How to Easily Build a Kids' Wooden Treasure Chest

Make your own toy storage box in just a few easy steps with Dremel
  • Difficulty
    Medium

Introduction

In need of some new storage ideas? Besides being fun, there are so many ways that a wooden treasure chest can be useful in your home. A kids’ treasure chest is a storage space in disguise – a fun way to encourage kids to keep things tidy! It’s ideal for keeping toys, arts and craft supplies, games and lots of other things organised and out of sight. It’s super versatile as it can be customised to fit in the living room, the hallway or the nursery. You can make the box exactly to size so that it fits perfectly into your home. In just a few easy steps, you’ll soon learn how to make this DIY treasure chest.

You need

Let's go - step by step

Step17

Draw the dimensions of the wooden parts

Draw the dimensions of the wooden parts for the treasure chest with a pencil

First things first: decide how big you want your treasure chest to be. Once you’ve noted down your desired measurements, draw the dimensions of the front, back, sides, base and lid on your wood in pencil. For our chest, the front and back sections are 69 x 50 cm, the sides are 40 x 50 cm, the base is 65 x 40 cm and the lid is 69 x 44 cm. You’ll also need two slats to reinforce the box – ours measure 2.4 x 4.4 x 38 cm.

Step27

Cut the wooden parts to size

Cut the wooden parts of the treasure chest to size with Dremel’s mini circular saw

Cut the wooden parts of the chest to size with a mini circular saw. Make sure to keep all parts nice and organised, as it will save you some time when assembling the chest later on. Got a front and back, two sides, a base, a lid and two slats for reinforcement? Great, let’s move on to the next step!

Step37

Drill and cut the handle opening

Cut the handle opening with the help of Dremel’s Multipurpose Cutting Kit (565)

For the handle openings on the sides of the treasure chest, draw a 70 mm horizontal line on each of the side pieces. The line should be centred and near the top edge. Put a little mark in the middle of that line and another mark 35 mm below it. Using the Dremel Multi-Tool and the Dremel® Multipurpose Cutting Kit (565), slowly drill into the lower little mark you just made and cut a semicircle using a circular wooden template for guidance. Lastly, cut the straight line with a mini circular saw. Repeat on the other side piece. You’ve now successfully created two handle openings, which are super convenient when moving the chest around.

Step47

Sand down the rough edges

Smooth edges are so important for a finished look – sand the edges down with a 60 grit Sanding Band (408) and your Dremel Multi-Tool

Next, switch your accessory to the 60 grit Sanding Band (408) to smooth out the rough sections you just cut and ensure a nice finish. The last thing you want is to get a splinter when opening or moving the chest. The best way to ensure a smooth finish is to lightly go over the rough edges. Set the RPM of your multi-tool between 10,000 and 35,000 for an optimal result.

Step57

Assemble the wooden parts to build your DIY treasure chest

Assemble the wooden parts of your new storage box

Your toy treasure chest is about to take shape: time to assemble the wooden parts. Start by gluing the side pieces and the base together using regular wood glue. When done, you’ll need to hammer in some nails to secure to the joints. Now attach the front and back sections of the chest in the same way, again using glue and nails. Then, glue the two slats onto the lid for extra reinforcement. Place each slat parallel with the side edge, centred and about 50 mm in. Don’t worry about attaching the lid at this point – we’ll get to that later!

Step67

Personalise the wooden chest

Add a personal touch to your treasure chest using the Dremel VersaTip to woodburn or try your hand at engraving!

Now’s your chance to add a personal touch to your newly created treasure chest storage box. Let’s go! Draw a motif of your choice on the lid using a pencil. Next, follow the lines closely with the Dremel VersaTip to woodburn your design or use your Dremel Multi-Tool and the Engraving Cutter (113) to etch it on. If you’d like to involve your kids in the process, now’s the time: let them get creative and paint some funky patterns on the chest. It’s all up to you – the possibilities truly are endless!

Step77

Attach the lid and the lock to the wooden chest

Almost there! Finish off the wooden chest by attaching the lid and the lock

You’ve reached the last step – time to complete your treasure chest. Depending on your choice of customisation, make sure the chest is fully dry before placing the lid on. Screw two hinges on the back, each about 50 mm from the sides. Then attach the hinged brackets to the inside of the box: one side of the bracket on the bottom of the lid and one side near the top of the back section. This keeps the lid upright and prevents it from falling backwards. Space-saving and more pleasing to the eye! You’re almost done now. The last step is to attach the lock to the middle of the front side of the chest. The lock consists of two components: the staple and the hasp. The staple needs to be screwed onto the front and the hasp on the lid. That’s it! Time to fill this storage box with treasures!


Warning

To reduce the risk of injury user must read instruction manuals for all tools used in this project. Wear eye and respiratory protection. Use clamps to support work piece whenever practical.