Monday, May 7, 2012

Space Saving DIY Toy Stove and Art Easel {Chalkboard Contact Paper}


We have a small home, and I am more than content with that. However, my two and a half year old daughter is getting to an age where a toy kitchen would be an ideal toy for her, but there simply is not room.

My daughter "Peanut", being the creative and imaginative girl that she is, found a solution for that!

We have a small bed side stand type cabinet in her room that I once used for her books (which are now on a book shelf). One day Peanut started opening the door and putting her toy cupcakes in the cabinet to "bake" them, pretending that it was a stove.

I looked at the little cabinet and thought, "I can paint four burners on top and paint the front black so that it looks like the window into a stove!"

Since I have very little experience painting, and very little time right now, I thought it would be a long time before I would get around to such a project.

That was until I discovered Chalkboard Contact Paper.  The little stove is the first thing that came to mind. How easy it would be to just cut out four little circles and stick them on, as well as the front "window" of the stove?

I ordered a roll of the contact paper for less than eight dollars, and as soon as possible after the contact paper arrived, I did just that. It took about 15 minutes, and that because I was doing other things at the same time.

I also ordered a little cooking set, and now my daughter has a little stove to cook on without adding a mite of furniture to our home!



Another toy that I have thought would be ideal for my daughter if there were sufficient space is a toddler art easel. We have a little toddler table for tea parties and artwork, so for both reasons of space and the fact that we really don't need another place for her to draw and color, I had let the idea go completely.



But alas, we have an exposed side to our large old refrigerator in the kitchen and it occurred to me that I could made it into a little chalkboard! Since it's magnetic, we can also use magnets to secure paper there for her to write, color, or paint on too. There you go! The primary functions of an art easel only without a tray for supplies. I am thinking of ways to attach something to hold chalk and markers to the fridge, but for now I prefer to not have them laying about freely anyway.



 The possibilities of this amazing contact paper are endless! I have a few other things I can't wait to do with it!

Super cheap. Super easy. Super fun!

*******************

Tip Junkie handmade projects

6 comments:

  1. I love the creativity of toddlers! They don't know they're thinking outside the box, because they have no box... just exploration.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is SO true, Anna! It's amazing how creative she is...one minute the bed is a bus and the headboard is the steering wheel and she's taking me to the post office and the next minute a string hanging off the bed and she's going fishing and about to jump in the water...today she was sitting in the yard in front of a pinwheel using it as a steering wheel and headed to Mimi's house...it's truly amazing...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love this! I have a little one, as well, and she LOVES drawing & COOKING! I'm going to have to go on a "Contact Paper Hunt". Would love to have you link this project up at my party {stringtownhome.blogspot.com}!

    Have a great week!
    -Heather

    ReplyDelete
  4. That turned out perfectly adorable! Great work. I'd love for you to add it on my link party at: http://printabelle.com/?p=4459 Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  5. They sell little magnetic trays at walmart next to the dry erase boards...that would work on your fridge...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow, thanks so much for that tip! That would be PERFECT...will be headed to Wal-Mart as soon as possible!

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.