Trine, the genius behind this project, has whipped up a fantastic way to keep your little ones entertained outdoors. It’s an IKEA hack that’ll have them stirring up mud pies and sizzling imaginary steaks in no time – an outdoor mud kitchen!
“I built an outdoor play kitchen for our little girls,” explains Trine. “It took me under an hour to build the kitchen itself so two happy girls could start playing. Meanwhile, I could decorate the kitchen with various accessories.”
The outdoor mud kitchen features a sink with a working faucet, using a repurposed water dispenser to add an extra element of realism. “It’s extra cool to have real water in an outdoor play kitchen, so I just had to figure out how to make a faucet,” Trine shares in her tutorial on Bageglad. She cleverly incorporated a shelf to hold the water dispenser, allowing little chefs to experience the joy of “running” water in their DIY mini kitchen.
Here’s what makes Trine’s hack so awesome:
- Super Speedy Build: The frame of the kitchen comes together in under an hour. That means less time building and more time watching your little ones cook up a storm.
- Unique Customization: This hack uses readily available IKEA crates, but Trine goes above and beyond with details like a water dispenser faucet and grill and oven decals. You can personalize it further with paint, utensils, or even a mini herb garden.
- Durable and Functional: She used IKEA solid wood boxes (no particleboard here) and outdoor-friendly materials to withstand moisture and, of course, the occasional mud explosion.
- Modular and Expandable: Need a larger kitchen for more kids? No problem. Just add another set of KNAGGLIG crates for an additional water table or sand box.
Materials:
- IKEA KNAGGLIG boxes (the larger size, 4x)
- IKEA TROFAST box (16 ½x11 ¾x4″ / 42x30x10 cm)
- IKEA TROFAST lid (15 ¾x11″ / 42×28 cm)
- SMYCKA garland (for decoration)
- Water dispenser with spigot (approx. 1 gallon / 3.75 L)
- Hardware (screws, brackets, etc.)
- Cutting machine like Cricut (optional, for grill/oven decals)
- Permanent vinyl and transfer sheet (optional, for grill/oven decals)
DIY Mud Kitchen With IKEA Crates
Trine created the mud kitchen using four KNAGGLIG boxes with some nifty tweaks. You can follow Trine’s design, using one box with a flat top as a countertop and the other for the sink and grill. Or, get creative and put a TROFAST box in each KNAGGLIG—perfect for avoiding sibling squabbles over who gets to do the dishes. If you like, you can paint or stain the crates to further create your own custom play kitchen hack.
The back panel requires a bit more tinkering, but it’s no sweat when you follow the tutorial on her blog. For finishing touches, add hooks and shelves to store playfood and kitchen toys.
While the basic frame is a breeze to put together, those creative extras like the water dispenser and decals might take a bit longer.
So, while the sun is out, grab your tools and whip up this awesome kids’ kitchen for hours of pretend play. A big thanks to Trine for sharing this adorable DIY project. Be sure to share your own creations – we’d love to see them.
Head over to Trine’s website, Bageglad, for step-by-step instructions on the mud kitchen.
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