8 Great Things You Can Make From Old Kids' Toys

If your kids are all grown up, but you can't bear the thought of throwing out their favorite childhood toys, then today is your lucky day. There are so many great ways to repurpose your little ones' old playthings, and here are 8 DIY projects to get you started.

1. Bookends

You'll need:

  • horse figurine
  • 4 wooden boards
  • 8 screws
  • wood stain
  • hot glue

Here's how:

1.1 Screw two boards together at a right angle.

1.2 Coat the wooden boards with wood stain.

1.3 Cut the horse figurine in half and glue the two halves to the boards as shown, applying hot glue to the cut edge and under the hooves.

1.4 Feel free to add other figurines or decorative elements to the boards.

2. Toothbrush Holder

Pick a toy and drill a hole that's wide enough to fit a toothbrush.

3. Coat Rack Hooks

You'll need:

  • 4 animal figurines
  • spray paint
  • wooden board
  • 4 screws
  • wood stain

Here's how:

3.1 Cut off the back of the figurines (in the case: the tails of the dinosaur toys) and coat the front figurine halves with spray paint.

3.2 Smooth the wooden board with sandpaper, if necessary, and drill four holes in two rows.

3.3 Coat the board with wood stain, and after it has dried, turn the board over and drill the screws into the holes from behind.

3.4 Screw the painted figurines onto the screws.

3.5 Now hang your board in the hallway or at the front entrance to your home. Guests will be thrilled to hang their jackets on these cute coat hangers!

4. Retro Clock

You'll need:

  • 12 dominoes (numbers 1–12)
  • vinyl record
  • clock movement kit
  • hot glue

Here's how:

4.1 Place the record on the clock movement so that the clock hands are on the front side and the clock movement is on the back side of the record.

4.2 Glue the dominoes with to the front side of the record with a hot glue gun, making sure to place the appropriate number in the correct position (i.e. the 6 should be at the lower center section of the record). 

4.3 Finally hang the vinyl domino clock on the wall and you'll have no excuse to be late.

5. Homemade Soap

You'll need:

  • silicone mold
  • small plastic figures
  • clear glycerin soap
  • essential oil
  • food coloring

Here's how:

5.1 Heat some water in a pot and place the glycerin soap inside.

5.2 Add a few drops of the essential oil and food coloring to the liquid glycerin soap and stir everything together.

5.3 Place the plastic figurines in the silicone mold and pour the glycerin soap over each one with a ladle.

5.3 Let the soap harden and soon you'll be able to enjoy a fragrant soap that comes with a little surprise reminiscent of a mosquito trapped in amber.

6. Serving Stand

You'll need:

  • giraffe figurine
  • saucer
  • hot glue
  • sandpaper

Here's how:

6.1 Saw the giraffe figurine in half, under the neck.

6.2 Smooth the cut sides of each half with sandpaper.

6.3 Glue the top half of the giraffe on top of the saucer, and the bottom half of the giraffe on the bottom of the saucer.

6.4 Now you'll always have a friendly face ready to greet you when you go for a snack!

7. Decorated Jars

You'll need:

  • clear jars
  • LEGO® minifigures
  • spray paint
  • super glue

Here's how:

7.1 Spray the lid of each jar with spray paint.

7.2 Put super glue on the bottom of each figure's feet and stick one figure on each lid.

7.3 Now you have the perfect way to store all your small toys or organize other household goods.

8. Decorative Lamp

You'll need:

  • a table lamp
  • horse figurines
  • spray paint
  • hot glue
  • masking tape

Here's how:

8.1 Glue the horse figurines to the lamp base with hot glue.

8.2 Cover the light bulb and cord with masking tape and coat the lamp, including the figurines, with spray paint.

8.3 What kind of figures and how many you use is entirely up to you. Thanks to the spray paint, no one will be able to tell that the figurines are old toys you chose to upcycle!

If your kids aren't out of the house just yet, but have still outgrown their old toys, be sure to try these 8 fun DIY kids' projects that guarantee you'll never hear the words "I'm bored" again!

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