Young House Love

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Adding A Timer To Our Kids Play Kitchen

Here’s a little recap of a few small projects and updates that we tackled – all in less than ten minutes a pop. Let’s call it a “tapas” post since they’re all bite sized morsels. And happily, they all actually worked, which isn’t always how it goes (sometimes the occasional this-should-be-quick project morphs into how-on-earth-is-this-taking-so-long?!).

First we have some wooden tattoos I made. Yup, I bought these two little temporary tattoos (they say “breathe” and “delight”) at the same holiday craft fair that we mentioned here (they’re from a local artist named Suzanne, who actually chatted with me about how you can put them on various things beyond skin). They had just been sitting on my desk waiting to be used when I was cleaning out our closet and found two old cedar blocks stuck in the back. So I decided they were the right size for my tattoos and I wanted to see if they’d stick.

Tatoos1

So I peeled off the clear plastic on the front, placed them face down on each block, and wet them down per the application instructions.

Tattoos2

Well lookie there, it actually worked.

Tattoos3

Here they both are right after I applied them (you can see that the “breathe” block is still wet). Can you tell I did this project back before we painted the kitchen walls? Haha!

Tattoos4

Here’s that breathe block now that it’s dry along with two other “wisdom cards” that I keep on my desk (also bought from Suzanne’s shop at the holiday craft fair). They’re a nice reminder not to sit on my butt at the computer all day – sometimes I just look over at them and hop up to go play with Clara for a while (you know, so John can take his turn sitting on his butt at his computer, haha).

Tattoos5

The moral of the story? Try temporary tattoos on wood. Or an old travertine tile? Or a ceramic planter? Who knows where they’ll work – and I bet you could even seal them with spray sealer or Mod Podge or something. Look here are some tattoos on Easter eggs (and some more over here)!

Project number two was adding a timer to Clara’s play kitchen! This was actually a gift from our sweet friends Lauren & Steve (they mentioned that their son Dylan loves the timer that they added to his play kitchen when they passed one along to us, so we couldn’t wait to try it). Isn’t it cute? I think it’s from Anthropologie.

Timer1

The first step was to remove the back where there was a small screw and a magnetic plate that could be screwed into the backsplash on Clara’s play kitchen.

Timer2

Then the timer just snaps back onto then magnetic plate, like so:

Timer3

Clara loves setting the timer and cooking up some potatoes and eggs, as demonstrated above. Seriously though, it’s a really fun interactive element, and we’re so happy that Lauren and Steve passed along such a fun little addition.

Project number three: framing a metal newspaper plate in our hallway frame wall. See how this looks like a sheet of tin?

Metal Plate1

Well it is. In fact it’s a metal newspaper printing plate that the Tacoma News Tribune gave to us when we were in Tacoma for our signing. They did a little write up about us, and even had an illustrator render our likenesses (complete with a pocket sized Burger) so we knew we wanted to frame it. So out came my metal snips…

Metal Plate2

I trimmed that baby down to the size of a frame that already hung in our frame hallway. About a minute later, I had this:

Metal Plate3

Then I just slid it into the frame (with a slightly larger piece of white mat-board behind it) and called it good.

Metal Plate Framed Art6

I think it’s a fun little pop of blue on the wall, and everyone who comes over seems to gravitate towards it and asks what the story is. It’s fun to explain that there are metal printing plates for newspapers since we didn’t even know that was the process before receiving this.

Metal Plate Framed Art4

And the fourth update is actually just bringing a book project into the dining room (this old $10 bar cart that we made over with a fresh coat of deep teal color, and chalkboard paint on the top for labeling bowls of candy and nuts or writing a message to guests at a party). A few people saw the legs of it in this picture from this post about crown molding, and asked for a shot of the full monty, so here she blows. Like how I randomly have a pillow on that tray since we’re fresh outta beverages? Haha! We’ll have to stock up for our next party…

Bar Cart After

So those are four little “tapas” updates that we’ve snacked on lately. What little tweaks are going on at your casa?

Comments

  1. Debbie says

    Everything you guys do is awesome! Speaking of awesome…any plans for that fun things that are awesome print you got a while back?

    Reply

  2. Kate says

    You are running out of room on your frame wall- so many fun memories! Love the tattoo on wood idea… there are definitely some cute ones out there.

    Reply

  4. Rosemary says

    Awesome little upgrades!

    I was wondering… and i’m sorry to bring it up but have the “womb occupancy” questions simmered down or are you still getting some here and there after that amazing post? I really hope it worked.. I cringed everytime I saw someone ask or say you must b “P****”. Needless to say I was happy to see that post!

    Reply

  5. julia says

    I have that timer too, though mine is used less creatively! I’ve seen them TONS of places — the brand, Kikkerland (visible on the face of it) is pretty widely available, but I find most of their stuff gimmicky. Usually runs $10-12 unless it’s on sale.

    Reply

  6. K says

    My husband used to work at TNT! I loved it when you instagrammed that pic. Funny to see a piece of art in your house done by someone I know from a place my husband spent so many years!

    Reply

  7. Shannon says

    I know this is not the point of the post, but I NEED that pencil holder. Can you pretty please tell me where you got it? Thanks!

    Reply

  8. Molly Marigold says

    Reading the part about finding the cedar blocks when “cleaning out our closet” had me expecting an Eminem reference, $herdog! :)

    As per usual, love these little mini projects of yours. Creative juices are flowing for some I’d like to tackle this weekend!

    Reply

  9. Rachel says

    I love that little timer! Sometimes those little “tapas” are the projects that get me through the never ending reno projects! :) (Like our kitchen!) We are getting ready to sell our first home and it seems like the list of projects never ends!! Thanks for all you share here! Your blog encourages me to keep at it!

    Reply

  10. Melissa @ Loving Here says

    I love all of these! It seems that this winter, since we’ve had so much snow and cold (which means no painting or building projects outside or in the garage), all we’ve done are little projects! I was feeling discouraged, but now that I see how awesome these little updates can be, I’m feeling a little better! I say rock those tapas!

    Reply

  11. Tracy says

    I remember my parents having a TV stand just like your bar cart. It was wood, and yeah, I’m talking about the ’70s here. It seems too short to be a bar cart, though I have no issue with you using it as such! Just wondering if it was sold/labeled as “bar cart” though. I definitely see “TV stand” ;-)

    Reply

  13. Colleen says

    My sister and I both bought that timer last year at Anthropologie, and both of ours stopped working within a few months. Such a bummer since it was so pricey!

    Reply

  14. Megan says

    Would you guys mind ever giving us a detailed run-through of your frame wall or is it too personal? It looks like you have some interesting things up there that aren’t just pictures! I’m always looking for more ideas of neat things to frame.

    Reply

  15. Catherine says

    Oooh, I like that bar cart. I picked one up on the side of the road in my street and am going to paint it yellow. As an aside, and to thank you for the idea, I wasn’t able to join in on the Macklemore challenge when you did it but am doing it with my kids next week when they are on Spring break. We are hitting up 3 thrift stores in our area and I am giving us each a limited sum of money to spend ($20 for me, $10 ea for them). Can’t wait, should be fun!

    Reply

  19. Kathy says

    As a former Tacoma resident (now in Seattle), I saw that Tacoma News Tribune article with your caricatures. Love it!

    I also love that my favorite local gardener, Marianne Binetti, has her column and pic right next to yours in the framed news article! Like you two, she is an entertaining writer. If you haven’t yet, check out her gardening books, which are not only full of great DIY gardening ideas but also very witty. :)

    Reply

  20. Trina says

    My husband was a newspaper printer, and would bring plates home for friends when something significant in their life appeared in the paper. Everyone loved them. One thing he always told recipients was that they should cover the plate with a coat of clear laquer because over time, exposure to light will cause the image to fade.

    Reply

  21. Erin says

    I love posts like this! I am always amazed by your big projects, but sometimes I get a little overwhelmed and feel SO “behind” (which is ridiculous since we aren’t in a competition and, if we were, you would’ve won years ago). Posts like this are a good reminder that the little tweaks can be really fun and creative also. Plus, I really enjoy details and it’s fun to see the little details in your home in addition to the big stuff. It helps to visualize how you actually live in your house. Thank you for having us in your home day after day!

    Reply

  22. tallin says

    I’m confused (and possibly know nothing about printing plates), but shouldn’t the image and text be reversed? Like a rubber stamp?

    Reply

    • tallin says

      Aha!
      http://www.howstuffworks.com/newspaper4.htm
      “Most daily newspapers have moved to some form of offset printing. This process etches the image of a newspaper page onto thin aluminum plates. (Pages with color photos or type require extra plates.) These plates, now bearing a positive image developed from a full-page photographic negative, then go to other specialists for mounting on the press. The process is called offset because the metal plates do not touch the paper going through the press. Instead, the plates transfer their inked image to a rubber roller, which in turn prints the page.”

  23. Julie says

    Awesome! It’s all the little touches that make a place really special. :) Do you mind sharing what color paint you used for the deep teal bar cart? I have a side table I’d love to paint in the same color!

    Reply

  25. Ashley says

    Hi,
    Forgive me if you have answered this in a previous post or blog, but where did you get the oversized faux clamshell? I have been looking for one myself,. but all the ones I find are too small or too sharp edged. Yours seemed to be what I was looking for. Thanks for sharing all your wonderful ideas!!!
    Ashley

    Reply

  26. Katherine says

    Fun post! One thing to keep in mind- we have a tin newspaper page from the first Obama election results. It’s not in direct light at all, but it has faded to be about 98% unreadable. You can barely make out the headline. So it might be worth looking into preservation methods if you want to keep yours around for the long term. Maybe the glass will do it- I don’t know.

    Reply

  28. Amanda says

    You can buy the exact same timer at Meijer for $5. Do you have Meijer there? I am from a bit farther north… Anyway, I am a teacher and I bought one for each of my teacher friends to use in their classrooms – the best $5 teacher gift ever!!!!

    Reply

  30. Ashley A. says

    I don’t know if anyone has ever pointed this out or not – but the red squiggly pattern in the upper right hand frame looks like the cover of Jay-Z’s book!

    Reply

  32. AmyRose says

    How fun that TNT sent you such a unique momento! Nice job, Tacoma! :)

    Reaaly cool to see a collection of little things… the bar cart is superb!

    Reply

  33. river1 says

    As a newspaper printer myself I love the plate art.i have a piece hanging on my wall with no protection since 2005 and it hasn’t faded at all, maybe the other posters plates used a different platemakeing process.

    On how it works I always use this over simplified explanation

    The plate itself attracts water and the plate image attracts ink. Water and ink are applied by various rubber rollers with water “washing”excess ink from the plate leaving ink on the image. The plate then applies the ink to a rubber coated blanketed cylinder. The cylinder then applies the ink to the newsprint.

    later jim

    Reply

  34. Carina says

    That printing plate made me laugh so much! I’m in design school and we just finished a group project where we constructed a full size changing rooms almost entirely out of industrial offset printing plates (which is what you were given). I’d never seen them before that project and now i see them on your blog!

    Reply

  37. Laci says

    Random question (only answer if you have time, and it’s not a bother, please): Do ya’ll know of any resources off-the-top-of-your-head (blog or otherwise) that talk about DIYing faux stone veneer panels on the outside of a house. I have google searched like crazy and come up with a few, but I thought maybe ya’ll have come across some through your blog, book, and/or travels. ?? My husband and I just bought a new house (1970’s Ranch), and the front is brick and wood paneling. We are wanting to replace the panelling with faux stone veneer (http://www.anticoelements.com/) on one front wall, around the front door, and around the chimney box (on the roof).

    Reply

  41. Cookie F says

    I love the colors on your wall, can you tell me what they are? (Wall/trim) Thank you. First time on your site, love it!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hi Cookie – so glad you found us! You can find a link to all of our paint colors under the “Shortcuts” section on our sidebar. Just click the link that says “Paint Colors We Use.” :)

      -John

  43. Brandi says

    I love the idea of using temp tattoos on hard surfaces. I played around with some rub on transfers and found that they work well on ceramics and wood too. Suzanne does lovely work. Thanks for introducing us to her shop.

    PS. I love your pillow! Wink!

    Reply

  49. Mary says

    Love it all! What was the prep process involved in the bar art? I assume its metal? I recently picked up an old metal table from the university, like an old typewriter table I think. Wanted to paint it, but wondered about the metal surface and how to best paint it. What were the prep steps involved for metal? Also, did you spray the chalkboard paint? I have the kind in a can. Thank you!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      There’s a full rundown in our book but it’s wood and we primed it and painted the base and then used chalkboard paint on the top (it comes in a spray and in a paintable version too). Hope it helps!

      xo
      s

  50. Megan @ Rappsody in Rooms says

    OMG! I am so in love with these little touches. The tattoos are amazing. I want to do that so badly now! The newspaper tin is an incredible thing too. How nice of them to pass it along to you! Sometimes it is these little updates that I love the most!

    Reply

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