DIY Children’s Market

Hi friends!  I’m sharing our DIY children’s market that we made for Riley a few months ago.  Every time I share a picture of it I get a ton of questions.  I want to put it all in a permanent spot here so the steps are laid out and you can see how much Riley loves it!  It’s been a bit since we tackled a good DIY project in our house, but this one is super easy!

Several versions of children’s markets kept popping up on my Pinterest feed during quarantine.  I realized that we had everything on hand to make our own, so I wrangled Josh into helping me.  And within a few minutes we had out own little market!  When I say this was simple, I mean it was so simple.  As in I could do it all myself, and I am not handy with a tool, trust me.

Ok, let’s break it down (this will be short, I promise!)

Here is what you will need:

• 4 wooden crates
• Nail gun or short nails and hammer
• Wood glue
• Three pieces of flat wood for sign
• Chalk paint

You can choose to paint different parts of your stand or not.  Our crates were previously painted with chalk paint, so we left them that way.  I spray painted the top part, which would become the sign, with three coats of chalk paint.

How to put it together:

1. There are three ways to attach the crates: nail gun, nail and hammer or wood glue.  We did a combo of nail and hammer and glue based on how much movement ours would get.  The combo of the two makes it more sturdy while our kids move it all around the house, shake it, etc.  The crates aren’t very thick so make sure to use a nail that is shorter in length.
2. When attaching the crates, make sure to alternate the side they are facing.
3. Attach a piece of thin, flat wood vertically to either side using the same methods in the first step.
4. Attach your sign piece horizontally across the front of the using nails.
5. Cover the sign in chalk and let it cure for a bit, before dry wiping.  You do not want to fully wipe the chalk off as chalk paint needs to be cured with chalk so that any writing on it will not leave a permanent mark.
6. Now, use your imagination and play!

Some notes:

• As per my husband, use wood glue even if you nail.  This makes it extra sturdy, especially as most crates are a bit on the flimsy side.
• Make sure to cure your sign before using it!  See step four, above.
• Before you spray paint your crates, give them a quick sanding to avoid splinters in little fingers during play.
• You can use the crate openings for storage.  The two hidden the back are a great for messier toys, and we like cute bins in the front.
• We are going to put casters on ours because it gets dragged around the house.  A quick wheel addition will help protect our floors and make things easier for everyone!
• We have since added a strand of twinkle lights around the top.  It’s just the right amount of sparkly goodness and I highly recommend adding them!

Thank you so much for reading and please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.  If you try making this, let me know!

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