I have had this oak chest for 12 years. It was a precious gift made by my father-in-law before Tim and I were wed. I remember when he gave this to me thinking, “Oh my gosh, they like me, I am like part of the family if I am getting a handmade piece of furniture from him.”
I have loved it all these years. During our lean days it served as a coffee table. It has been at the end of our bed housing blankets. It has been a dresser keeping my sweaters in. It has also made ten moves with us! She’s been good to me. Plus she was the only new piece of furniture we owned in our house for the first 7 years.
My tastes have changed and it has sat in a (GASP!) closet hidden away. Sorry dad! I hated that and wanted to find a place to fit it in my decor. Then I saw this in one of of the Pottery Barn Kids catalogs.
We could ALWAYS use more storage space for the toys around here. So I removed the top and cut 1” x 2” boards to size. 
I didn’t bother to miter them I just butt them up to each other and let them overhang. Then I added a little wood glue and nailed them in place.
The edge was a little harsh so taking my Dremel my good friend (Thanks Ted!) routed the edges with a curved bit. Did you know you can route with a Dremel? Me neither…loves my Dremel!
I patched up the nail holes with some wood filler and then mixed some paint I had around the house to make a rusty red color to pick up on the fabric in the hutch.
And here is the final result…
The routing of the edges really softened the edge and made the piece.
Here it is within the context of my gameroom. My custom color I created was almost a perfect match. The $4 in 1”x2”’s were well worth it to keep this loved piece in my decor. I would like to add the word “toys” in vinyl lettering to the front of it sometime soon.
PB Toy Chest:
IC Toy Chest:
oh i love it! what a great idea to take the top off so it can store all those oversized items that don't fit in typical storage. i love the color you chose, too- it's a great red.
oh i love it! what a great idea to take the top off so it can store all those oversized items that don't fit in typical storage. i love the color you chose, too- it's a great red.
oh i love it! what a great idea to take the top off so it can store all those oversized items that don't fit in typical storage. i love the color you chose, too- it's a great red.
Love the color! 🙂
Great job!! I LOVE it!!!
I am doing something similar! I have taken my DH childhood toybox and I am painting it white for my entryway. It will hold my kids shoes and backpacks. I put my first coat of white paint on today.
Becks, you are DA BOMB !! I'm so excited about your routing tip with the dremel, looking for something to try it out on . . .
j'adore your paint color, well done my friend, totally beautiful!
Kate
Amazing! It turned out beautiful! My dad is a woodworker, it is always so hard to make that decision to revamp one of his creations… I love your courage and how it turned out!
Ok, Momma.
Speak to me(us). HOW do you route with a dremel? Is there a router bit/contraption so that it works? Me thinks I (ahem) my hubby needs this. 😉
Nice job! I am sure Dad is proud!
That looks great! I LOVE the color!
This is such a good idea! I would love to find a trunk and do this. I need a trunk and I don't want one with a lid. Don't want lil' fingers getting hurt. I love the color!
Great transformation! I like that there is no top; I'm always worried about little fingers/ arms/ legs getting hurt on my trunks. (I have three and always tempted to buy more at garage sales)
P.S. I think you can come up with something more clever than "TOYS". I'm not sure what…haha…but I'll think about it.
I love the paint color choice and have been thinking of doing this at the end of each of my big boys beds. I found ammunition boxes that would be perfect, just not ready to spend the money yet. Beautiful job.
This is great. So many reasons why this is great:
1. It's a useful sentimental piece
2. No Lid!! ie: no trying to stuff things in and having the lid half closed.
3. You now have a free piece of wood! lol
(I love the idea to write something on the front – toys/ treasures – whatever.)
I love that you were able to revamp such a special piece! Thanks for sharing it on Modern Craftswoman Monday! Rory
Wow what a fab transformation! So much better to paint the furniture and use it than have it sitting in storage somewhere:-)
Tracey
Ohhh, I love it in red Beckie. What a fun project. And I love that it has sentimental value too.
So pretty!
XOXO
jen
Thanks for linking up to the Mad Skills party!
madincrafts.blogspot.com
Love it! Be blessed. Cindy
GREAT job!!!
Looks fabulous! Great job!!
great job!
SUPER nice! Thanks for joining us for Anything Related #12! ~Bridgette
I love that shade of red. It really pops! Great job.
What a great way to save a family heirloom!
Great work. I'm looking for a toy box for my son right now. I wish I had a great chest to fix up.
BEAUTIFUL! Great job! 🙂
I like yours better than the PB version…it's great!~
Wow! I just love that you did this. My husband's grandfather made furniture and we have it now. I really want to make the armoir into a place for the television so we can use it proudly. My husband won't even consider any changes to the furniture, not even a shelf for a tv.So there it all sits, the "wrong" color (light wood) and hidden away. So what did your father in law think of the transformation. I love it!
What a great makeover! Isn't it amazing what a good paint job can do?? This reminds me of my own toy chest makeover I did for a friend, where I touched up an existing cherry finish, and added a cushion to create a double duty bench. Check it out on my site!