Toy boxes come in many different shapes and are made of many different colors but the most popular are the wooden toy boxes that have a lid on hinges or a commercial molded plastic type some of which have lids and some that don't. The plastic type come in a variety of shapes and colors from pirate ships to sheep. Both tend to be a bit pricey and most families can only afford to have one. What if your child has more toys than will fit in that toy box? Where do you put those toys?
Make your own toy box out of a plastic storage tub. Plastic storage tubs come in a variety of sizes and colors and there are things you can do to make them look a little better. Storage tubs make a very safe toy box. There are no sharp corners on them as there are with wooden ones. The lid will not come crashing down on the child while they are looking for a certain toy because the lid is removed to see into the tub. There are many instances where children crawl into the toy box and get trapped for a time. If you use a plastic storage tub with no locks on the lid it will not happen. Even if the child does get in the tub and puts the lid on they can easily get out by pushing on the lid.
Plastic tubs can be decorated in several easy and inexpensive ways to make them more appealing to children. Many different things can be glued on them like stickers or decals. You can make figures from craft foam or felt and glue them on or you can use paint or fabric. Kids can even help you make the toy box and they will enjoy that time you spent with them. The tubs need little care and they won't scratch like wooden ones do when they run their toy truck across the top without the wheels.
It is possible to change the color of a storage tub with spray paint but it may deteriorate after a time and become a hazard for small children. Tubs come in so many different colors you should have no trouble getting one to match the dcor of the room. You can use acrylic paint to paint on some motifs. Use a stencil or paint ducks free hand on a tub that is blue like the water. On a pastel color tub you can paint some rabbits or lambs or put some fire trucks on a tub that is black. Stencils are plentiful and can be found just about anywhere in a variety of motifs for kids. Alphabet stencils can be used to put their name on the tub.
Craft foam can be purchased at craft stores in sheets or already cut out in forms. Some have an adhesive already on the back and you just peel off the paper and the foam form will stick. Cut out simple figures and embellish them with magic marker or more acrylic paint and even fabric paint with the pointed nozzle. Make lady bugs by cutting out a black circle or oval and then make another circle that is slightly smaller in red. Cut the red circle in half and place it over the black one but separate the two halves of the red one so that a wedge of black shows in the middle for wings. Cut out a fourth of a black circle and put it at the top where the red meets for the head. Then cut out black dots and place them on the wings and two white dots for the eyes. Once you assemble the lady bugs your child can help you stick them on.
Felt also comes with an adhesive backing and you can find regular felt that is just like cloth or the rigid variety. The rigid type is best to use. If you have a hard time finding the felt with adhesive just spray the tub with spray glue and stick the figure on it. Once the glue dries you will not see it at all. Cookie cutters come in many shapes so find one that your child will enjoy. Instead of making cookies place it on the felt and trace around then cut the figure out. Embellish the figures with fabric paint or more felt. Make a bear by cutting the figure out of several variations of brown or black and white for a panda bear. Next cut out a little circle that will be glued with fabric glue onto the middle of the head. This is the bear's muzzle. Use a tiny black pompom or small piece of black to place in this circle just north of the center. This is the bear's nose. You will need two small black dots for eyes placed above the circle and on either side.
Fabric can be used to cover the tub completely. Cut fabric to fit around all sides of the tub and make sure to push it up underneath the lip. Fabric will unravel and you can stop that from happening by using pinking shears or squirting on substance that will prevent it from unraveling called no fray. Use your spray adhesive and careful roll the fabric onto the tub. It is possible to cut the fabric in sections and stick it on. Do the lid too but never cover the edges, just the middle part. Covering the edges will not allow it to snap onto the tub.
Having a nice wooden or molded plastic toy box is probably a good idea but not many people can afford more than one. Using plastic storage tubs and decorating them might be just the thing to reduce clutter in an inexpensive manner.
Make your own toy box out of a plastic storage tub. Plastic storage tubs come in a variety of sizes and colors and there are things you can do to make them look a little better. Storage tubs make a very safe toy box. There are no sharp corners on them as there are with wooden ones. The lid will not come crashing down on the child while they are looking for a certain toy because the lid is removed to see into the tub. There are many instances where children crawl into the toy box and get trapped for a time. If you use a plastic storage tub with no locks on the lid it will not happen. Even if the child does get in the tub and puts the lid on they can easily get out by pushing on the lid.
Plastic tubs can be decorated in several easy and inexpensive ways to make them more appealing to children. Many different things can be glued on them like stickers or decals. You can make figures from craft foam or felt and glue them on or you can use paint or fabric. Kids can even help you make the toy box and they will enjoy that time you spent with them. The tubs need little care and they won't scratch like wooden ones do when they run their toy truck across the top without the wheels.
It is possible to change the color of a storage tub with spray paint but it may deteriorate after a time and become a hazard for small children. Tubs come in so many different colors you should have no trouble getting one to match the dcor of the room. You can use acrylic paint to paint on some motifs. Use a stencil or paint ducks free hand on a tub that is blue like the water. On a pastel color tub you can paint some rabbits or lambs or put some fire trucks on a tub that is black. Stencils are plentiful and can be found just about anywhere in a variety of motifs for kids. Alphabet stencils can be used to put their name on the tub.
Craft foam can be purchased at craft stores in sheets or already cut out in forms. Some have an adhesive already on the back and you just peel off the paper and the foam form will stick. Cut out simple figures and embellish them with magic marker or more acrylic paint and even fabric paint with the pointed nozzle. Make lady bugs by cutting out a black circle or oval and then make another circle that is slightly smaller in red. Cut the red circle in half and place it over the black one but separate the two halves of the red one so that a wedge of black shows in the middle for wings. Cut out a fourth of a black circle and put it at the top where the red meets for the head. Then cut out black dots and place them on the wings and two white dots for the eyes. Once you assemble the lady bugs your child can help you stick them on.
Felt also comes with an adhesive backing and you can find regular felt that is just like cloth or the rigid variety. The rigid type is best to use. If you have a hard time finding the felt with adhesive just spray the tub with spray glue and stick the figure on it. Once the glue dries you will not see it at all. Cookie cutters come in many shapes so find one that your child will enjoy. Instead of making cookies place it on the felt and trace around then cut the figure out. Embellish the figures with fabric paint or more felt. Make a bear by cutting the figure out of several variations of brown or black and white for a panda bear. Next cut out a little circle that will be glued with fabric glue onto the middle of the head. This is the bear's muzzle. Use a tiny black pompom or small piece of black to place in this circle just north of the center. This is the bear's nose. You will need two small black dots for eyes placed above the circle and on either side.
Fabric can be used to cover the tub completely. Cut fabric to fit around all sides of the tub and make sure to push it up underneath the lip. Fabric will unravel and you can stop that from happening by using pinking shears or squirting on substance that will prevent it from unraveling called no fray. Use your spray adhesive and careful roll the fabric onto the tub. It is possible to cut the fabric in sections and stick it on. Do the lid too but never cover the edges, just the middle part. Covering the edges will not allow it to snap onto the tub.
Having a nice wooden or molded plastic toy box is probably a good idea but not many people can afford more than one. Using plastic storage tubs and decorating them might be just the thing to reduce clutter in an inexpensive manner.
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