This project was featured in The Toronto Star on Sunday September 17th, 2000

Paul Hill, a cabinetmaker in Morrisburg, Ont., gave me the idea for this toy storage unit: He stepped on one too many stray playthings before coming up with this simple design. If you've had it with the daily ritual of tiptoeing around wayward toys, head into the shop with these plans. And you can always bring your kids into the shop with you. If they help you make this, they might be little more likely to use it.

Before you start work, buy and measure the plastic storage bins you'll need, just to be sure they'll fit this design.

If you'll be using solid wood for this project-I used pine-edge-glue enough 3/4"-thick lumber for the listed parts. Plywood's great too, and it saves a construction step. After sanding the panels and rough cutting them to size, prepare the required grooves-called rabbets-as shown in the plan. These let the plywood back panel interlock with the top, bottom and sides for more strength. Custom-cut the back later, once the project is assembled.

With the side members and partitions on your workbench, fasten the bin support strips to them using glue and #8 x 1 1/4" woodscrews. If you cut a 6 1/2"-wide spacer out of plywood, it'll help you position the strips without the hassle of measuring. See the plans and the photo for guidance.

Next, join the sides and partitions to the bottom member using glue and three #8 x 2" woodscrews per panel. An 11 5/8" plywood spacer will help you position the partitions perfectly. Attach the top member to the ends of the sides and partitions in the same way, except sink the screws used here into counterbored pockets that you'll cover later with ready-made tapered wooden plugs. If you've never done this before, practise on some scrap. Start by boring a 5/16"-deep x 1/2"-dia. hole using a sharp spade bit. Next, continue drilling right through the wood with a 1/8" dia. twist bit. This small hole allows the shank of the screw to pass through easily, while the larger hole allows the tapered plug to nestle in place on top. When working with pine, you don't have to drill a hole for the threads of the screw. They'll cut their own way in.

      When the project's together, custom-cut the plywood back panel and fasten it into the rabbets with a thin bead of glue and 1" finishing nails.

Assemble the four base frame parts into a rectangle using glue and finishing nails. Outside measurements should be 13" x 33 7/8". Now, fasten the base frame to the project with glue and six #8 x 2" woodscrews set into counterbored pockets in the top face of the bottom member, as you did before. Cover with tapered wooden plugs and sand flush. Give everything a final hand sanding, then finish. I used three coats of oil-based urethane.

On the ground floor: Cristian Bowie, son of the photographer who shot this photo, takes his role as landlord of the toy high-rise seriously. Here, he interviews some main-floor tenants

Use a plywood spacer (in this case 6 1/2" wide) to position the plywood cleats without the hassle of repeated measuring