The toy box in the picture was designed based on the beer crates that Detroit Brewing Company used to carry bottles of beer more than a century ago. I loved the cool, industrial feel of the Martzes’ beer crates, but wanted something new and modern for my puppy to store her toys in.

When it comes to inherited objets, sometimes it’s better to draw inspiration from the objet than to preserve it.

Finding design inspiration for a toy box

I chose two antique beer crates as inspiration for my toy box. These beer crates were stenciled with the logos for Oldbru, a centuries-old Bavarian beer recipe, and Detroit Brewing Company, the Martz brewery. They also have local place stamps for Detroit, Michigan, providing context to the logos.

I replicated the stencils, using hearts instead of logos on the sides. I replaced “Oldbru” with the word “Toys”, and, added “Apricot’s Home” in “USA” as the local place.

Stenciling and building a wood beer crate

You can make a simple beer crate from scraps of wood, if you use a saw to remove space for handles on the ends. Or, you can buy pre-made pieces. For this toy box, I bought a pre-made pine box from IKEA for $15. The IKEA kit comprises untreated wood that can be finished before assembly.

Once your wood pieces are ready for assembly, the next step is to stencil them with your design. I applied a stencil on each side of the pine wood box.

With untreated pine, you’ll get a little bit of blurring from the soft, porous nature of the wood. I liked the uneven lines for this toy box as they are similar to the aged aesthetic of an antique beer crate. If you want a more defined and modern aesthetic, soft woods can be coated with a thin layer of sealant prior to stenciling to prevent blurring.

Making this toy box was a fun weekend project, and, my puppy is already having a blast playing with her new toy box.

Learn how to make your own tavern sign here.