Hi again, thought I would share how we turned two old bedside tables into a playkitchen for our grandsons. This began when they rec'd a new playkitchen for Christmas, it didn't take many hours to see that although it was beautiful and expensive it was not going to last very long.  Thankfully the store took it back and we promised to come up with something a little sturdier. So here goes... First I found two wood (not pressed board) Bedside tables of similar size.

We then decided which one would be the sink and counter and which would be the stove.  I added to brackets from an old kitchen counter to one side of the cupboard, this was so  we could extend the countertop, these were glued and pinned,so that the top of the bracket was flush with the top of the existing top. We then cut a piece of leftover wood that would cover the entire top surface and also glued and pinned that in place.

Next we cut two more pieces of wood for the backs of the cupboards, these pieces we made bid enough to go all the way from the floor and extend higher than the cupboards by about 8". (This is totally up to you and could be flush with the counter or much higher.) These pieces were also attached with glue and pins.  Now you have the basic pieces of your kitchen ready,we left them separate for ease of moving them so they would not be so heavy,but they could be attached and even have castors or wheels on  them so they could easily be moved. We chose not to

because anything with wheels is now a vehicle and the temptation to ride it would be too much and I thought the walls would be happier if this was staitonary.  Next we found a bowl and some old bathroom taps and decided where we were going to drill and cut the holes to accomadate them.  We traced around the bowl and taps then drilled holes for the taps and a pilot hole for the sink.  Then used a jigsaw to cut the sink hole, being sure to cut the hole about 1/2 " smaller than the outside lip of the bowl, so that it cannot fall through. (Silicone around the bottom edge of the bowl lip and press into place after the cupboard is painted)

We sanded and primed both pieces, so they were ready for paint.  Then I started looking around for things to make burners, knobs etc.  I didn't buy anything new just used what we had, but you could make this as fancy as you wanted.  This version is very plain, but we can girly it up when baby sister is old enough to play with it. I used some leftover melamine paint so it should be very easy to clean.

The finished product. I used old CD's for the burners, a variety of old cupboard knobs and an old ceramic tile dish for decoration, but if you were good at painting that would be awesome for the burners.  You could also add little curtains or doors to the bottom of the cupboards. This set will probably evolve as it goes through different children.  Would love some pictures of what you come up with if you try this. 

Old ladder repurposed, upcycled for a pot rack. I use this ladder for all of my oversize pots, baskets, utensils etc. Most have been removed for the picture so you can see the ladder itself.  Another wonderful piece I inherited from a friend that was moving.  This could also be hung from chains or rope, horizontally from the ceiling if that suited your space better.  You could use any ladder, even the v shaped ones, just take them apart and then you'll have 2 to work with.  One side is usually chunkier than the other,so depending on what you are hanging one side might be more suitable.  The possibilities are endless.  Hooks can be purchased at a kitchen or hardware store or you can make your own. The S-shaped ones work best as you can move them around according to what you are hanging and how much space you need in between. * I fastened this one at the top to the wall after my grandson tried to climb it. This particular ladder is very rustic which I love, but you could make it out of whatever you have to work with. Maybe steel conduit, copper pipe, pvc pipe or a combination of wood and pipe.  Have fun and please share your pictures.

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Recently while visiting one of my favorite stores,(Habitat for Humanity Restore) I rediscovered shelves full of glass light shades of every shape, style and size.  Of course I had soon cleared a space for myself, so that I could try out different arrangements to decide which I liked best.  They are used to me at this particular store as I have cleared a table or a section of floor to lay out mismatched tiles to make sure I had enough to make a particular project.  They just smile and leave me alone, I can literally spend hours putting different things together to make something wonderful. In the end I had a large boxful of mismatched shades, which they carefully wrapped and boxed up for me to take home.  Here are a few of the projects I came up with.  You can also use candle stick holders, vintage plates, and anything else that strikes your fancy. Several different glues are available: epoxy's, gorilla glue and some craft glues.  Most any craft glue will work, but most will not withstand hot water or the dishwasher.  I am still searching for the perfect glue for glass and if you've found it and you'd like to share your secret that would be wonderful.  There is one made by "loctite" which is supposed to be dishwasher safe, but so far I have not been able to find it in Canada.