From Wine Crate to Toy Kitchen

I love wine crates. I collect some whenever i can, from bulky waste to supermarkets.
there are so much possibilities in a simple wooden box!

This kitchen toy was a one day project i made last year. My son was at kindergarden and i wanted to finish this before he comes back. i made it just in time!

i used :
- a wine crate (a big one)
- plywood
- chipboard
- a wooden curtain rod ( diameter 35mm)
- a thin bamboo rod
- a small plastic handle
- a plastic box
- 6 eyelet bolts
- 2 small hinges
- a magnetic door catch
- a piece of (vintage) fabric
- paint
- wood glue
- screws and nails
- sandpaper

and tools :
- jigsaw
- sewing machine
- a thin round file
- a screwgun

The crate itself was already painted in this deep orange, because it used to be a shelf in my previous home. i just disassembled it.

i took some measures and cut a piece of plywood to make the side board, and another to make the cupboard's door. i had some blue acrylic paint, i found it was pretty nice with the orange crate...

while the paint was drying, i did cut four pieces of the same length (85mm) in the curtain rod. i also cut a slice (15mm) to figure a button on the cooktop.

i cut a disc of wood (from an other wine crate's cover) to figure the hotplate. (diameter 115mm)

i cut the chipboard to make a divider in the crate.

i cut a hole in the top part of the crate to insert the plastic box, to figure the sink.

in my first idea, i wanted to make two doors, but the little basket was too large to let the door close, so i decided to put a curtain instead of a door. therefore i needed a thin curtain rod, and a bamboo stick would do the trick.

1 : i screwed the feet under the crate

2 : i glued and nailed the side board behind the crate

3 : i screwed and glued the hotplate and the button

4 : i nailed the divider inside

5 : i drilled holes in the crate's side and in the divider to insert the bamboo rod. before to insert one end in the chipboard divider i slipped the curtain onto the rod.

6 : i screwed the eyelet bolts in the side board

7 : screwing the handle on the door

8 : assembling the cupboard's door : the 2 hinges and the magnetic door catch. afterward, i realized that the magnet was too strong for my son to open it easily, so i replaced the tiny metal plate with something even tinier : a thumbtack

9 : i could have glued the sink on place but my son seems to like to throw thing through the hole... so it's definately removable :D

He was very pleased, and he still plays with it (he's 3 years old) :D
Lately i changed the eyelet bolts for some others in the shape of an "L", it's easier to pick up stuff from them.
I also stuck a small plastic mirror up on the side board.