Do-it-yourself toy box: get organised in your child’s bedroom

You need: Jigsaws, Hand-held circular saws, pocket rule, pencil, compass, 10 pieces of framing timber (18 x 100 x 490 mm), 13 pieces of framing timber (18 x 100 x 623 mm), 2 pieces of framing timber (18 x 50 x 623 mm), 2 pieces of glued wood (18 x 450 x 380 mm), 2 pieces of glued wood (18 x 450 x 100 mm), 1 wooden board (18 x 450 x 620 mm)

There are two types of wood that you need to make a sturdy toy box: the boards for the outer walls and those for the inside of the box. The outer shell will be glued to these. It results in a beautiful exterior and ensures stability without the need for screws or nails. As with any DIY project, preparation is everything. Which is why we prepare all the elements before getting started.

The wooden board measuring 18 x 450 x 620 mm is used for the base of the box. The two larger pieces of glued wood (18 x 450 x 380 mm) form the side walls forming the inner structure. You can use a hand-held circular saw to easily cut them to size.

The outer structure consists of ten framing timbers 18 x 100 x 490 mm for the sides, 13 framing timbers 18 x 100 x 623 mm for the front and back and the lid, and two framing timbers 18 x 50 x 623 mm. To reinforce the corners, you also need four longer squared timbers (15 x 15 x 375 mm) for the main part and four shorter squared timbers (15 x 15 x 30 mm) for the lid.

You need to round off two of the framing timbers (18 x 100 x 490 mm) on one of the long edges for the outer portion of the lid. Use a compass to draw the line for the curved cut in the board. Tip: You can use the first board as a template for the second one. This way you make sure that both boards have exactly the same curved cut. It’s best to use a  jigsaw with a saw blade for fine curves to cut the end of the board.

You will also need to work on the two shorter pieces of glued wood (18 x 450 x 100 mm) for the inside of the lid. Make sure that the five long framing timbers are glued to it. To ensure that the glue holds properly later, the curved edge of the two pieces of glued wood should not be completely round, but rather consist of five flat angled surfaces. Use one of the framing timbers as a guide. The edge with the length of 100 mm will later be attached to the pieces of glued wood. For this reason, make sure that this surface can rest neatly on it.

You need: Jigsaws, The Bosch Routers, Router Bit Sets, Multi-sander, The Bosch Vacuum cleaners, pocket rule, pencil, 1 piece of framing timber (18 x 100 x 623 mm)

The toy box needs a secure grip hole to ensure that your child can open and close the toy box without hurting themselves. A cutout is ideally suited for this. You simply make this cutout in the top board for the front of the box. Ideally, the cutout should be nice and large so that your child can use it without getting their fingers stuck in it.

Then saw the cutout in the framing timber. It’s best to use a jigsaw with a saw blade for fine curves for this.

Once you have sawn everything to size and shape, you should use a multi-sander and a fine sandpaper (120 grit or finer) for sanding all the cut edges. You can find useful tips in our sanding guide if you have any questions regarding the topic.

To give a nice visual outline to the toy box, you can also rout all the cut edges of the framing timbers from step 1. To do so, you need a router and a router bit with a radius of 6.3 mm. Carefully run the router along the edges of the cut so that they are neatly rounded. Tip: You can also use a dry vacuum cleaner to avoid getting things dirty. Click here for our guide on working in a dust-free environment to find out about the hazards wood dust entails and how to improve your DIY safety.

You need: Cordless drill/driver, Wood drill bit set 5 Pieces, pocket rule, pencil, scissors, adhesive tape, Sanding, 2 pieces of framing timber (18 x 100 x 490 mm), 2 pieces of cord (diameter: 8 mm, length: 450 mm)

You need two pieces of 450 mm cord (8 mm in diameter) for the handles of the toy box. You can easily cut the pieces of cord yourself using a pair of scissors. Tip: The cord will not fray so much when you cut it if you attach a piece of tape to the spot where you are going to make the cut beforehand.

Then drill the holes in two framing timbers (18 x 100 x 490 mm) through which the cord will be threaded. These two boards will later be at the very top of the sides of the box. Find a point 150 mm from the left and right edges and use a pencil to mark the spots. Then drill the holes for the cord with a drill/driver and a 10 mm Brad point drill bit at the spots you just marked. Touch up the drill holes with sandpaper so that the cord does not fray when it’s used later on.

You need: Cordless drill/driver, Wood drill bit set 5 Pieces, wood glue, g-clamps, 6 pieces of framing timber (18 x 100 x 490 mm), 2 pieces of framing timber (18 x 100 x 490 mm) with holes for the cords, 2 pieces of framing timber (18 x 100 x 490 mm) with a curved cut, 12 pieces of framing timber (18 x 100 x 623 mm), 1 piece of framing timber (18 x 100 x 623 mm) with a cutout, 2 pieces of framing timber (18 x 50 x 623 mm), 2 pieces of glued wood (18 x 450 x 380 mm), 2 pieces of glued wood (18 x 450 x 100 mm) with a curved cut, 1 wooden board (18 x 450 x 620 mm), 4 squared timbers (15 x 15 x 375 mm), 4 squared timbers (15 x 15 x 30 mm)

Your preparations are complete. You’re ready to start assembling the box. It’s best to start with the two side walls. To do so, take the two longer pieces of glued wood (18 x 450 x 380 mm) and glue three of the framing timbers measuring 18 x 100 x 490 mm to them so that they extend 50 mm on the left and right. Then attach the two framing timbers with the holes for the cord to the topmost spot. Finally, the four longer squared timbers (15 x 15 x 375 mm) are attached vertically to the outer edges of the inner side (glued wood). When the glue is dry, use a drill/driver and extend the holes for the cords with a 10 mm Brad point drill bit through the glued wood.

Tip: Use G-clamps to hold the boards in place when gluing.

Next, attach the two finished side elements to the short sides of the bottom panel using wood glue. Four of the framing timbers measuring 18 x 100 x 623 mm are glued together and used as the back of the chest to the four squared timbers and the inner edges of the side elements. First use three of the framing timbers (18 x 100 x 623 mm) at the front. The framing timber with the prepared cutout is placed at the top. Now you have finished the body of the box.

Now it’s time for the lid. First, connect one of the framing timbers with a curved cut to one piece of glued wood with a curved cut, so that the straight lower edges are flush with each other and the framing timber extends on the left and right at the same amount. Attach the four shorter squared timbers (15 x 15 x 30 mm) vertically at the edge on the inside of the glued wood. Attach one piece of framing timber measuring 18 x 50 x 623 mm each to the front and back. Then glue five framing timbers measuring 18 x 100 x 623 mm at the points of the glued wood with the curved cut in step 1. The lid should now fit snugly over the body of the box.

You need: Cordless drill/driver, Paint spray system, 2 hinges, 2 lid supports for safety, 4 castors, 24 raised-head screws (3.5 x 15 mm), 2 pieces of cord (diameter: 8 mm, length: 450 mm)

Place the lid flush on the body of the box to join the two elements together. Then connect the two hinges at the back of the box using twelve raised-head screws (3.5 x 15 mm). This can be done very quickly with a drill/driver.

Now you can open the lid on the box. When open, use two raised-head screws (3.5 x 15 mm) for each lid support to attach them on the inside in a suitable place. This prevents the lid from closing unexpectedly. Next, guide the cord through the holes and knot each end on the inside of the box to create a loop on the outside for carrying the box.

Finally, turn the finished toy box upside down. Use eight raised-head screws (3.5 x 15 mm) to attach the four castors in the four corners of the box.

Tip: You should put a coat of varnish on the box so that your child can enjoy it for as long as possible. This also protects it from becoming messy and makes it easy to clean with a damp cloth. Of course, you can also paint the box according to your child’s ideas. This is quick and easy to do with a paint spray system – check out our paint spray guide to find out more. When choosing paint, make sure that it can be thinned down, is water-soluble and suitable for use around children.

Now your DIY toy box is ready and you can stem the tide in the sea of chaos in your child’s room. Would you like to try out more creative DIY projects involving wood that you can make for your child? We’ll show you how to build a dollhouse, a wooden train set or a play shop step-by-step.

Check out our leisure time and family time category if you would like more inspiration for family projects. You can also find tons of useful video tutorials for DIY projects for a child’s room as well as other videos with instructions for DIY projects in the living room on our YouTube channel.