DIY Hidden Toy Storage – Hides the Mess

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This DIY hidden toy storage is a great solution to store the toys…and HIDE THE MESS.

Yes, I said hide and it’s wonderful. I’ve had a lot of house guests recently. Cleaning up the boys toys didn’t quite seem good enough. I wanted to hide them and display only the cutest stuff, like books and stuffed animals and Stinky the Garbage Truck. OK, Stinky’s not that cute. But this DIY  hidden toy storage is!

You might wonder why I didn’t just build a toy chest. Well, kids climb on those and my kids are already climbing on and falling off enough things already. Don’t want to add to that. 🙂

Also, the lids on toy chests make me paranoid around a baby. Although I did see a really cute idea for a chest without a lid recently. So stay tuned, that may be coming up soon. But first let’s get to this hidden toy storage.

I wanted the convenience of toy storage baskets and boxes. Throwing stuff in and walking away is my idea of easy. But I wanted to hide that mess when guests come over or if I just want to put a few dozen toys out of the boys minds for a couple months, so that they’ll be exciting again when they get them back.

I decided reversible furniture that still looked good on the back side would be fun to try. I drew out a plan to have toy storage on one side and neat and tidy bookshelves on the other.

Watch this video for a fun Time Lapse Toy Cleaning video I made using this DIY Hidden Toy Storage. On the left side of this video you can see the low toy storage chest I made when I cut a dresser in half.

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Disclaimer: Make sure to always read the directions for any products or tools you use while building. Always check for square and double-check those measurements too. Read the full disclaimer.

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What you’ll need:

• 1 – 1″ x 16″ x 8′ common board
• 2 – 1/4″ x 1 1/2″ x 8′ Lattice Moulding
• 28″ of 1″ x 4″ common board
• 28″ of 3/4″ x 3/4″ furring strip
• V-Groove Board or 1/4″ thick MDF
• Ryobi Brad Nailer, 1 1/4″ Brad Nails & Glue
• Zinsser 123 Primer
• Your favorite latex or chalk paint
• Elmer’s Paint Marker
• Furniture Sliders (for carpet) or small casters (for hardwood, tile, etc.)

Hidden Toy Storage Cost

You’ll spend about $35 for the wood, trim and furniture sliders. About the same price as a few cloth bins, but holds so much more. Score!

Hidden Toy Storage Build Steps

1.Cut the 16″ wide board into 5 pieces: 2 – 24″ long pieces for the sides, 1 – 14″ long pieces for the shelf, 2 – 15 1/2″ pieces for the top and bottom.

2.Use your Brad Nailer and glue to attach the top and bottom pieces to the sides. Check that everything is square and level before nailing. Then attach the shelf 12″ from the bottom. I used furring strips to attach my shelf.

3.Attach furring strips 3 1/2″ in across the top and bottom of each level with the glue and Brad Nailer.

4.Cut your v-groove board or 1/4″ thick MDF to size for both levels. Glue and nail that to the furring strips. The furring strips should be on the toy side of the storage.

5.Attach the 4″ boards to the bottom level of each side of the storage. These will help hold in more ‘stuff’ on the bottom levels.

6.Then trim out the bottom, top, and middle levels with the lattice strips. Leave a lip along the top so that nothing rolls off when moving the piece around. This trim holds toys and books in place and gives the piece a bit of character.

7.Fill all cracks with paintable wood filler or paintable caulk. I used caulk for the thinner cracks for ease and speed. But you must be careful to smooth it out and make it perfect before it dries, caulk can’t be sanded to shape.

8.After the wood filler dries, sand everything with 120-grit sandpaper until smooth. Wipe away the dust with a dry or very slightly damp cloth.

9.Prime the entire piece with the Zinsser 123 Primer. After that dries, paint with your latex or chalk paint per instructions on the container. I used Behr’s Castle Path Latex mixed into a chalk paint (using Plaster of Paris) for this piece. Use 2 coats, if needed.

10.After the paint has dried, you can add a bit of whimsy to dress this hidden toy storage up. I grabbed a few of my Elmer’s Paint Markers to add cute arrows. You could do anything; cars, a quote, your kids names…anything to go with the room.

11. Attach the furniture sliders for carpet or casters for hard surfaces.

Now your toy storage is ready to go. I love our new hidden toy storage. Just need 20 more to hide the rest of the toys. Check out this post to see how I made quick DIY Kids Book Storage.

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Looking for another great DIY the kids will love? I’ve got an easy to build PVC Pipe Kids Tent for you.

Or Super Cute Felt Art for their bedroom walls.

Or this Fun and Easy DIY Nerf Gun Target Build.

And, this DIY Table Over Washer and Dryer is always popular.

If you need a great little desk for your elementary age kids. Check out this DIY Childrens Desk with Storage Drawers.

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Feeling inspired? Want to make your own hidden toy storage? Have fun and let me know if you have questions. Or post pictures of your work and tag Abbotts At Home on FB, I’d love to see it!