Paper, Scissors & A Little Creativity

I've recently started a few simple projects to spice up our kitchen with one of my new favorite colors...Lime Green!  So fun for summer and goes great with the orange pops throughout the first floor.  

I have been loving the fun kitchen printables that have been popping up on Pinterest like this one...



which you can find here, Oh Dear Molly.  And these...



from Over the Big Moon.  I also like this one


from Behind the Studio.  But as always I thought it would be fun to make something on my own!  I have made printables in the past, like this one, but a walk through Michael's the other day inspired me to go another route, the old school route.  It is called paper, scissors & a little creativity.


I just love all the wonderful paper you can get at Michael's.  I have used it in several other projects (like here, and here, and here).  But this time around I used it to create my "old school printable".

All it took was a couple pieces of new paper (lime green and gray polka-dot), some paper scraps I already had (orange pattern border and solid gray), some scissors and a glue stick.

I hand drew the letters and cut them out.  I traced a serving spoon and fork from my kitchen and cut those out too.  And then I started gluing.  Pretty fun huh?!?!  

It made it's way up on top of the kitchen cabinets with a great kettle I found at my favorite local antique spot and my friend "Mr. Bawk Bawk" from World Market. 

So this super simple project helped me get started on my Lime Green fun.  Can't wait to see where else it takes me!  

DIY Kitchen

I have been so excited to share this project with y'all!  And it is finally all done so here comes show and tell!

A few weeks ago I teased you with this post, leaving you trying to guess what this ReStore recycled kitchen cabinet was going to become.

Well, here is the answer...

A fabulously adorably happily wonderful kitchen for my little girl.  And that is exactly what it makes her.

And yes, it all started with a $10 kitchen cabinet.  So how did it all come together?  And what did it cost?  Well, here are all the details!

The first step was to remove the doors and hardware and do a little sanding. $0  

The cabinet had a few screw holes and dings which I patched with Plastic Wood (a really easy product that I totally recommend and I always have around).  Still $0  

To boost up the kitchen height to little girl level I reused a 4 x 4 which we had recently taken out of our backyard.  It used to hold a birdhouse which disappeared before we bought the house, but it was already painted white and was free.  Killed two birds with one...oh wait, not appropriate.  We cut four legs from the 4 x 4 and screwed them in through the floor of the cabinet.  3 screws in each.  

Cost = Free.

Then I got to priming.  I actually used a spray paint primer this time around which was quick and easy.  (A little harder to control if you are doing more detailed work.)  After the primer dried overnight I got to painting.  I used a basic pre-mixed white, Benjamin Moore Return to Paradise, and a little chalkboard paint for the oven window.  Two coats of everything and the painting was done.  I was able to use all paint I had around the house so another $0 added to the total.

Next up was the counter top.  I decided to add a counter top because the top of the $10 cabinet was not in great shape, as I would guess many cabinets would not be.  I also thought it would look more kitcheny with a "real" counter top so I used a white shelf and cut it down to size.  We attached it with wood glue and let it dry overnight.  This set me back $7.99.

  

The next step was the sink...my favorite detail!  I bought a metal bowl at Target for $8.  I traced the bowl outline on the counter top and then with the help of the hubby cut a circle just inside that line, so the bowl wouldn't fall through.  We then cut the same circle in the top of the cabinet and simply placed the bowl in the hole.  (Hehe, that sounded funny.)

I was really hoping to find a faucet at the ReStore when I bought the cabinet but no such luck so I ended up spending more on this then I wanted to.  I bet at the ReStore a faucet would have only been a few bucks, but I had to find one at Menards and that set me back $19.  Again we drilled a hole through the counter top and the cabinet top and screwed in the faucet.  Total for sink and faucet $27.  

Next I got out the spray paint and gave the hinges a coat of chrome to match the two pulls I found at the ReStore for 50 cents a piece.  I also painted a hook I already had to hold the dish towel.  Another $1 if you are keeping track.  

From here it was all about assembling and details.  Put the doors back on, cabinet pulls, hook, touch up paint.  I bought a little metal rack for the oven floor.  $5.99 at Target.  It is actually a rack to go in the bottom of a sink.  

I nailed in bottle caps (left over from this project) above the oven door to serve as knobs.  I made sure to leave them a little loose so little hands can still turn them.  $0.

Using cardboard, a little more chrome spray paint and a sharpie I made a burner for the counter top.  Fabulously free.

And to finish it off I picked up this great dish towel at Target for about $4.

So let's break this all down...

Cabinet $10

Counter top $7.99

Sink & Faucet $27

Hardware $1

Oven Rack $5.99

Dish Towel $4

Which means the grand total comes to $55.98!

Wow!  I'm impressed!  That is the first time I have added up those numbers and that is not to shabby considering the Ikea kitchen (which is similar in look and size) costs $99.  And at the risk of sounding cheesy...I am proud to give my daughter a homemade gift over a store bought one any day.  

I am also proud to share the love with you and am happy to answer any and all questions if you are thinking of building a kitchen for your little one.  So ask, build and be happy!

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