How to Make a DIY Mud Kitchen With Thrifted Finds

Turn Everyday Secondhand Finds Into a Summer Boredom Buster

Looking for a fun way to keep little ones entertained outside this summer? Your next backyard play space might be hiding in the housewares aisle.

For this Second Chance Studio project, Morgan of Shalom Goods shows how everyday thrifted finds and reclaimed materials can become a one-of-a-kind DIY mud kitchen.

A vintage food storage container becomes a sink. A water dispenser adds even more hands-on fun. A muffin tin? Perfect for mud muffins, obviously. 👩‍🍳

The secret is to shop beyond an item’s original purpose. With a little creativity, you can create an outdoor play space designed for getting messy, making memories and giving kids’ imaginations plenty of room to run wild.

Watch the Video

Want to see how it all comes together? Watch Morgan turn thrifted kitchen finds and reclaimed materials into a DIY mud kitchen built for hours of open-ended outdoor play. Then, keep reading to create your own.

Shop With a New Purpose in Mind

Before you start building, head to Goodwill with a different kind of shopping list.

Instead of searching for specific brands or products, look at everyday items and ask:

“What else could this become?”

For a mud kitchen, look for durable, kid-friendly finds that can stand up to outdoor play, such as:

• A large container or bowl to use as a sink
• A water dispenser for pouring and filling
• Muffin tins
• Colanders
• Mixing bowls
• Whisks
• Spoons
• Spatulas
• Colorful cups

Nothing needs to match, and your mud kitchen doesn’t need to include every item on the list. Start with the pieces that spark an idea.

For Morgan’s version, a large vintage food storage container became the sink, while an extra-large muffin tin was ready for its very important new job: mud muffins.

Thrifting Tip: Bring the kids along and let them help choose a few supplies. The pieces they’re most excited to find may be the ones that inspire their favorite ways to play later.

Build the Mud Kitchen Frame

Next, create a sturdy base for your thrifted finds.

Morgan’s version was built using two reclaimed wooden pallets. One sturdy pallet was cut in half, with one piece used for the counter and the other for the base. Old table legs connected the two sections.

But you don’t need to recreate that exact design.

Depending on the materials you have available, you could also use:

• Scrap wood
• 2x4s
• Reclaimed pallets
• Repurposed table legs

Using reclaimed materials can help keep costs down, reduce waste and give the finished kitchen plenty of character.

DIY Tip: Before using reclaimed wood for a children’s project, check carefully for exposed nails, screws, splinters or other sharp edges.

Give the Wood a Fresh Finish

Once the frame is assembled, you can leave the wood as-is or give it a fresh finish.

For this project, leftover deck stain added warmth to the weathered boards while helping the surface stand up to water during play.

Already have leftover outdoor paint or stain at home? This can be another opportunity to use what you have before buying something new.

Before applying any finish to an outdoor children’s project, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application, drying and curing.

Add Your Thrifted Finds

Now it’s time to turn the frame into a kitchen.

Arrange your thrifted bowls, containers, cups and utensils wherever they make the most sense for play. A large container can become the sink. A water dispenser can create a pouring station. Muffin tins, mixing bowls and colanders can become whatever the day’s recipe requires.

Better yet, let the kids help decide where everything belongs.

There’s no single “right” way to style a mud kitchen, and involving kids in the setup gives them a chance to make the space their own before the first mud pie is even served.

Let the Kids Take Over

Once the kitchen is ready, add water and imagination.

That’s the beauty of a DIY mud kitchen: there’s no single way to play.

Kids can:

• Mix mud recipes
• Scoop and pour water
• Make pretend meals
• Sort natural materials
• Experiment with textures
• Create whatever their imaginations dream up

The thrifted items may have started in the housewares aisle, but with a little creativity, they can find a completely new purpose outside.

Create Your Own DIY Mud Kitchen

Your mud kitchen doesn’t have to look exactly like this one.

Start with what you already have. Search Goodwill for durable secondhand supplies. Look beyond an item’s original purpose and imagine what it could become in the hands of a creative kid.

That colander? Maybe it’s a mud-kitchen strainer.

That muffin tin? Tomorrow’s batch of mud cupcakes.

That colorful cup? The most important ingredient in a recipe only your child understands. 😂

If you create your own DIY mud kitchen, tag Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee & Chicago so we can celebrate your creativity.

Every item deserves a second chance.