Most families have at least one traditional toy box that is made of wood with a hinged lid or they may have a molded plastic one that looks like a frog or turtle. These are extremely expensive and rarely hold all the toys a child can have. What are you supposed to do with the rest of them? Hide them under the bed or put them on shelves? Maybe you can just pile them in the corner of the living room.
There is a solution. Just make a toy box from a storage tub made of plastic. They come in all kinds of colors and sizes and if you do not like the look at them you can change that in an instant. Plastic tubs are a great alternative because children can not hurt themselves on any sharp angles. Hinged toy boxes have a habit of the lid falling and crunching little one's fingers. Tubs have lids that are removed so there is no danger there. Precocious children will try to climb into a toy box and sometimes the lid will crash down and they can not get out. In a plastic tub they just have to push on the lid and it will pop right open.
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.
Go to the craft shop and purchase craft foam that comes in forms or in a sheet. Most have adhesive applied to the back and peel the protective paper off and stick the foam figure on the tub. You can cut out any figure you want and place details on with marker or fabric paint that comes with a cone like nozzle. To make ladybugs cut 2 circles, one black and one slightly smaller red one. Divide the red wings in half and situate it on top of the black one but separate the half so that a black area shows between them. Cut another black circle and just use a fourth of it as the head placing it near the top where the wings meet. You can cut small black circles from the rest and stick them to the wings and then cut two spots for eyes and place them on the head. After the ladybugs are assembled the child can help you place them on the tub.
You can do the same thing with felt. You can buy felt squares in the craft store that have adhesive backing as well. Some felt squares are floppy and soft and there are some that are rigid. The rigid ones work best because they won't flop down if the adhesive on the back gives way. If the felt does not have adhesive just buy a can of adhesive spray to stick them on the tub. Spray the area in which you want to put the felt figure and the adhesive will dry and you won't even notice it is there. Use cookie cutters as guides to make your felt characters. Just place the cookie cutter down on the felt and draw around it with a marker or pencil. Use a teddy bear cookie cutter and cut out several brown or beige bears. Cut out a small round circle and place it in the center of the head area, this is the bear's muzzle. You can use fabric glue to stick this on your main felt figure. You can use a small black pompom or cut out a small black circle to glue just above the center middle of this circle for the nose. Use a marker to make a mouth. Cut out two black eyes out of felt and glue them on above and to each side of the circle.
Fabric can be used to cover the plastic tub. You will have to take measurements and cut the fabric to fit. You can do this in a large one piece or in sections. Just remember that fabric frays so you will either need to cut with pinking shears or use a no fray fluid on the edges. The tub should be sprayed with adhesive and carefully roll the fabric onto the tub. Make sure to do the top too but only put fabric on the center of the lid. If you cover the edges the top will not snap shut.
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. - 33381
There is a solution. Just make a toy box from a storage tub made of plastic. They come in all kinds of colors and sizes and if you do not like the look at them you can change that in an instant. Plastic tubs are a great alternative because children can not hurt themselves on any sharp angles. Hinged toy boxes have a habit of the lid falling and crunching little one's fingers. Tubs have lids that are removed so there is no danger there. Precocious children will try to climb into a toy box and sometimes the lid will crash down and they can not get out. In a plastic tub they just have to push on the lid and it will pop right open.
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.
Go to the craft shop and purchase craft foam that comes in forms or in a sheet. Most have adhesive applied to the back and peel the protective paper off and stick the foam figure on the tub. You can cut out any figure you want and place details on with marker or fabric paint that comes with a cone like nozzle. To make ladybugs cut 2 circles, one black and one slightly smaller red one. Divide the red wings in half and situate it on top of the black one but separate the half so that a black area shows between them. Cut another black circle and just use a fourth of it as the head placing it near the top where the wings meet. You can cut small black circles from the rest and stick them to the wings and then cut two spots for eyes and place them on the head. After the ladybugs are assembled the child can help you place them on the tub.
You can do the same thing with felt. You can buy felt squares in the craft store that have adhesive backing as well. Some felt squares are floppy and soft and there are some that are rigid. The rigid ones work best because they won't flop down if the adhesive on the back gives way. If the felt does not have adhesive just buy a can of adhesive spray to stick them on the tub. Spray the area in which you want to put the felt figure and the adhesive will dry and you won't even notice it is there. Use cookie cutters as guides to make your felt characters. Just place the cookie cutter down on the felt and draw around it with a marker or pencil. Use a teddy bear cookie cutter and cut out several brown or beige bears. Cut out a small round circle and place it in the center of the head area, this is the bear's muzzle. You can use fabric glue to stick this on your main felt figure. You can use a small black pompom or cut out a small black circle to glue just above the center middle of this circle for the nose. Use a marker to make a mouth. Cut out two black eyes out of felt and glue them on above and to each side of the circle.
Fabric can be used to cover the plastic tub. You will have to take measurements and cut the fabric to fit. You can do this in a large one piece or in sections. Just remember that fabric frays so you will either need to cut with pinking shears or use a no fray fluid on the edges. The tub should be sprayed with adhesive and carefully roll the fabric onto the tub. Make sure to do the top too but only put fabric on the center of the lid. If you cover the edges the top will not snap shut.
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. - 33381
