Transforming An Old Piece Of Furniture

The old entertainment system furniture, a bargain purchase.

Ever go to a flea market, Goodwill, or Salvation Army Store, and come away with a piece of furniture that's a real find? This one family made such a find and they only paid $20 for it. IT was an old entertainment center, you know, the kind that was a piece of furniture in the days before flat screen televisions, where you could insert your television and your stereo equipment.

However, what is more notable about this piece is what the adults decided to make from it. You see, the young son's birthday was coming up and he was turning two years old. It's not every parent who would think to make something unique for their child, something that would be cherished and was a sign of their love for their precious child.



It actually didn't take much to convert the old entertainment center into something new and usable for a two-year-old. It took the installation of a bit of wiring, inaccessible to the inquiring hands of a toddler, underneath, and a remake of the wooden structure.

The first step was sanding down the entire structure - that may have been the part of the job that involved the most work. Then they cut a hole in the shelf on the right side, large enough to fit a dog bowl, which became a miniature bowl of a sink. They obtained the faucet from a home renovation store and that was installed behind the bowl.

Then four holes were cut next to the hole for the sink (bowl), to accommodate burners for the sink. The glass from the door was removed and a piece of plywood was fitted into the opening. They then painted the entire surface white. The area designated as the stove and the inside of the oven was painted black. They made the burners from coils of electroluminescent wiring, the type that never gets hot, but gives off a glow. They also added a real rack for the oven, and used the same wiring for the bottom of the oven. Plexiglas was installed over the wiring and in the oven door.

You remember that plywood piece that replaced the glass on the left side? That was painted with chalkboard paint and "Grocery List" was painted on it in red letters. On the other side was the refrigerator. Then, plastic food toys were added, and the transformation was complete, into a toddlers kitchen playset.

A view of the bioluminescent burners.

Of course, the whole set had to be wrapped up and given as a complete gift for a young toddler, who was delighted with his new playset. That is a toy that will be enjoyed for several years, and even passed down to future generations.

Young toddler enjoying his new kitchen playset.

Thanks to this article from Little Things.com: http://www.littlethings.com/parents-build-kitchen-play-set-for-toddler-son/?utm_source=LTcom&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=lifehacks.

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