How to Make Your Own Stuffed Animal Storage Easily

Making your own stuffed animal storage is easy with this step-by-step how to article. Some children love stuffed animals so much that they amass a large collection of stuffed animals and other plush toys. This stuffed animal storage solution will easily hold your child's entire stuffed animal collection.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ikea Gorm Shelving Unit or shelves of your choice
• 1/2 inch elastic
• staple gun
• staples

1. PURCHASE SUPPLIES -- The first step towards making your own stuffed animal storage is to purchase the supplies you need. Gorm shelving from IKEA works well for stuffed animal storage but any shelving, including those that hang on the wall, will work. You'll also need elastic, a staple gun, and staples.

2. ASSEMBLE SHELVING -- Assemble the shelving that you have chosen to use for your stuffed animal storage per manufacturers directions. Paint or stain, if desired.

3. ATTACH ELASTIC -- Using a staple gun, attach elastic to the top of the shelving. Slightly stretch the elastic and staple it to the underside of any shelf below. How many shelves down you go will determine how many sections of stuffed animal storage you want. Cut elastic just past the staple. Repeat this step every 3 inches, covering all sides of the shelving unit with elastic strips.

4. PUT STUFFED ANIMALS IN THEIR NEW ZOO -- To put your stuffed animals into your new stuffed animal storage unit, push them through the elastic bars.

5. PLAY WITH STUFFED ANIMALS -- To remove stuffed animals from the stuffed animal storage unit, reach arm through the elastic bars and grab the desired stuffed animal. Pull the stuffed animal through the elastic bars; they will stretch to allow the animal to pass through.

Tips & Warnings

• The side against the wall does not need elastic bars installed unless you want to add them.
• To store small stuffed animals that fall through the bars, place a basket in one corner to hold them.
• The dollar store sells perfect baskets for holding small stuffed animals.
• Enjoy your stuffed animal storage and the mess-free bedroom.
• For added safety, anchor stuffed animal storage unit to the wall.

Resources

• IKEA Gorm Shelves

[medphysinfo]

on 5/27/2009 Great article about making a stuffed animal "zoo" for storage. I think this would be fun for the child to play with the stuff animals as if it were a zoo.

[joni04]

on 5/27/2009 This is so cute, I never thought of an indoor zoo for stuffed animals!

[woodsusa]

on 5/27/2009 This is just precious! My four year old will love this idea...she has about a million 'teddies' as we call them, all kinds of animals perfect for an indoor zoo!

[GreenGardenChic]

on 11/13/2008 Cute idea for an animal zoo. Sounds simple and inexpensive.

[Susanh]

on 11/8/2008 The zoo idea is really clever. Our girls have amassed several stuffies via gifts from family and friends, so my husband built a shelf along their ceiling to display them.