Roundup of Awesome DIY Play Kitchens & More

I’ve really been agonizing over a “WOW” gift I can make for my daughter this year. She used to have a plastic play kitchen when she was a toddler. We donated it a long time ago, but I’ve noticed that she always heads right for those types of kitchens whenever we go to a toy or thrift store. I’m seriously considering making one for her — though I’m worried about where we’d put it. Here are the best of the best in DIY play kitchens I’ve found online, made from desks, entertainment centers, nightstands and more.

This boy-friendly kitchen from Finding Joy comes complete with a rack to hang pots and cooking utensils and magnetic chalkboard doors for making shopping lists. Love it! Be sure to click the link for many more photos and details on how it was built.

If you have an older or taller child, an entertainment center might be too small. Utah County Mom solved that problem by using a corner desk to create this kitchen. The best part? Because she already had the desk, she was able to create this for less than $50!

Maybe you don’t have room for something so large. No problem! Start with a side table or nightstand like this version from SAS Interiors! There’s room for enough sweet little details to still make this worth doing, and it will fit nicely in a corner.

The attention to detail on this kitchen by Britt & her Boys is amazing! Check out the tiled backsplash, which was meticulously laid out, painted and adhered one rectangle at a time! I also love the realistic buttons on the microwave. And this crafty mom didn’t stop there. She also made a bunch of felt play food to go with the kitchen. Is she amazing, or what?

Have two tables or nightstands? Then you’ve got a stove and a sink with storage below! The set in the photo shown above was actually made from scratch by Blue Eyed Yonder, but you can see how 2 nightstands could easily become these two pieces!

This one by Bonne Nouvelle is made from a changing table. Love that idea, particularly because changing tables outlive their usefulness really quickly. I also love how she used the back of the piece to make chalkboards so it can be used in the middle of a room, as well as up against a wall.

Seriously, there are about a million ways to do this, and you can add tons of details to make it completely unique and super special. If play kitchens aren’t your kid’s fancy, how about an awesome work bench, complete with hardware store details (built by The Frugal Granny):

Or you could use two nightstands to make a washer and dryer. The possibilities are endless! All of these are much better than a store-bought play set, and your child (or whatever child you make it for) will be able to pass it down with a great story about where it came from.

You can add some eco-friendly pretend “food” from Plan Toys, Green Toys, or Melissa & Doug and your kid would be ready to go!

Since I refuse to buy a plastic kitchen set, my daughter may have one of these in her future. Now it’s time to convince my husband to let me chop up a side table that’s way too small for the spot it’s in!