Old Entertainment Center Turned Costume Closet and Dress-Up Vanity

Dress up is such a fun thing for little kids and who am I kidding, it's fun for big kids too... I still like to play dress up!!! So for my little diva's 2nd birthday I wanted to make some kind of "dress-up" area.  I originally set out to use an old dresser and take out the drawers like I had seen on Pinterest, but I just couldn't seem to find the perfect one that was in my "project price range" (which is usually pretty small), then I stumbled across an entertainment center and totally changed my game plan.

This gem was $10 dollars at a new thrist store that just opened in my area and it must have been my lucky day because the entire store was 50 percent off, so it was a whopping $5!!!

It was dated, covered in dust, dirt and water stains plus the sliding doors in front were broken on one side, but for $5 bucks it seemed worth the challenge.

First, I took off the broken sliding doors and glass doors completely, I could just seem my kids slamming them and shattering the glass in about 5 minutes if not less!  Then after cleaning off all the gunk, I painted the entire piece with bright red spray paint.  Now for the add ons, I painted a wooden dowel with silver paint and then with screw in cups added it to the large "tv" area of the entertainment center.  For the "vanity" side I covered the back panel in red and white fabric just tacking down the edges with thumb tacks and then hung a cheap mirror to the back.

In case this ever isn't backed up against a wall I used a tension rod and some extra fabric to make a curtain to cover the opening in the back, you could also just staple or tack it up.. whatever you want.

For the "vanity" I used the same silver spray paint from the clothes rod to cover a lazy susan I picked up at a thrift store for 50 cents, the baskets are from the dollar store and are filled with cheap necklaces, bracelets and sunglasses.  Some of the accessories I had laying around, others I picked up at the dollar store, like the glasses they are just $1 reading glasses with the lenses popped out and the kids think they are so fun! And my favorite, the little crystal chandelier I got at a vintage fair last year for a few bucks with no idea what to do with it and now it has a perfect glamorous home!

For the front of the "dress-up" side I used another tension rod and some red and turquoise coordinating fabrics to make some quick ruffled curtains.  I plan to use the extra fabric to make my little one a rag quilt to help tie the whole room together, but that part of her red/turquoise room remodel with have to wait until after Christmas because this Mama is spent! 

But enough whining, the letters and stars are just thin wood pieces from Joann's that I painted silver and turquoise and glued on.  The theory behind the curtain is so that I could let them down and cover the chaos that is bound to happen about 46 seconds after she and her brother see this!

Same idea with the cupboard underneath, again just some plastic tub from the Dollar Store and some hats, purses and scarves that I already had along with any other small pieces from the costumes most of which I picked up the day after Halloween at Walmart for pennies.  Everything is 50-75 percent off so I bought wigs, capes, gloves, fairy wings, tutus, swords, pirate hats, army, witch, police and doctors costumes all for less than 40 bucks.

Here it is in her room!!!

And one more serene look before the kids are let in.....ahhh it's so cute and clean!

Uh oh they found it... that's the last time it will EVER look this organized!  But the goal was achieved, a dress up and vanity area that both a girly girl and brute boy would love!!!  They have not stopped playing with it!  

And little miss birthday girl LOVES her "vanity" the play make up and play lipstick were huge hits.  She sits in "her" chair and demands that anyone who enters sits down so she can "do" your make up :)

The chair and large mirror by the way were yard sale scores from this summer that I had tucked away.  The mirror got several coats of the same red spray paint as the entertainment center and the chair the hammered silver.  See my "hoarding" does come in handy, now if only I could convince my husband!

We really love how it turned out, it's crazy how the frustration of not finding a dresser actually turned into me creating something really unique that I like even more!

Enjoy,