The week before last, I went down to the suburbs to visit my friends, the E—s, who only five years ago were blessed with a beautiful spitting and pooping bundle of joy. Doting first parents that they are, the E—s have predictably lavished their son Ben with dozens and dozens of toys. If you want to know what the E—s’ house looks like, imagine a construction site, and then imagine said construction site after a tornado’s been through it. Now turn it over and give it a little shake.
Good times.
While we talked over cups of coffee Mrs. E, a stylish woman, admitted to running out of ideas for pretty, functional storage spaces for her son’s toys. She didn’t like those big, clunky storage bins, she said, and never mind those baskets. I was at a loss too, I told her.
It wasn’t until I stepped on a stray Lego block (the E—s are apparently big fans of Danish culture and actually buy these charming little Danish toys online) that I had the idea to suggest that Mr. E—build his son a Danish-style toy box to put his son’s toys in. For one:
They’re stylish
Quaint and rustic is in these days. People are getting nostalgic for the paint-and-wood smell of their youth, and your very own Danish-inspired toy box would be an excellent way to store not only your children’s toys, but also a creative way to store the odds and ends around the house. For example, you could use them to store your heirloom silverware, or maybe extra linen for your house guests. The possibilities are virtually endless – just use your imagination!
They make excellent conversation pieces
A colorful piece of art is always a good conversation starter when you’re entertaining guests. Just like an intriguing painting, a Danish toy box would be something to start your conversations around. Think of it now: “Oh, Mrs. E! What a lovely chest! Where ever did you get it?”
They’re compact
Toy boxes are generally easy to store away than toy bins (not to mention a fair bit more attractive). When you make them yourself, you can customize them to make them as big or as small as you like to fit in all the little ins and outs of your home.
They’re affordable
When you make your own toy box, you can save extra cash than when you buy online or in stores. And you can paint them in whatever way you want. For this project, Mr. E—decorated the toy box as a Viking treasure chest, complete with miniature wooden dragon on top. It all depends on your skill, really. And don’t be afraid to get creative with it!
Most of all, they’re fun.
Danish toy boxes are colorful, they’re creative, and they’re lots of fun to look at as well as to make.
I’m setting out to make my own toy box this weekend, to maybe put some of my books in. Fingers crossed!
Dominique dela Cruz is a freelance blogger and writes for Netgiraffen, one of Denmark’s best online store for quality toys and kids merchandise.
4 Reasons Why You Should Own Danish Style Toy Boxes
