How to Transform and Upcycle an Old Large Toy Box 

Toy boxes are the focal point of every child’s bedroom. 

As well as being a practical means of storing toys and knick-knacks, they’re an attractive centrepiece that can pull together the rest of the room’s furniture and interior design.

A large toy box can bring joy and elegance to playtime. But what to do when a child outgrows a toy box and it’s no longer needed for its original purpose?

In this article, we’ll run through some clever and inventive ideas for how to repurpose an old large toy box when it’s no longer needed.

Don’t forget to visit Dragons of Walton Street for more inspiration and to discover our full range of luxury, hand-painted children’s furniture.

Benches and Bench Seats

The solid, sturdy construction of well-made toy boxes means that they’re ideal to be repurposed into benches and bench seats.

This effect can easily be achieved by positioning the toy box up beside a wall and placing some cushions to create a simple and inviting seat.

The lid of the toy box can be covered with a layered blanket to form the seat. Or, if you want to fully commit to a DIY upcycling project, you could create custom-made upholstery and fill it with wadding for even more comfort.

The best part of this set-up is that the box can still be used for storage.

If you place the newly-repurposed toy box in the bedroom, for example, you could use it as a handy storage space for extra linens or pillows.

Or it could be a place to store stray shoes and umbrellas if placed in the hallway next to the front door. 

The double functionality of a bench seat that still has masses of storage is a win-win for any household short on storage and places to sit.

Coffee Tables 

One of the easiest ways to upcycle an old large toy box into something new is by repurposing it as an attractive coffee table for the living room.

Vintage and upcycled coffee tables are bang on trend at the moment, and there are numerous ways you can transform an old toy box into a beautiful coffee table.

Distressed- or aged-looking wood effects and paints are a popular option to give a piece of furniture an aged appearance.

Additional embellishments like side handles, metal banding or legs can also help breathe new life into a tired toy box. Again, you also have the benefit of extra storage space in the living room, which wouldn’t be possible with most types of coffee tables.

Bedside Tables

A large toy box can also work very well next to a bed to provide additional counter space.

This can be handy if you like to keep a lot of things to hand next to your bed, like books, tech items, lamps, drinks or glasses.

Many bedside tables can be quite restricted in how much counter space they allow, so the large form of a toy box can be an ideal solution to this. 

Toy boxes are usually set quite low, which also means that they’ll fit in easily with most bed heights and configurations.

Cupboards and Chests of Drawers

The structure of a toy box is usually quite simple, which makes it easy to customise and give it new life as another storage unit. 

Toy boxes can easily be put on their end and used as cupboards, with extra shelving installed inside. 

These cupboards can use either the existing hinge on the toy box, or be made to be permanently open as a display cabinet. 

The bottom of this new cupboard can also be reinforced with legs for extra stability.

As another option, holes can be put into the front of the toy box and extra-large drawers can be put in as an alternative means of accessing storage. 

This has the additional benefit of allowing you to put more permanent or heavy objects on top of the box, as you’ll no longer need to access the top lid for storage.

Looking for More Large Toy Box Inspiration?

Repurposing old furniture is a great way to get extra years out of a piece and give it a new lease of life.

But what if you’re in need of a brand-new toy box, or a different piece of furniture that you can’t find elsewhere?

Dragons of Walton Street produce beautiful, hand-painted children’s furniture pieces that stand the test of time and will spark delight in any child’s bedroom or playroom. 

Be sure to visit their website to discover their full range of chairs, beds, tables, accessories and more.