Play stove for less than a dollar in 15 minutes

[nitaghei]

OR: Toddlers are so easy to please.

Taking off on Karen's suggestion from my earlier post, I decided to use a cardboard box to make DS a stove.

Started with a USPS box that was destined for the recycling pile; glued on a sheet of beige 12x12 paper on top, with some borders on the sides; drew the "burners" with a Sharpie; glued on 4 felt circles in the front for knobs. This took less than 15 minutes (and I had a migraine, too).

DS immediately recognized it as a stove when he saw it, and spent a chunk of time today cooking on his "stove" with his new pots and pans from Ikea.

I'll try to post a pic on Monday. Not the prettiest thing, but both of us had so much fun with it. :)

BTW, if anyone has a suggestion for better knobs, I'd appreciate it. This was a quick and dirty solution so that DS could play with his pots, but I'd love to be able to attach knobs that actually turn.

Nita (fleece is my friend)
mom to Neel, January 2003
dog mom to a PWD and a cocker (at the Rainbow Bridge)

[new_mommy25]

You could always use brads to attach the felt.

[mudder17]

Wow! Great idea! I have tons of old boxes I could recycle. :) Of course, Kaya's a bit young still for a play stove, but maybe in the future. :) Hmm...and play refrigerators...lots of possibilities. :) Thanks Nita!


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 16 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png

[purpleeyes]

I just wanted to say that my mom did this for me when I was about 3 or 4 and I definately have memories of playing with my 'kitchen' when she was cooking-so I have plans to make a 'box' kitchen for DS when he gets a little older, too!

Some other ideas-my mom used the bottom of a bleach bottle (really really washed out) for the sink(which she stuck in a hole she cut out of the box) and she used contact paper to decorate the boxes for the counter tops.

Isn't it crazy that kids can have so much fun with something so simple? ;) I'm glad to see other mommies are doing stuff like this, too!

Beth

[zuzu]

Go Nita! :) Glad Neel likes your creation.

I'm sure if you go to a hardware store you could get knobs that you could attach loosely with a nut ot two (or whatever) so they still turn but won't fall off. I've seen unfinished wooden ones, as well as others. Other stores have fancier (and pricier) ones, but the plain ones at Lowe's or Home Depot are really inexpensive.

Melissa, mom to Sarah (5/03)

[nitaghei]

Angie - {hanging head} I don't know how to attach brads. :( Don't have any in my supplies, either.

Melissa - the wooden knobs was also what DH suggested. Another thing that occured to me was foam circles - if I can make it to Michael's today. Possibly very large buttons.

Beth - thanks for the suggestion for the sink!! Very cool. I may just use a plastic bowl, though. Cutting up plastic makes me nervous.

Eileen - I hadn't considered making a refrigerator. Maybe after our move, if I score a wardrobe box - that should make a nice refrigerator, and a little project for us to work on. Though if you have a high chair or stroller box, that might work too. Maybe I need to check out the basement a little more thoroughly to see if we saved any of these. :)


Nita (fleece is my friend)
mom to Neel, January 2003
dog mom to a PWD and a cocker (at the Rainbow Bridge)

[pritchettzoo]

Nita--I think the brads Angie's talking about are the ones used for paper. They're called "brass fasteners" at office stores: http://www.officedepot.com/pictures/SK/MD/909465_sk_md.jpg

You could make several foam circles to build up a substantial knob and poke them in the middle with a hole puncher and fasten with a long brad to the box. They'd be lightweight and wouldn't rip the cardboard. If you do a wooden knob, I'd put a foam circle (sort of a homemade soft washer) on the inside and outside so it can turn without ripping the cardboard.

Anna
Mama to Gracie (Sept '03)
and a BOY! (coming July '05)

[nitaghei]

OH! Thanks, Anna. I'm pretty sure I have some of those at home. Foam might be the way to go - especially if I want to keep the price tag under a dollar. :P

BTW - aren't you supposed to be having a baby right around now? Didn't I see a post from you about random contractions a day or so ago?

Nita (fleece is my friend)
mom to Neel, January 2003
dog mom to a PWD and a cocker (at the Rainbow Bridge)

[lfp2n]

It cost a little bit more than a dollar (not much) but FIL made a stove top for DD. He took a piece of shelf wood and sanded the corners and oiled it with linseed oil, then glued on 4 CDs and used wooden cupboard door knobs bolted on from a hardwood store that twist, also theres a bit of spare space at the side as a 'prep' area. I like it becouse DD plays with it on a table, on the sofa, whereever, and then its just like a short plank of wood so I can store it anywhere on its side. She really loves cooking on it.

Lucy DD 3/03

[jasmine]

Sounds perfect. Would love to see a picture of the stove top your FIL made :-).

My brothers made me a several room dollhouse out of cardboard boxes when I was little. I wish I had taken pictures because I have great memories of playing with it. They made furniture out of cardboard, food out of morton salt dough, they made "books" by stapling small pieces of paper together and using the magazine subscription stamps as the cover. Its incredible how creative they were :-).