Walking to the coffee shop is an easy way for us to slip out for a quick break.
We wanted to imitate an old-style terrace coffee shop, and name it after our daughter Fred’s favourite meal: egg soldiers and baby chinos.
We also needed somewhere for Fred to play that wouldn’t take up too much room. A little 1200 x 900 cafe was the perfect fit for Fred to have some imaginative play.
It’s small, interactive and a place to serve breakfast to all those dolls!
Materials
- 3 sheets of marine ply
- 7 small hinges for windows and doors
- 40mm long screws
- 6mm drillbit
- 2-3m lengths 75 x 35 pine
- Colourful paint – try using Porters Paints
- sample pots
- Clear wood sealer (if shop is always outdoors)
- Glue for glue gun
- Timber dowel for small details
Tools
- Circular saw
- Jigsaw
- Level
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- Cordless drill
- Glue gun
- Paint brushes
All products and tools available in store and online at Bunnings.
Method
1. Start by marking out the floor plan of the shop on your sheet of plywood. This will be your base. Make sure the base is at least 25mm thick. Now that you know the floor plan, cut the base to size using a jigsaw or circular saw. Our base was 1200mm wide x 900mm deep.
2. Measure and cut all four sides, remembering to cut the top of each side on a slight angle so the roof has fall.
3. Mark and cut the details like windows, doorways etc. Screw all the sides to the base and each corner, using a hot glue gun along the joins for extra strength. Make sure to pre-drill each screw to avoid splitting the ply.
4. Measure and cut a piece of 75mm x 35mm pine for across the top to support the roof. Screw to either side to cross brace the shop.
5. Measure and cut the roof, allowing an overlap of 100mm around each side. We cut a cute little scalloped edge along the front.
6. Use off-cuts of timber to add small details like signs, doors, sills, planter boxes, plates, fake food, etc.
Sand all corners and edges to remove any splinters. Paint the signage and trims using leftover paint – we used Porters Paints. Cover with wood sealer if the shop is outdoors!
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