What will encourage your little ones to tidy up their belongings at the end of playtime? Why, a toy-eating monster storage box, that’s what! Here’s how to upcycle an ottoman into a fun kids toy box…
When I saw an old ottoman with peeling lacquer in the sale for just £15 at the vintage store, I immediately began imagining what it could become. I knew I wanted to make a kids toy box but what would it look like?
The little feet reminded me of claws and I had some extra-large googley eyes (that I got in my stocking at Christmas – whaaat?) so it seemed like a good idea to turn the bench into a big mouth. But would it be a lion? A crocodile? A dinosaur? Any of these would work if you were making a toy box yourself!
I decided to get just started and see what kind of animal appeared during the process. I already had some green paint in the shed, so it was clear that I’d be creating some kind of monster. I also had tin of red spray paint, so I could colour the inside of the box to look like the creature’s mouth.
The addition of a back-board gave me space to add the googley eyes, and I used soft felt for the ‘teeth’ to make it suitable for little hands. The curved shape of the storage box lid means the monster has a smiling mouth, which makes it look much more inviting for storing toys etc.
I’ve shared the step-by-step instructions for this monster toy box project on the Safestore blog so be sure to check it out. Plus, there’s a few more of my upcycles on their blog, let me know if you spot them!
What do you think of this project? Let me know if you have a go at making your own monster toy box and I’d love to see photo of your projects so please tag me in your photos on instagram @cassiefairy.
2 responses
Thank you Sylvia, I’m glad you like it! 😀
Loving the video! I think it is a fantastic idea to get children to put their toys away 🙂