Upcycled Blackboard Shop

 

This is my proudest upcycling project to date!

 

 

Butterfly recieved this lovely blackboard/whiteboard from her Grandma for Christmas (Funky Creations deluxe wooden blackboard/whiteboard from Target).  It is such a lovely and thoughtful present!  Butterfly especially loved the paper roll on the top, and spent a lot of time drawing us "maps" :D Eventually, she started to use it as a "shop".  She would "sell" us things from the boxes.  In passing I said to hubby "I wonder if the blackboard part comes out? It would make a pretty cool shop". Well, Butterfly immediately got excited!  She insisted it happen right away!  So Daddy got the drill out and removed the top of the unit so the blackboard slid out (we will be mounting this on the wall so as not to waste!)

 

 

 

This is what it looked like!  Butterfly immediately ran to get some things to sell in her new "shop", mostly play food) and I fetched her cash register and basket (we had all these things on hand so it didn't cost us anything!)

 

 

I mentioned curtains to Butterfly... of course we were looking through our fabric stash within a minute!  She chose this lace material.  She made the little cardboard open/closed sign all by herself :)

 

 

 "Roll up, roll up!  The shop is open!"

Butterfly had a BALL playing shop, Mummy and Daddy took turns being the customer.  Everything was $1!

 

 

The next day, I went to Mitre 10 to buy some spraypaint in pink to paint the new shop.  Butterfly doesn't have much pink stuff, I've kept most things gender neutral in case we ever have a boy!  But that may never happen!  Usually Butterfly would choose yellow, her favourite colour ;)

This was the only part that cost us money, $15 for two cans of spraypaint.

 

We replaced the very bright yellow and red buckets at the bottom with white Trofast buckets (from Ikea).  They fit perfectly!

 

Butterfly decided it would be a cupcake shop, like Katty Cakes (her favourite coffee shop in town)

 

 

This is the final product!  I made a sign for her new cupcake shop, and sewed this doily bunting from things we had lying around the house.

 

This has been a real family project, with each of us doing our part!  Butterfly had ultimate creative control :) I actually wanted to take her to the fabric shop so I could sew her proper curtains, but she likes these ones.  Bless her money saving socks!

 

I am so happy with the result!  Sometimes we make things at home, and then I see a professional one for sale and think "I REALLY want THAT one!".  I can't see this happening with this shop, I adore it!  And the one's I've liked in the shops have been $300!

 

This one cost us $15 because we improvised with things we had lying around the house.  I think, from googling old target catalogues, that this blackboard was $50.  It was bought a few months ago so they may still be around!  Or you might have something similar that could be upcycled.

 

Best of all, Butterfly had NOT stopped playing with it!  She has asked if we can bake real cupcakes one day to sell in her shop.  Of course baby, of course!

 

By the way, Butterfly's awesome rainbow shirt was tie dyed by my good friend at the fabulous 'The Sunny Daisy Tie Dyed Creations' (I don't get paid to advertise on my blog, I do it when I want to!)

 

PEACE