Toy Chests Projects

Clean and Organize

• It's certainly not the most glamorous project, but toy chests can always use a good cleaning and organizing session. Empty the box completely, and scrub down the inside with soap and mild dish soap or an all-natural household cleaner. Dampen a clean cloth with the cleaning solution, and wipe down each toy thoroughly. Collect any small, lose toys, placing them in a sealed, transparent container. Put the toys back by size and type, noting which ones your child plays with most often so you can place them in an accessible place. Have your child help out so he can learn how to eventually do it on his own.

Make It Pretty

• Refurbish your toy chest with some paint or decals. Have your child choose a new color, and brush a couple of coats on the chest. You can also hunt for decals or birds, dogs, trees or different patterns and motifs. Decals work well because you can easily remove them when your child wants a change or outgrows the current ones. If you're a decent artist, cover the toy chest in a mural featuring your child's favorite storybook character, or you can hand the art supplies over to your little one and have her apply her creativity. Her finished product may not necessarily match a certain color scheme, but it helps make her play area all her own.

Make Your Own

• For a challenging project and completely customized toy chest, you can always build your own. Measure your planned space to gauge how large you want the box and know what dimensions of lumber to get. You can use plywood panels and stiffen them with 1/4-inch square, solid wood strips. If you're more comfortable with a sewing machine, you can sew a soft toy chest from four panels of stiff, heavy-weight felt stitched together. Sew a cover for the chest, and decorate it in your child's favorite colors and motifs. This is option works especially well for younger children who may bump themselves on a wooden chest's hard corners.

Holiday Hope Chests

• Team up with a local charity to create miniature toy chests for children in need. Fill a wooden, plastic or shoe box with books, art, puzzles and small toys for a specific age-range. Set a price range for the box if you're organizing the project for a school or group. Decorate the chests with paint, wallpaper or decals, then wrap them up like a present. You can use the same concept for a toy chest exchange within your family or play dates. Remember to choose gender-neutral toys or specify if it's for a girl or boy, especially if you're handing them off to a charity for distribution.