Brighten up TOY STORAGE DRAWERS
Upcycle a boring chest of drawers to create fun animal-themed storage for a kids’ room
If you’ve come across an old chest of drawers in need of some TLC or picked up a plain piece of furniture for a song, then why not give it a new lease of life in your kids’ bedroom? This project can be done in a day and you could use leftover paint or tester pots to keep the cost even lower. We’ve chosen an animal theme, but you could go for anything your kids are keen on, such as outer space, flowers, the sea or racing cars. You’ll find lots of fun drawer knobs and stickers to make the piece unique.
YOU WILL NEED 1 REMOVE THE DRAWER HANDLES
Start by taking off the existing handles – these should simply unscrew from inside the drawers. Either discard or save for another project. Plug the holes with filler using a spatula, then leave to dry following the manufacturer’s instructions. Sand down the filler using a fine-grade sandpaper so it leaves a flat surface. Be careful not to scratch the wood.
2 MAKE NEW HOLES FOR KNOBS
Next, work out where you’d like the new knobs to be placed. If this is between the old handle holes, measure the centre and mark with a pencil. Carefully drill the new holes using a drill bit that’s the same diameter as the screws on the knobs.
3 APPLY MASKING TAPE
Pull out all the drawers as far as possible and affix masking tape to the edges of the front panels. Wrap the tape all around the drawers neatly and stick it down well so that you achieve a straight line when you’re painting.
4
Alternate painting the drawer fronts in two colours to create a bold design. Use a good-quality paintbrush and apply the paint in even strokes in one direction. Work with one colour at a time. Leave to dry, then add a second coat if required. When the paint is completely dry, carefully peel off all the masking tape.
5 ATTACH NEW DRAWER KNOBS
Next, screw the new drawer knobs onto the drawer fronts using the holes you made before painting. Just like the drawer colours, alternate the different knobs for a cute statement.
6 ARRANGE THE DECAL STICKERS
Cut the stickers into individual pieces, if necessary. Plan where you would like to position them – we placed ours on the right side of the drawers. Affix the stickers to the cabinet. If they are in different colours, mix them up to add to the bright and cheerful effect.
7 FILL YOUR CHEST OF DRAWERS
Now that you’re done, it’s time to fill the chest of drawers with toys. You might even try coordinating the dresser with your kids’ toys and accessories. Display the ones your kids would like to have on show and once playtime is over, you’ve got the perfect place to store them.