My son's stuffed animal collection is already getting out-of-control, and he's only two. Rather than have them take up valuable toy storage in his closets and chests, I decided to make a Stuffed Animal Zoo. This way, he can still see all his friends with easy access in and out.
First step was to get a bookshelf. I opted for a $16 model from my local box store. This would be best as a yard sale or thrift store item, but my luck: couldn't find one today.
Second step was to buy some bungie cords. I purchased eight 30" strands for this 31.5" tall case. I cut off one of the ends and slipped off both hooks.
The third step is to drill holes evenly across the top and bottom shelves. I used a 3/8" drill bit for the bungies I bought.
Fourth step is to run the bungies through the holes. Since I only cut one end of the bungies to get the hooks off, I used the "pre-fabricated" end for the exposed top shelf. I thought it looked cleaner.
On the bottom of the bookshelf, I pulled the bungies through and tied them.
**NOTE**
Particle board is cheap. Incredibly cheap. At first, I pulled the bungies very taut. Just the tension of the bungies caused the bottom shelf to rip from it's screws, showering me with pieces of particle board. I had to reattch the bottom shelf and reinforce it with four screws on each side. When I put the bungies through again, I didn't tie them as taut. Live and learn.
And there you have it. A cage that can wrangle all those stuffed animals that tend to overrun bedrooms.
I love that the bungies can keep the animals in, but they're stretchy enough to pull them in and out.
These zoos can be made in any size for any room. I know that when I was a child, I could have used a floor to ceiling 4'x4' cage.
I really hope we don't need to go there...
Yankee Doodle Dandy,
–TYG
No comments:
Post a Comment