Built for Building!

Photographs by Ed Judice

It starts small, with a single Lego set received as a gift. But inevitably, the collection grows, and soon a tide of colorful plastic bits and pieces is threatening to swamp the house. FamilyFun crafter Kimberly Stoney, mom to 10-year-old Lego fan Elliott, knows this story all too well. Undaunted, she devised a simple, inexpensive building bench that provides a work area, display space, and plenty of drawers for keeping track of all those treasured little bricks.

Materials

paint
brush or small roller
3/4- by 16-inch wood board (ours is 48 inches long)
glue dots
3 (15-inch-square) Lego plates

3 standard-size drawer carts*
2 (12-inch) squares of nonslip shelf liner
electrical tape in several colors
kitchen-drawer organizers (optional)

Instructions

Paint the board on both sides and let it dry. If needed, apply a second coat, then let it dry.
Using plenty of glue dots, adhere the Lego plates to one side of the board.
Line up the carts and cover the tops of the first and third units with the shelf liner. Set the board in place.
Work with your builder to color-code or label the drawers with strips of electrical tape. If you like, use drawer organizers for special pieces.
Make it a Desk: To turn the bench into a desk, roll the center cart aside. Individual drawers can be pulled out during use, then stowed away again.

Get a Move On: Need to free up some space? Casters make it easy to push the units into a closet or corner.

Tips:: For securing creations to the bench top, we used extra-large Lego base plates. At around $15 each, they are pricey. Feel free to sub in smaller ones (around $5 each); your young builder may even have some on hand!
Notes:: * Drawer carts, sold at many large retailers, cost from $10 to $25 each. Look for units that are 12 1/2 inches wide and 14 1/2 inches deep; for the most flexibility, use a mix of three- and five-drawer models.

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