Toy Box

So our little guy is amassing an arsenal of toys at an alarming rate. I have no idea where he gets them all, but I do know where he keeps them......in small scattered baskets all around the house. This brings us to my next wood working project and the first one I'll be discussing with all of you. Wifey has tasked me with making a Toy Box. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I don't want to just slap something together quickly and call it a day. I want something that will be lovingly passed down throughout the ages. I want something my kids can fight over when I'm gone. It needs to be strong and sturdy, yet safe for little fingers. I want it to be classy and classic. Something that won't look out of place in a kids room, but not necessarily something that would stick out in a living room. So I did what I always do when pondering a plan. Scour the Internet! Man, there are a lot of plans out there. Many are nice. Heck, some of the finished ones are selling for a whole lot of money. None of them are exactly what I'm looking for though, so it's time to get creative and make some magic of my own.

I'll be making this Toy Box out of red oak because it's tough as nails and looks amazing when stained. I want this piece to last and last and not get nicked every time one of my kids smashes a car into it. Pine is much softer and won't wear as well as I want it to although it is much easier to work with than oak, so if that's important to you perhaps it's something you should consider. I also want to use solid wood boards for this piece instead of plywood. Don't get me wrong, plywood and edge banding can look beautiful for a piece like this, I just want to round all of the edges with my router when I finish and besides, I prefer the look of joined boards to plywood.

Now I think of what I want the design of the Toy Box to look like. Luckily I'm not reinventing the wheel. I'm just adding a little of my own flair to a simple box design. I want the piece to sit flat on the floor. To me, any small opening underneath the box is an invitation to lose toys and who wants that. I'd like the top to double as a bench of sorts, but also a play surface. Soft close hinges are a must for me, as are rounded edges all around with openings around the lid to further prevent squished fingers. I also want to ensure that I include cut outs for handles. It's a small thing to consider but when you're trying to move a piece of solid wood furniture a set of handles can be a real finger saver.

The next step is to make a nice sketch of what I hope the finished product will look like and get the measurements drawn to scale before I start. Check back soon for more.