY Play Kitchen from DIY Network: Very in-depth plans regarding building an entire play kitchen. I especially like the little touches on this kitchen, such as the text on the different appliances.

BONUS! DIY Play Grocery Store from Domestic Candy: Domestic Candy is one of the coolest blogs I’ve run into lately. The entire blog is amazing and crafty, but this play grocery store takes the cake – or sells it, as the case may be. This play set is a bit more costly, but it’s so gorgeous I had to share. You can lower costs if you can build a playstand yourself, which is possible,  No in-depth instructions offered, but with a little creativity, and maybe a playstand base, this is entirely doable.

]]> http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/diy-green-toy-12-affordable-diy-play-kitchen-sets/feed/ 0 Eco-Friendly Play Kitchen Accessory – Wooden Vegetable Set http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/eco-friendly-play-kitchen-accessory-wooden-vegetable-set/ http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/eco-friendly-play-kitchen-accessory-wooden-vegetable-set/#comments Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:03:54 +0000 Jennifer Chait http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/?p=7506

Look at this gorgeous Wooden Vegetable Set! It’s the perfect accessory for your child’s eco-friendly play kitchen.

wooden vegetable set - play kitchen food

Made by Just Hatched, these beautiful wooden vegetables are handmade with poplar, sanded smooth and colored with certified AP Nontoxic watercolor paints. All the gorgeous details are wood-burned and then each piece is finished with a natural homemade beeswax wood polish. This particular set is made just for the buyer and comes with 5 wooden vegetables: Tomato, Cucumber, Onion, Potato and Carrot plus a cotton muslin drawstring bag.

There’s more where this came from too!

Just Hatched carries other amazing play food options as well, such as a lovely Wooden Fruit Set (shown below). You can also purchase wooden food items one-by-one. Check out Just Hatched for the full selection.
Wooden Fruit set - play food play food - wooden play food - green play kitchen play food - eco-friendly play kitchen - wood food

Learn more about eco-friendly play kitchens:

+ Just Hatched

]]> http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/eco-friendly-play-kitchen-accessory-wooden-vegetable-set/feed/ 1 DIY Green Toy – Nine Affordable Play Kitchen Sets http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/diy-green-toy-nine-affordable-play-kitchen-sets/ http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/diy-green-toy-nine-affordable-play-kitchen-sets/#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:03:00 +0000 Jennifer Chait http://www.growingagreenfamily.com/?p=568

Affordable play kitchen sets are one of those time tested toys that kids go back to again and again. On the downside, finding an affordable and eco-friendly play kitchen set can be super hard. However, since they’re truly one of those must have childhood toys, one option is to make your own play affordable kitchen set. This leaves the materials up to you and you can use recycled goods. Best of all the cost will be considerably lower.

The following DIY play kitchen options are easy and affordable and if you get started now your child can have his or her very own green play kitchen set for the holidays.

best-play-kitchen-ever-

My most favorite DIY play kitchen of all time is Lili’s Play Kitchen via Ohdeedoh shown above. Cost – about $30. Your child’s amazement will be totally priceless though!

Browse the gallery below for other great DIY play kitchen set ideas (see links below gallery)

best-play-kitchen-ever- Sweet pastel kitchen Eco-Friendly Play Kitchen Re-purposed entertainment center adorable red & white kitchen Beautiful blue play kitchen ikea hacker play kitchen blue entertainment center kitchen Homemade cube kitchen

      1. Sweet pastel kitchen – this truly amazing kitchen is giving my old favorite above a run for the money. I LOVE the green and the little cloth accessories!
      2. Eco-Friendly Play Kitchen – $12 instructions let you build this amazing DIY kitchen.
      3. Re-purposed entertainment center – Terribly creative, practically free, and a great way to keep furniture out of the landfill.
      4. Adorable red & white kitchen – $59 will get you this sweet red and white dream kitchen.
      5. Beautiful blue play kitchen – This looks like a master toy builder made it, but you can do it yourself.
      6. IKEA hacker play kitchen – Ah, IKEA – grab an inexpensive shelf or two and you’ve got a super easy DIY play kitchen. This one is dreamy.
      7. Blue entertainment center kitchen – another fab entertainment center saved from the trash.
      8. Homemade cube kitchen – This play kitchen is a little more expensive than some DIY versions, but it’s lovely and easy. All cubes are made with beautiful sustainably grown and harvested baltic birch plywood that is finished with eco-friendly paints.
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