Kids Crafts: Homemade Toy Boxes

Who doesn't have empty boxes sitting around the house? And who doesn't have tons of stuff that could go IN those boxes? More specifically - how many kids toys do you have that need to be put somewhere?

We came up with this creative idea one day when looking at all the toys stacked in piles on the floor, and how many types of toys that need to be together (my daughter's My Little Ponies for example). Since we had some boxes they could go in, we thought it would be fun to take it a step further and make a craft out of it. The kids thought it was a great idea to decorate boxes which their stuff would go into. It personalizes it a bit more, and gives them that sense of "this is really mine".

To start, you'll need the following:

Regular box or regular wood crate
Paint & Paint Brushes
Glitter and other decorations
Imagination

First get the box or crate ready for your child. Make sure it's clean and free of labels, tape, or writing. It doesn't have to be perfect because you'll be decorating it, but you'll want it as clean as you can to start. You could go an extra step and make a box out of wood. It will need to be good sized, since it will be used as a toy box. Any box will do, just as long as it's the right size for what you want to put in it. For example, my daughter's My Little Ponies are in a medium sized box that she's decorated.

Next get the painting area ready. Let your child use their imagination while painting, and let them know this will be THEIR toy box. You will probably want to only paint one side at a time. The best part about this project is while it doesn't take much time to paint one side, the project will last for several days. Less mess this way, trust me, because they WILL forget about the other side being wet when decorating.

When you are done painting, let the children decorate their box with other things such as glitter, beads, jewels, etc. This is where their creativity will really shine, plus they will be creating something that will be useful in their toy room or bedroom. You can even take a day and go to the local craft store to pick out items to add to your boxes. Just remember the box probably will get beat up a bit, so you won't want things that will easily fall off or break (such as feathers).

Have fun!