A toy box or storage building is a great way to give your child hours of fun while providing a safe place for toys to be stored. But, building a custom toy box can be difficult and time consuming. Many amateur builders simply choose a standard box plan and skip all the planning. Step by step, you can build your own toy box from scratch by following these easy steps. With just a little preparation and some tools, your box will be finished in no time at all.
Step 1: Get Started – Start with a simple square or rectangular plywood panel that is at least two feet by four feet. Make sure the panel has at least two inches’s depth and one inch’s width so you have adequate room for your storage. Next, lay out your desired pattern on the plywood then cut out the required lengths. These dimensions are used later in your DIY toy box plan.
Step 2: Prepare For The Hardware – You will need a few basic tools when you begin your project. You will need a hammer, screwdriver set (or a pair of hand held wrenches), some wood adhesive, screws, nails, some Brad nails, and some wood shims. Also, you may want to use some plastic tubing glued directly to some cardboard pieces to keep your hardware items in their place during painting. You will also want a piece of cardboard glued to a clean rag to catch any drip drips so you can clean up any mistakes.
Step 3: Use Wood Adhesive – Uses wood glue, attach two sides of the square or rectangular panel to the two sides of the second piece of wood laid out as your main frame. Use enough wood adhesive on the boards to hold them together. When you’re happy with the spacing, add pocket holes into place one at a time.
Step 4: Add Pocket Holes – Use pocket holes to insert items like forks, spoons, knives, balls, or anything else that is long but smaller than your cardboard box. You will want to make sure you leave about six inches between the edges of your box and the sides of your pocket holes so they don’t stick together. You can use other creative materials like yarn or even fishing lure line! The idea here is to have something hanging from inside the box that is big enough to hold a number of items and yet small enough to avoid getting stuck to the walls of your diy toy storage box. The idea here is to add dimension and make it more fun to open and close your DIY toy box. Also, it makes it easier if you have something in one corner that you can just reach in and grab without having to open the whole thing.
Step 5: Add Glue – Using craft glue and a pencil, draw on your box’s shape on the bottom board using a marker. Then use a color marker to color in your design. Be sure to make sure that the colors are going to stay on your finished project and that no lines are showing through when you paint over them. Remember to also use some tape to put the pieces together and make sure it is on the bottom board so that your new box will fit right when you glue it down.
Step 6: Prepare Your Boxes – At this point it would be a good idea to lay out your DIY toy storage box on a clean surface. This will help you paint over areas that may have paint bled onto it. I have found that clear nail polish works well on these areas. After applying the paint, let it dry for at least two hours before moving on to the next step. If you find that the paint is not drying correctly or you do not see any details after it has dried, then you can sand down the piece until you get the finish you desire.
Step 7: Join the Legs – To create your box with legs, you will need to cut out pieces of wood that are at least one inch longer than your piece of plywood that will be the bottom of your toy box using a miter saw. Drill holes into the plywood for the legs and then use cording to hold everything in place. Use two coats of polyurethane on the legs and allow them to dry before moving on to the next step. Sand down the edges of your legs before finishing them off with some more coats of polyurethane. Finish off your project by painting on a glossy coat of paint over your newly formed box and then trimming the pieces that you just glued down. With this project, you are sure to create something unique that you can use as a fun craft to pass around to your kids for years to come.