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Playroom Kitchen Set

April 21, 2015 by girlinspired 5 Comments

Playroom Kitchen with DIY Chalkboard Menu and Printable Note CardsA children’s play kitchen.  Is there anything sweeter?  Maybe it’s just me – maybe it’s where my love of food and cooking and baking first developed – in this little play kitchen that my dad built for me when I was a bitty girl.  It used to be white and I remember that I had a very special ceramic tea set that I arranged just so and absolutely adored until a neighbor kid came over and broke one of the cups, which ruined the whole perfect set, and I was heartbroken.  But I ramble.  The point is – kids love play kitchens.  My girls have had this one set up for them and it’s always been played with here and there.  I painted it blue years ago, but the color just never quite went with the playroom and I started feeling really displeased with how sad it had become.  So I gave it a makeover.  We’re in the midst of turning our large playroom into a media/play room and making the play kitchen a focal point was one of my first priorities.  I’m excited to show you the whole room when we get it all finished, but for today, I can say that the kitchen area is finished and I LOVE it!  As do the kids, almost as important.  ðŸ˜‰

Playroom Kitchen with DIY Chalkboard Menu and Printable Note Cards

I painted the kitchen with two coats of semi-gloss latex paint in “red apple” from the hardware store.  It was a pre-mixed color and it is exactly the bright, saturated red I was looking for.  Someone on instagram asked about the kind of paint as she was concerned about paint lines.  I was less concerned about paint lines since this kitchen set has been painted quite a few times and seen more than 30 years of play, but I can tell you I always use a Purdy brand paint brush – they’re the best for finish work! Playroom Kitchen with DIY Chalkboard Menu and Printable Note Cards

A coordinating enamelware cake stand and some hand-packed ice cream containers give the refrigerator a lift and also give the girls some containers to stuff things into (do your kids love to stuff containers, also??)  I also added a big red mason jar with some humongous red and white striped straws to the kitchen shelf – gotta use ’em everywhere while they’re still all the rage, right?Playroom Kitchen with DIY Chalkboard Menu and Printable Note Cards

A new “Menu” hanging over the kitchen pulls the ensemble together.  Find the DIY Playroom Chalkboard tutorial here!  The menu is even magnetized so the kiddos can pop restaurant orders up on it as they’re preparing the food.

Playroom Kitchen with DIY Chalkboard Menu and Printable Note Cards

Speaking of restaurant orders, this is THE preferred play kitchen activity of my girls.  They just looooove to tell you all the specials and write up your order and post signs ALL OVER THE HOUSE letting you know where and when to arrive for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!  I made them some printable cards where they can write little menus or note their guests’ orders.  Some cards are white and some are “chalkboard” for use with pens or pencils…or chalk.  There are two different cards – one has a blank box at the top where they can write their restaurant’s name or whatever!  You can download and print out these cards if you’d like.  Click here for the FREE printable!

Playroom Kitchen with DIY Chalkboard Menu and Printable Note Cards

So, tell me what you think.  Do your kids have a playroom kitchen?  Is it a focal point in the room?  What’s their favorite imaginary game to play in their kitchen?

Filed Under: Crafting, Home Decorating, Printables Tagged With: chalkboard, play kitchen, playroom, printables

Notebook Cover with Chalkboard Label

May 5, 2013 by girlinspired 2 Comments

This pretty notebook cover is a quick sew and would make a wonderful teacher appreciation gift!  Its lined with interfacing and an ultra firm stabilizer so its nice and sturdy.  It also has inner pockets so that you can easily slip a regular notebook inside.  The best part (besides the awesome fabric) is the fun chalkboard label for the front!  Don’t you love it?

Teacher Appreciation Notebook Covers with Chalkboard Labels

I used a black and white chevron cotton from my awesome sponsor, XOXO.Gigi Fabrics.  With lightweight interfacing fused to the cotton and stabilizer inserted into the center of each notebook side, your fabric options are really limitless!  

Want to make a fabric notebook cover?  

I’m going to give you the quickie tutorial, but please leave a comment if you have any questions or if the instructions are too vague!  

Teacher Appreciation Notebook Covers with Chalkboard Labels

You will need:

2 – 19 1/2″ w x 13″ h main fabric (outer cover pieces)

2 – 19 1/2″ w x 9″ h main fabric (pocket pieces)

one small rectangle (to your desired size) of oilcloth

Chalkboard paint

fusible lightweight interfacing  – one in each of the above sizes

2- 9 1/2″ x 12″ h ultra firm stabilizer (such as Peltex 70 by Pellon)

one standard 8 1/2″ x 11 1/2″ notebook

Use 1/2″ seam allowances.

Teacher Appreciation Notebook Covers with Chalkboard Labels

Teacher Appreciation Notebook Covers with Chalkboard Labels

Step 1:  Cut oilcloth to whatever size you’d like for your notebook label.  Use a sponge brush to paint a rectangle area with chalkboard paint directly on top of the oilcloth label.  Apply three coats of paint, allowing each coat to dry completely between layers.  Place on the right side of one outer cover fabric piece in desired location (remember to allot for seam allowances).  Use a tight zigzag stitch to attach the label to the front cover.  Set aside.

Teacher Appreciation Notebook Covers with Chalkboard Labels

 Step 2:  Apply fusible interfacing to one of each size of the main fabric pieces.  Place pocket pieces right sides together and stitch.  Turn right side out.  Press.  Topstitch two rows along the upper edge.   Place pocket on top of the right side of one outer cover piece (NOT the piece two which you attached the chalkboard label), matching the bottom edges and sides.  Baste pocket piece along sides and bottom using 1/4″ seam.

Teacher Appreciation Notebook Covers with Chalkboard Labels

Step 3:  Place outer cover pieces right sides together.  Stitch around the perimeter with 1/2″ seam allowance, leaving a wide opening on one of the sides.  Trim corners to reduce bulk.  Turn right side out and press well.  

Teacher Appreciation Notebook Covers with Chalkboard Labels

Step 4:  Insert one sheet of heavy stabilizer into the notebook cover, working it all the way into the corners and far edge.  Topstitch a vertical line down the center of the notebook cover, directly along the edge of the stabilizer.  Stitch another line 1/2″ away from the first edge – this will form a small portion for the fold of the notebook.

Teacher Appreciation Notebook Covers with Chalkboard Labels

Step 5:  Insert the other sheet of stabilizer and work it into the corners and side with the opening.  Fold in the raw edges at the opening and pin in place if needed. Topstitch close to the edge around the entire perimeter of the notebook, stitching the opening closed in the process.

Teacher Appreciation Notebook Covers with Chalkboard Labels

And now you have a darling little notebook cover.  I glued a strip of cute scrapbook paper onto the notepad itself before inserting it into the cover.

Teacher Appreciation Notebook Covers with Chalkboard Labels

Filed Under: Patterns and Tutorials, Sewing Tagged With: chalkboard, gift ideas, notebook cover, sewing tutorial, teacher appreciation

American Girl Horse Stable Knockoff (Tutorial)

January 21, 2013 by girlinspired 17 Comments

My girls Looooove their dolls and their Christmas lists this last year reflected that affection.  We have a combination of American Girl and Our Generation (Target) brand dolls and accessories.  Olivia and Grace, in particular, circled the entire American Girl catalog, with heavy pen marks around all the big ticket items: doll beds, doll cars, furniture, horse stable.  Olivia wanted the horse stable most of all and I wanted to give it to her, but not for the big brand price tag.  We decided to build one (and then we built another for Grace for her birthday.)  Big Hit!  I mean, BIG!
These horse stables feature a one-horse stall, a thin plywood base, wood slat siding, and swinging doors.  My favorite feature?  The chalkboard-front stall doors where the girls can doodle horse graffiti (my turn first, though!)  
 If you have a little doll and horse lover, you can build one of these stables, too!  You will need the supplies pictured below, as well as a miter saw, wood glue, and screwdriver.  
 I think you can figure out how to put the stall together and you can certainly change up the design/size/materials to suit your preference.  Our assembly approach was as follows:  Attach base siding to corner posts, all four corners should meet at mitered points.  Then, add two extra posts, midway between the corners on the long sides. 
We added an extra base piece on the inside of the front base piece for reinforcement and aesthetics.  Next, attach the top siding slats – we didn’t miter these corners, they square up to one another in the back and set flush with the front – no siding slats in the front; the doors will go there.  
Then the middle siding slats.  Cut a piece of thin plywood to size and glue it with wood glue to the base of the stable.  Finally, attach the hinges and doors and paint the front with chalkboard paint.  We used small clamps to hold the pieces in place while screwing them together.  Good luck!!  
So, can you think of a little cowgirl that would love one of theses?

Filed Under: Christmas, Crafting, Holiday Inspiration, Popular Posts Tagged With: American Girl knockoff, chalkboard, DIY horse stable, horse stable, kid toys, tutorial, woodworking

My To-Do List

April 26, 2010 by girlinspired 5 Comments

I like lists.  A lot.  I like making lists.  I like crossing things off my lists.  I really like to add things that I have already finished to my current lists, just so that I can cross them off.  I have all kinds of lists titled with all kinds of subjects.  Indoor Projects. Outdoor Projects.  Emails to send.  Work tasks to do.  Things to buy.  Things to buy when I win the lottery . . .

Over the weekend, we did a little reorganizing in the garage.  I came across this old mirror that we’ve had stored for quite a few years.  It just didn’t quite fit with this house and I hated to get rid of it since it was an antique.  But since I wasn’t using it in its current state, I took the plunge and gave it a makeover.  Removing the mirror from the frame, I hesitated at the 1943 stamped date before spraying it with a number of coats of chalkboard paint.  Then I painted the frame with some of our leftover trim paint.  Initially I was going for a nice smooth finish on the paint to coordinate with the door trim it would be hanging next to.  But, the first two coats were not as smooth as I wanted and I thought it might help to sand it down a little before adding another coat of paint.  When I sanded it, though, I loved the distressed look so much that I just sprayed the whole thing with a quick coat of clear paint.  Reassembled it with its new chalkboard and sent my man to Home Depot late Saturday night to get new hardware to hang it. 

I am really, really excited about how this turned out.  So glad that I painted that mirror I’ve been hanging on to.  And SO glad that I bothered to get out the sandpaper.  I found a few other “someday” projects out in the garage that I’d like to get to work on.  I’m adding them to my lists.

Isn’t it funny how the to-do lists grow exponentially with each thing that you cross off? 

update:  I’ve since cut “notes” out of white vinyl and it holds nicely at the top of the chalkboard. 


Filed Under: Crafting Tagged With: chalkboard, home decor, paint

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It is my hope that you will find inspiration on the Girl. Inspired. blog. All photos are copyright protected by Girl. Inspired. If you wish to share something that you have seen here, I am absolutely thrilled! Please use only one picture with a direct link back to the project you are referencing. Thank you so much for your understanding!

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