Mum creates amazing toy kitchen for her daughter and it cost just £30
- Loren Armstrong, 27, made a toy kitchen for her daughter Olivia
- She built it from an old unit
- The whole project cost Loren just £30
If you’ve got little kids at home who are already bored of all their toys, take a leaf out of this creative mum’s book.
Loren Armstrong, 27, from Kent, wanted to make a toy kitchen for her daughter Olivia, two, and decided to create her own after seeing how expensive a shop-bought one would be.
Loren, who works in retail, told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: "I wanted to get my daughter a kitchen for her birthday but the plastic ones looked flimsy and the wooden ones were expensive.
"I went to throw out an old unit but then decided it would be a waste as there wasn't much wrong with it.
"I then looked on Pinterest to see what I could do with it, when I came across the kitchen idea.
"I made a list of what I needed and went to my local DIY shop.”
Loren sought out everything from tester pots of paint to DC-Fix, spending just £30 to create her daughter’s dream kitchen.
"I already had the white paint, tools, glue and sandpaper,” she adds. "I bought tester pots of pink paint from B&Q.
"I took sample wallpaper for free for the tiles.
"The sink bowl and accessories were from IKEA and the tap was made from a p-trap from the plumbing department which I sprayed with silver paint.
"The oven door I sprayed with paint and used black gloss DC-fix to make the hob and glass effect on the door.
"I sanded the unit, and then painted and attached all the wallpaper and accessories.
"I spent £30 in total!”
Loren is delighted with how the toy kitchen turned out and says you can save money by using materials you already have.
"I'm really pleased with how it turned out and my daughter loves it!" she adds.
“My main tips would be to use Pinterest, look round for things you have already in the house and check for sales or free samples in the DIY shops.
"Not only is it better recycling rather than buying new, but the fact that this was made instead of just taken from a shop is more thoughtful.
"I want to teach my daughter that the small things people do are much more valuable than a big expensive gift."
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “Anyone with kids will be only too aware of the difficulties of keeping them entertained as we approach a full lockdown across the UK.
“Loren’s project ticks so many boxes: it gives her daughter a cheaper toy kitchen that’s totally unique and thoughtful, it’s an eco-friendly alternative to buying something from a shop - and craft projects are a great way to keep busy and creative!
“If your kids are old enough, recruit them to take part in the project as something the whole family can do together."
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