It's difficult to build a train track when you can find only four rails. A compartmentalized toy chest can help. Stencils on the front of each drawer help kinds find toys quickly.
Toy Chest How-To
Tools and Materials
Drawers
Kraft paper
Utility knife
Straightedge
Drafting tape
Acrylic tape
Paintbrushes
1. Prime and paint drawers. To make train stencil or other toy shapes, draw freehand or trace an image from a coloring book.
2. Transfer silhouette shapes to kraft paper. Using a utility knife and straightedge where necessary, cut out shapes.
3. Place drafting tape, folded into loops and sticky side out, on wrong side of paper stencil, near cut edges of shapes. Lay stencil, tape side down, on drawer; smooth in place.
4. Using acrylic paint, fill in shapes, brushing from outside stencil inward to center of shape. Let stand a bit for paint to set, then remove stencil carefully; let paint dry completely.
Keeping toys organized is very important...I love using MOMMBY Storage bags (http://mommby.com/Store/Bag.php) which are reusable clear bags so kids can easily find their toys and then store the bags in baskets, bins, toy chests, or something like the beautiful piece in this article. Thank you for sharing how to make attractive toy storage furniture.
This is a great idea! I love storage, and the idea of teaching kids that everything has a place. I recently made over a thrifted toy chest, as a gift for a friend - and it actually does double-duty as a bench! Multi-tasking furniture is great for organization. Check it out on my site, www.sweettstudio.com .
At My sons day care they had cubbies without drawers but a photo or drawing of the object to place in the cubby on the inside . It taught my son organization. So much so that he has the cleanest room in the house and he is 17!
I found a small dresser at a yard sale and made it into a place for the myriad of Lego sets the kids had. It would work for a number of other toys that fit in the drawers.
after painting, you may just want to cut shapes out of Contact paper and stick the shapes to the front of the drawers.... much easier than stenciling and painting...
you might also consider attaching the drawer itself to the base somehow. I'm thinking: some kind of sturdy linen tape and a kidproof clip on system? I haven't really thought this one through but if I look at that picture, I just see that thing falling on chubby toes. Ouch
I wouldn't stack the drawers. They could possibly fall over on a young child. better to attach them to the wall with screws into a stud if you want to stack them.
I wouldn't stack the drawers, they may get too high and could possibly fallover on a young child unless you screw them to the wall making sure you catch a stud.
Does anyone have a source for the drawers?
Does anyone have a source for the drawers?
looks like a great idea. i would try stacking them on top of eachother for even more storage