How to build a toy chest

photo by person

Building a toy chest can be a fun project for both kids and adults. A toy chest serves a useful purpose in the home. It not only keeps the clutter from covering your homes floors but it teaches your young children that all things in a home have their place. Building a toy box is a good way of spending time and teaching your child the art of creation. How you see the toy box will be seen differently than how the child sees it. This is what makes the project so fun for both parent and child. In the end both parent and child will have ideas that have been incorporated into the project. To the perfectionist builders out there that don't prefer the help of your child. I will say you are missing out on a treat be excluding them. It is only a toy box in the first place and this is a good way to build character in both you and your child. Wood working on small projects with kids are what the how to articles are all about in the first place. To teach you how to incorporate your creative values together.

Instructions

Step 1

Getting started from scratch on the toy box

One sheet of 3/4 inch thick 4 foot by eight foot piece of plyboard can build a daurable long lasting toy box. Take a tape measure and measure off two 24 inch squares on the plyboard and mark with a chalk line for cutting.

Measure four pieces at 48 inches in length by 24 inches in width. This will give you the top, bottom and front & back pieces to the toy box.

Lay the pieces out in comparrison to one another. Give your child a piece of light sand paper and let them sand the wood while you prepare to put the pieces together. Be sure to have an L-square on hand to keep the corners of the box square. You can use a quick square for the inside corners too. You can let your preschooler hold the square in place as you check for squareness to how the pieces will fit together.

Step 2

Putting the toy box together

Start with the bottom first. Take the 24x36 inch piece and lay it on a flat even surface. Install the side pieces next. The 24x24 inch pieces. Fasten down with wood screws into your pre- drilled guide holes you made earlier into the pieces. This will keep the wood from splitting. You may want to add glue to the joints of the wood before you put the pieces together. You can let your little helper add the glue with supervision.

The next part will be the front and back pieces. The two 24 x36 pieces. Glue and fasten with wood screws. You should have a open box in front of you but you are not done yet. You will have to decide whether you want a lid that will open and close. That is where the last piece of 24x36 inch piece comes into play. Lay it on the top and place your hinges in place. Mark through the screw holes with a pencil or permanent marker. Drill the holes for the hinge screws. Fasten them down and check the lid to see that it doesn't bind when you open it.

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Step 3

Chosing the pattern and material

Choosing the pattern of the toy box will depend greatly on how creative you wish to be. The materials can very greatly from a simple plastic 30 gallon tub from Wal-Mart of a toy box kit from Toy's R us or you can simply buy wood and build it your self. I prefer the build it yourself types of project the most because they will last for years and can be handed down as your kids become parents. This makes the toy box an heirloom because it was a project you and your child built together.

Though toy box kits are simple to put together. rarely do they last for long periods of time. Plastic tubs are useful and once the child grows out of that stage of keeping his toys. You can always keep the lid on it and store it easily. It is a cost effective way to keep your child's toys gathered in one spot of the home.

Now a hand built toy box made of wood is a conceptual idea if you wish to include your child's help. Projects are no fun unless you include your child's services. They will be excited just to hand you the tools you need to do the project. it teaches them which tools are needed for the job at hand. Holding the wood while you attach the pieces is good for them to do as well. They will learn about how to use the tools safely as they watch you hit your finger with a hammer. They will laugh I am sure but they will remember the pain it inflicted on you.

Toy box materials and tools

One sheet of 4x8 foot 3/4 inch plyboard

Wood screws

Wood glue

Cordless drill

Skill saw

Large L- square

Quick square

Paint

Clear sealer

Lettered blocks

Things Needed

Tips and warnings

Always express safety to your child and make sure you are a good example of that fact.

Unplug power tools after use of cut.

Warnings: Never leave your child alone with power tools in the room. Put them in a high place out of reach. Kids are naturually curious and could get hurt.

Step 4

Adding detail to the toy box

Now that the toy box is built. The fun begins! get a plastic plate and put hand paint in it for your child. Spread out a 4x8 foot piece of plastic sheeting on the floor and place the toy box on top. Put the plastic plate on the plastic and let your little one put the hand prints all over the tops and sides of the toy box. Let the child be creative with it.

Once the paint has dried on the toy box buy a couple of cans of clear sealer and apply it to the entire toy box.

Once the clear sealer has dried another unique idea is to find some of those bright colored lettered blocks that kids play with all the time. Turn the toy box over on it's top and add these blocks as legs to the bottom of the toy box. You can wood screwm them on or you can use an adhesive glue.

The project is done and fun was had by all on this project.