We built a cardboard kitchen
Since it was a recycling project, we headed down to the warehouse to gather some used and discarded cardboard boxes, searching high and low for the best quality cardboard we could find. We also armed ourselves with some milk bottle lids, scissors, stanley knives, bubble wrap and anything we could find that we thought would bring our little kitchen to life.
With Noel and Romy on team stove, Andrea and Marina on team vintage pantry and Stacey and Ali on team fridge, a quaint, little cardboard kitchen fit for three to six year olds was manufactured in under two hours.
Here are some tips and tricks we learnt:
1. Milk bottle lids make excellent knobs and dials for your stove.
2. Packing paper makes for neat fridge shelf lining.
3. Bubble wrap looks like ice in a freezer.
4. Box lids work well as fitted counter tops.
5. Foam lining from new computer boxes comes in handy for tactile appeal.
6. Any left over fabric can be used as little dish cloths or cupboard curtains.
7. Paper fasteners, people. See those little gold, push through, split pins? They will change your cardboard carpentry life.
This play play land of food and wonder will soon be living at a new container classroom at the Emmanuel Educare Centre down the road from us and will hopefully be the reason why some inspired kid turns into a famous chef 20 years down the line.
A word of caution. Once you delve into the world of cardboard craft upcycling, be prepared to get utterly sucked into the limitless possibilities.
Check out our recycling inspiration Pinterest board to get a load of the mind-blowing, upcycling potential of your average cardboard box.
Special thanks to Romy, Stacey, Ali, Marina, Noel and Andrea for their enthusiasm and creative vision.