Looking for that perfect Montessori Toy Organizer with Bins? I hear you. Recently we received a toy kitchen, a kid shopping cart, and a ton of play food and utensils from my mother-in-law, which is awesome but also takes up a ton of space. I wanted a toy organizer to sort all the food, but everything I found was too tall or too large for our space, which led me on a journey to DIY one myself. In the end I found this perfect DIY and then altered it to make it fit our smaller play area. I completed this project entirely on my own… so I know you can do it too, whoever you are!
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DIY Montessori Toy Organizer with Bins
Materials:
- A saw to cut the wood (THIS is what I used, but you can also use a table saw or have your hardware store make the cuts for you)
- Sandpaper or a Power Sander
- 3/4″ Wooden Dowels (4 of them)
- 1 in. x 10 in. x 6 ft. Premium Board (Get two of these if you want a shelf on top)
- Drill
- 3/4″ Wood Drilling Forstner Bit
- 1/8″ Drill Bit
- 1 1/4″ Screws
- 8 Plastic Bins
- Any protection gear you need (glasses, etc)
- Pencil
- Tape Measure
- Wood Glue
Cut your wood to the appropriate sizes
Either have the hardware store make your cuts for you, or do them on your own. Our Home Depot’s saw was down so I just used a tooth saw to make the cuts. Cut the 1 in. x 10 in. x 6 ft. board into two 23 inch segments. This will be the height of your toy organizer.
Cut your wood dowels
Next, cut each wood dowel into 34-inch pieces. This is the width of your toy organizer.
Sand down each plank of wood
Using a power sander or sandpaper, sand down each plank of wood until they’re smooth to the touch!
Mark each plank of wood for your toy organizer
On each plank of wood, mark where the dowel rod holes will go, with a small pencil dot 3.5 inches from the base and 1 inch in from the edge. Mark another small pencil dot 12.5 inches from the base and 1 inch in. You should have four marks on each plank of wood, 8 in total.
Drill each dowel hole
Place the center of the Forstner bit onto each small dot and drill 3/4″ into the wood. I practiced on another piece of wood before drilling the main holes, just to be safe.
Drill pilot holes
Through the center of each hole, use the 1/8″ drill bit to drill a pilot hole. This will be the hole you drill through to secure the wooden dowels later.
Use wood glue to secure the wooden dowels
Place a dab of wood glue in each hole and then insert the dowel into the holes. The dowels should be pretty tight so make sure they are in there secure.
Three secrets to
Setting up a Playroom That Encourages Independent Play
When it comes to figuring out how to encourage independent play, you’d be surprised at the simple changes you can make to help support your little one. My e-course, How to Encourage Independent Play, walks you through all of the important aspects. But there are three quick tricks you can do today that will help your child engage in independent play.
Lay one plank on its side
Lay one plank on its side, so the dowels are facing up in the air. Then place the other plank on top of the dowels and make sure the dowels are inserted into the holes.
Drill the dowels into place
Drill the screws through the wood plank and into the wooden dowels, to hold everything secure and in place.
Measure your top shelf
If you’d like a shelf for the top of your organizer, like I have, measurre how long you need to trim your wood, and cut a piece. Screw each corner in to the top.
Add your plastic bins to the toy organizer
Style your montessori toy organizer with bins and enjoy! Be sure to share a picture of it and tag me on Instagram so I can see yoour final product!
