Last week I posted five IKEA hacks for the adult set. Now it's the kids turn, with equally impressive projects based on furniture from our favorite Swedish furniture giant. Some are just a coat of paint and others require a little more commitment. All are worthy.   

SKYLTA Market Stand

• $14.99
• IKEA

Play stores are the new play kitchen. This cardboard version is cheap enough to create a whole farmers market at home. Or use outdoors this summer as a lemonade stand.

When this mom decided she wanted a play kitchen for her girls, she shopped around and discovered that retail play kitchens were (a) expensive and (b) limited. So, what's a mom to do? Build her own, of course. Without using wood or power tools, this mom managed to build the most elaborate cardboard kitchen I've ever seen. But that's only version 1.0! Wait til you see how she upgraded for version 2.0. More

If you had asked Alicia Peyrano, owner of Little Citizens Boutique, a few years whether she would ever own a kid's store, she probably would have thought you were crazy. Then, after Alicia became pregnant herself and started searching around for the gear for her new family member, she started falling in love with uniquely designed wares from around the world. Late one night her husband suggest she open her own baby boutique and Little Citizens was born. 

How many times have you seen an unremarkable entertainment center like this at a thrift store, in a basement, or even an alley? Sara Batman and her husband turned this lucky $5 find into a remarkable Christmas gift for their daughter Berkley. See the project after the jump… More

When I saw this play kitchen in Sue & Graeme's Eclectic Victorian Townhouse it reminded me the one I had as a kid — a simple, classically styled set where I could get lost in a world of pretend cooking. I think I owe much of my love of all things nesting to that first pretend kitchen. Inspired by nostalgia, I found the source for this little kitchen and also rounded up a few others. More

Homegrown or store bought, play kitchens are a perennial favorite for the preschool set and beyond. They are big winners in the "big present" category, but what's the best way to stock one for your child to enjoy? Here are a few things to consider. More

Play kitchens are one of the most popular big holiday gifts for toddlers and preschoolers, but if you think your kids might have more of an entrepreneurial bent than a domestic one, a play store may be in order. They're a great source of open-ended, imaginative play and will be the focus of any play dates you host. Although they can be quite simple to make, I'd suggest you get started planning now. I've amassed plenty of handmade play stores for you to peruse as well as tutorials to make some of the components.

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Back in August I wrote about our play time dilemma and shared ten creative solutions that I had found for small space play. You responded with some great suggestions and ideas. Since then I've come across a few more fun ideas for those of you without a dedicated room for toys. Here are ten of my favorites.
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Maxi Cooker Play Kitchen
• $100
• Oompa

We've admired this chic little kitchen for years and now it's available in the U.S. It rather tiny so great for small apartments and best suited to toddlers.