A toy chest is a versitile piece of furniture. Any variety of clutter, not just toys, can be concealed within its smooth and polished exterior. Perhaps, however, you have an old toy chest whose exterior is far from smooth and polished. Refinishing and painting can transform your old toy chest into an attractive piece of furniture, and it's a job you can do yourself.
First, you'll need to strip your toy chest of its old paint or stain. There are a variety of wood strippers on the market. For easier application and less mess, choose a semi-paste rather than a liquid. Work on one side of the toy chest at a time, applying the stripper according to the product instructions. Leave the stripper on for the specified time and then scrape the surface. A steel wool pad works great as a scraper. Go with the grain of the wood as you scrape. After you have finished scraping the toy chest, clean each surface with lacquer thinner to remove all traces of stripper. Be sure to have good ventilation as you work with lacquer thinner.
Next, your toy chest needs to be sanded and cleaned in preparation for staining or painting. If you see stains on the wood, you can try applying a wood stain remover, or you can use 100-grit sandpaper to sand away surface stains. Then use 150-grit sandpaper to sand all the surfaces you are going to paint or stain. Wipe the toy chest thoroughly with a good-quality dust cloth.
Your toy chest can now either be stained or painted. For staining, you can select any variety of colors in either liquid or gel form. Working on one side of the chest at a time, apply the stain with a paintbrush. Use long, smooth strokes in the direction of the wood grain. Apply as much stain as the wood will absorb, and gently wipe away any excess with a sponge or absorbant cloth. Allow the stain to dry thoroughly, and then finish your toy chest with a top coat of tung oil or polyurathane. Tung oil will allow the wood grain to show through and is a good choice if your chest will be used to store infrequently used items. If the chest will serve as an actual toy chest, use polyurathane, which will hold up to more wear and tear.
If you prefer to paint your toy chest, begin by applying a coat of wood primer. Once the primer is thoroughly dry, your toy chest is ready to paint. Select a semi-gloss paint in whatever shade you prefer. Apply one coat of paint, let dry, and then apply a second coat.
After the second coat dries, your possibilities with paint are endless. You can leave the toy chest a solid color, or you can embellish it with any variety of colors and patterns. Stamps, sponges, and stencils are great tools for decorating and can help you turn that old toy chest into an attractive piece of furniture. You may want to personalize the toy chest with your children's names or handprints. Or you may want to decorate the surface to match your room decor. Check at your local craft supply store for more decorating ideas.
