How to Build a Toy Bench

Look on the Internet and you will find lots of plans for making children's toy benches and toy boxes. The problem with most of those projects is you need to be a carpenter to build them. This project is attractive and stress free. Turn a nice hardwood crate into a child's toy bench personalized just for your child. The hardest part is taken care of by getting the plywood cut at your local hardware or home supply store.

Things You'll Need

• Staple gun
• Scissors
• Paint
• Boys or girls self-adhesive wallpaper border (Note: You can use decals if you like and glue them on.)
• Wooden crate: 14.5 inches length x 12.5 inches width x 12.5 inches height
• 1 piece oak or maple plywood cut to 16 inches long by 14 inches wide
• 1 inch wide square wooden dowel 14 inches long
• Wood glue
• Wide putty scraper
• Electric screwdriver
• 2 brass hinges with five-eighths-inch wood screws
• Dacron upholstery batting
• Upholstery fabric
• Piece of cardboard

Instructions

Making the lid/seat

1. Go to the home building supply or hardware store and get a piece of hardwood plywood cut to 16 inches long by 14 inches wide. This will be the seat/lid on your toy bench.

2. Cut the upholstery batting with scissors so that the cut piece extends 2 inches out from the lid piece all the way around.

3. Place the batting down on your work table and put the lid on top so that 2 inches of batting sticks out over the edges all the way around.

4. Fold the batting over the edges of the lid and tack the corners with the staple gun. Fold it angled over in the corners like the corners of a made-up bed sheet. Staple the cardboard on top of the batting, placing the staples about 1 inch apart.

5. Lay the fabric piece you chose face down on the work table. Turn the lid over on the fabric with the batting side down. Stretch the fabric snugly over on one end and tack in place with the staple gun.

6. Pull the other side tight and tack it down. Fold down the other sides of the fabric and tack in place with the staple gun.

The Box

1. Paint the outside of the box in the color of your choice and allow it to dry.

2. Add a personal touch. If you are using self-adhesive wallpaper border, measure and cut the border into strips the same length as the front, back and sides of the box.

3. Start on one side of the box. Peel the backing off just enough to stick to the edge of the box. Stick it on and slowly pull back to free up more border. Use a wide putty knife to smooth the border paper as you press it onto the box. Repeat this process until the border is on all the way around the box.
   For decals, simply glue them anywhere on the box that you like. Some decals are self adhesive and others can be applied with glue.

4. Put a line of wood glue down the length of the wooden dowel and spread it out. Place the dowel against the inside back wall of the box just beneath the edge. This will hold the hinge to the box without the danger of splitting the back panel of the box.

5. Take the lid and place a hinge 2 inches in from the bottom corner. Use the electric screwdriver to attach the hinge with five-eights-inch wood screws. Repeat on the other bottom corner.
   Use the electric screwdriver and the five-eights-inch screws to attach the hinge to the square dowel that you attached inside the box. Make sure the lid is positioned with the same amount of overlap (about 2 inches) on each side.

Tips & Warnings

• For a personal look, let your child use a brush and paint his or her own pictures on the box.

• Always use care with power tools.

References

• How to Build a Toy Chest
• Toy Bench Box
• Simple Toy Box

Resources

• Heavy Duty Wooden Crate
• Upholstery Batting
• Flat Head Hinge Screws