Does your child have a collection of small plastic toys he no longer plays with? Don't throw them away. All of those plastic horses, little soldiers, metal game pieces, little charms, and other small doodads can be used to create fun décor for your child's room. With a touch of creativity and a little bit of time, you can give those pieces new life. Here's how to recycle old toys into an eclectic frame to hold your child's favorite photo:
Gather your supplies
Start by gathering together all of those little plastic toys under two inches in size that you were planning to throw away. Game board pieces, treasures from gum ball machines, plastic animals, miniature soldiers, and a host of other little toys and treasures are perfect for this project. You'll also need a wooden frame, paint, a large paint brush, and a hot glue gun along with hot glue sticks which can be found at your local craft store.
Prepare your frame
Select a base color for your frame that coordinates with your child's room. Children tend to like bright, happy primary colors so take this into consideration. Once you've established your color, paint the surface of your wood frame with several coats of the selected color. Allow each coat to dry thoroughly before applying the next one. Once you've applied your final coat of paint, apply a light spray-on glaze or sealer to protect the painted surface.
Embellish your frame with toys
Now comes the fun part. Arrange the toys and doodads in a fun and creative way along the sides of the frame. You can cover the entire frame with toys or just strategic areas. Whatever strikes your fancy. It's meant to be a fun and funky work of art so there's no right or wrong. Once you have your arrangement finalized, use hot glue to attach the pieces to the frame Allow the frame to dry for an hour before handling.
Now that your recycled toy frame is complete, choose a special photo of your child and place it in the frame. You could also put a photo of your child's special pet or a much loved grandparent into the frame and give it to your child as a gift.
A frame is just one item you can decorate using this technique. You attach little clusters of toys to the edges of a mirror, along the top of a painted wooden box, along the front of a trash can or bowl, or any number of other home décor items with flat surfaces. Just be sure to hang onto those old toys and doodads!
