Decoarting a white formica blanket box for toddlers room

Lizbetty

Hi everyone!

Our neighbours have given us an old stylie white formica blanket box they no longer need as they figured it would be a nice toybox for our eldest (3), which is lovely of them. It's not what I would usually go for and wondered if anyone had any success decorating this kind of thing, as the surface is so smooth?

Her room is sort of Cath Kidston stylie (very much on the cheap!) and so something in that style would be great. It also has a bit of a slam when you shut it and wondered if anyone had any suggestions to help protect their fingers, please? (I have an 19month old too).

It's sort of kids seat height and will be useful, just needs prettying up a bit! All suggestions welcome, I know you're all creative so I can't wait to hear your ideas :T

Thanks,
Luce

Larumbelle

I would cover it with either fabric or fablon. As for trapped fingers, you can get hinges that close by themselves but very slowly making it difficult to slam them, but I don't know how much they cost or what they are called. A cheap alternative is to get some of that sticky foam and put it all along the lip of the box and lid?

Gigervamp

If you want to paint it, you can buy a special primer paint for formica.

Dazi

If the outside is ok and you dont want to paint or cover it, what about stickers, was in Home Bargains today and they had huge packs of stickers that were for decorating rooms, , could use them or maybe stencil some designs on it, plasticoat paint seems to be ok for all kinds of surfaces. As silvercharming said, either replace the hinges or put foam round the box and lid, the kind that is used for insulating around doors would be good as you can usually buy this on a roll. As you said it is kids seat height you could then put a piece of foam on top and cover in co-ordinating material and make a little bench seat.

Lilycharlotte

I had a friend who had a box like that and she painted her childrens bottoms and got them to sit on the seat! Then they each had their own place! :rotfl:

If you've got a hot glue gun (they're really cheap) you can hot glue ribbon and tassels or pom pom bits aroudn the edge of the lid.

Paints all well and good but children aren't all that paitent when it comes to drying!!

Stickers are good too, you can get pretty swish looking ones these days

xXx

lynzpower

One idea I saw once in Ideal home mag or some such mag, was to pait a bedding box like yours with blackboard paint. You can get this for about 6 quid in B&Q. on a formica style you'd have to paint primer on- about 3 quid for a small ish tin. then if you want kath kidston style, just simply give your kids chalk and get them to practice flowers

Might not fit your colour scheme but a cute idea all the same

newlywed

I've painted formica/melamine furniture successfully. Use the proper primer. Sand it down. Then paint (I used gloss paint meant for woodwork to make sure it would last and survive the knocks - which it did). I stencilled one of mine with a stencil I made to match my curtain fabric (trace over fabric and use a craft knife to cut out the pattern).

moo2moo

Rather than the "proper" primer try PVA glue, you can buy it in 5l tubs very cheaply. You can mix paint with PVA to colour it or you can paint it on as a base coat, allow to dry and then paint over it.

maman

Saw gorgeous painted boxes in Harrods (yes, I'm a regualr shopper there!!) which were in lovely pastel colurs and then children's names and dates of birth painted on in scrolly writing plus a few flowers etc