Young House Love

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A Wood Truck That Holds Crayons

Here’s the story of the little two dollar Goodwill truck that I got Clara in Georgia (mentioned in this video yesterday). This is what it looked like when I snatched it up:

Truck1

Perfectly charming and vintage-ish, but a little less “Clara” than it could have been. So I thought it would be fun to get Clara involved in a little makeover. Yes, Clara would be the ultimate truck graffiti artist, but first I applied one coat of blue paint, just to set the stage for her scribbles (the entire project was free thanks to using a little test pot of paint leftover from this old art project last year). The color is Embellished Blue by Behr in case you’re wondering.

Truck2

After it dried I handed it over to Clara with a box full of crayons and told her to go nuts. She had the best time coloring every last corner and crevice. I wish (oh how I wish) I had thought to take photos of her coloring with reckless abandon (I was too busy watching and clapping and playing the role of too-excited momma). Just try to picture Clara grabbing every color and feverishly coloring her blue truck while completely ignoring me. She loved it. She was focused. She took her truck-coloring job very seriously. Of course there were talks about how we can only color on things when mommy says we can. So here’s hoping she doesn’t doodle on everything else we own now. So far so good. As for the truck though, no surface was left uncolored – even the wheels got some crayon-love. About ten minutes later, Clara had created this:

Truck 3

Her crayon-holding truck, complete with crayon scribbles. Isn’t it cute?

Truck 4

It sits on her little drawing desk. Except for when she’s pushing it around on the floor (which is probably about 70% of the time).

Truck 5

I love that it holds all of her crayons out where she can see them since I used to store them in a little zippered pouch and it was harder for her to see all of the colors that way. And the holes definitely keep her busy since she likes to take all of her crayons out and then put them all back in. It’s like an interactive puzzle slash storage spot slash truck. I mean it rolls for goodness sakes! It’s the toy trifecta.

Truck6

I thought about sealing her doodles with some clear non-toxic sealer (Safecoat Acrylacq) but I actually like the idea of allowing her scribbles to continue over time, so it can change every day if that’s Clara’s idea of a good time. She has already added a little more pink today. I’m looking forward to seeing how it evolves. Haha. Sort of like the rooms in our house. Now Clara has her little truck to “makeover.” And when she gets a little older we can even repaint it another color so she can start from scratch again if she’d like.

Truck7

So as work continues on the deck outside (along with some Pinterest-Challenging), here’s a zero dollar project with a $2 thrift store find that Clara and I had fun with. Sometimes the little things are my favorite – especially when Clara’s in on the fun. But that’s not to say that our little crayon truck won’t be ten times more fun when the deck is finished and we can take it out there for some alfresco coloring. Haha. Those will be the days. What have you guys been doing with your kiddos (or pets)? Burger totally painted something for us a while back. That was a good time too.

Psst- Click here to see over 60 other kid-projects, from DIY book shelves to homemade mobiles and more.

Comments

  1. Lynn @ Our Useful Hands says

    This is too cute of a project that turned out great! These types of things are the ones she will remember when she is older and moving into her own place (please rebound economy, pretty pretty please??) and will want to take with her as a little piece of home. Honest to goodness, the other day I was feeling nostalgic for my journals I kept as a youngster and a huge Raggedy Ann doll pillow I had as a little girl. They burned in a house fire but it’s okay because the fire department brought me more toys than I could ever have used in the end. Anyway, good job and have a great weekend.

    My best, Lynn
    *working on my Pinterest Challenge “thing” and was wondering do you think it’s better to use a power sander on wood chairs or the 3 finger sanding method instead? I have the option of both so…any ideas?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hmm, I would probably hand sand them if I had the patience, just to get a nice even sanding without some areas getting more bare/worn down than others. Good luck!

      xo,
      s

  3. S'Mo (aka Sarah) says

    If I weren’t a total fangirl before, I am now… Y’all had me at “Sisqo.”

    Forget having “moves like Jagger”; for me, a good time will always require Da Dip, Riding the Train, Backing that [Thang] Up, and some Sisqo.

    I MIGHT have convinced a colleague of mine to include some Sisqo in her wedding reception playlist…here’s hoping!

    Reply

  6. Krista says

    Super Cute!

    Somehow, I ended up looking back on old (like 1st and 2nd yr of the blog) posts and realized how long I’ve been reading your blog!

    Do you guys ever look back in awe of the days when you only had 10 comments on a post?! With close to 100 on a regular basis and many many more on giveaway days, it just blows me away!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes, it’s so funny! We definitely remember old posts that we thought were “a hit” and then we see like 15 comments on them. Hahaha. Those were the days!

      xo,
      s

  7. emily says

    That truck is super cute!! I just wanted to let you know (although you might know, you are the professionals here) that I learned from the paint guys at Home Depot last week that those little sample colors are not complete paints. They leave something out so they don’t have the staying power of “real” paint. Maybe a coat or two of some protectant would help? That’s what I’m going to try when I use some color samples for an upcoming project. Love your blog :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh yes I have heard that too but I also have heard folks say that they say that to trick people into people buying quarts of paint instead of using cheap testers for projects, so I’m not sure what to believe. Haha. I have used test pots for small projects for close to ten years and so far they’re all holding up, but I figure if this guy doesn’t we can just repaint it a new color and Clara can have fun re-doodling from scratch! Will keep you posted!

      xo,
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Sorry Stewart! I definitely have a soft spot for 90s music! I believe I once referenced a certain Sir Mix A Lot song about rear ends while talking about new globe lights in the kitchen a while back. Just can’t help myself.

      xo,
      s

  11. Yanet says

    Wow haven’t heard that song for a long time. Haha… The truck looks great. I wasn’t sure how to us it but now I know. The color I love , love love love. Great work. I have to do more shopping at Goodwill then garage sale. Keep up the great work.

    Reply

  16. Erin C. says

    I didn’t event remember sisqo spelled (spells?) his name like that. Thanks for the flashback….”lemme sing it agaaain”

    Reply

  20. Kelly says

    Oh my goodness, that’s adorable! What a clever idea. I love that all the crayons are out for her to see now, instead of in a ziplock. And the “graffitti” is just hilarious!

    Reply

  21. Kay says

    Such a cute way to use the truck…is that what the holes are meant for? I’m trying to imagine what their purpose would be if not, since it’s such a perfect crayon truck! Awww, I want one (I’d share it with my little boy, for sure). And I couldn’t help but notice the yellow crayon is worn down the most. My kind of girl….

    Reply

  22. Kathy says

    Hi, Happy Anniversary tomorrow.
    I was wondering what the cute red thing is by the plates on your open shelves in the kitchen. Please share.

    Clara is one lucky girl to have such creative parents.

    Reply

  23. morgan says

    Very sweet! Where do you store all of your old paint so that it’s usable after such long time frames?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I keep all of our test pots in the cabinets over the washer and dryer in our laundry room and all the gallons in the basement (except for the trim paint and colors we commonly use, like Mooshine, which also stay in the laundry room cabinet).

      xo,
      s

  25. Nikki says

    What the heck!? I would have never looked at that truck and saw an ADORABLE crayon holder. I have no vision. lol I need to give Goodwill another try. Great job!!! :)

    Reply

  26. Juliane says

    Love how you made that little toy truck into a cute, traveling decoration! This is definitely the best crayon box I’ve ever seen. It’s always the small decorating touches that matter–wall art, a little cactus, or this adorable truck!

    Reply

  27. Trela says

    Maybe it’s NOT a good time to read her “Harold and the Purple Crayon?” Or maybe it’s the perfect time! :) (But seriously, if she hasn’t read it, it’s a must do… the original, not the holiday versions. When I was four I wanted to marry Harold.)

    We have a HUGE (like 100 people in a barn huge) pumpkin carving party every year, and when we got to the stage that most of our friends had littles, I made a jack o’lantern crayon holder out of a 2×8. I just sketched a pumpkin on a scrap piece, cut it out with my jig saw, sanded – a lot -painted it to look like Jack, and glued a piece of felt on the bottom. The holes went into the top around the stem. I was probably the only person at Home Depot holding out a crayon to pick the right sized drill bit…

    Reply

  28. Ally says

    Everyone else may be hearing Sisqo, but all I hear is little Clara singing (in her best male bass voice, no less :) the words:

    “Turnip Truck….”, like she did in her first “Turn Around/Horses” music video! :)

    HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO YOU, YOUNGSTERS! This is only the beginning of your endless love story :)

    xox

    Reply

  29. Nevin says

    Ahhhhh…. wish I had done something like this when my kids were little.
    You’re the best mom EVER!

    Reply

  30. Michelle DuPuis says

    My little guy recently found some crayon scribbles on the back of my bedroom door (courtesy of the previous owners two young kids) and immediately pointed it out to me saying “Oooooh, painting. Nice!” Perhaps we should have painted the doors and trim before he was born…

    Reply

  31. Jennifer says

    This is adorable!! Great idea! One question, is Behr paint always low or no VOC? Or do I have to request the no VOC? Redoing my little boys nightstand and was going to just spray paint it, but after reading this post it dawned on me to not use spray paint and instead go for a more natural approach with the paint?

    I also noticed you guys usually use BM paint swatches/colors but get them matched in Olympic paint, is O cheaper or what’s your thoughts on this?

    Thank you! Love love your blog :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think Behr premium is always no-VOC and Olympic premium is no-VOC (even the colorants they add don’t have VOCs) so that’s why we use it often! Ben Moore also makes Natura, which is VOC free and Aura, which is low-VOC (they’re a bit pricier but typically have great coverage, so we use them in certain cases just for the quality). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  34. Meghan says

    Oh my! I love the color! Really, I love the color. Here’s how much: We painted our tiny little bathroom two weeks a wonderful semi-gloss Embellish Blue by Behr. Looks great on the truck too!

    Reply

  37. Jessica says

    Wait did I hear katie say ” I should get it for will” and then you said ” clara likes it too, maybe i`ll get it for her”?
    I had a similar incident with my friend once, and hence never go shopping with girls nemore ;).. how do u both decide and stay cool abt it?

    Reply

  38. Sayward says

    1. Happy Anniversary!!

    2. During the summer of 99 I wasn’t allowed to wear thongs, but that song was my JAM. The BEST part hands down is the violin crescendo that leads up to him screaming “yyeaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!” Like, he is SO passionately moved by the concept of a woman’s under garment that it called for a violin crescendo and a gutteral cry of awestruck wonder.

    3. I just watched the video for old time’s sake and was completely horrified that the opening is his little girl finding his lover’s discarded undies and asking what they are. Definitely don’t remember that part from high school.

    Reply

  40. Amy says

    I saw a whale wooden crayon holder that was mentioned earlier on Etsy today (when I was searching for a truck for my little boy after seeing this post)! You might want to check it out. I’m so jelly of your thrift store finds!!

    Reply

  41. Molly says

    Love this painted crayon truck!!

    As a preschool teacher, I can say that this is more than cute and functional for Miss Clara. It is also a great practice tool for her fine motor skills. The action of grasping the crayon, taking it out of the hole, and then returning it to said hole takes coordination, concentration and awareness…all great skills for toddlers/preschoolers. Seriously! I am now going to be on the lookout for a few of these for my preschool room centers. Love, love!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Oh man, you have no idea how much we dream of having a kids line! Like all day and all night. I have a notebook full of ideas but the two companies we pitched it to aren’t sold. Will keep trying of course!!!

      xo,
      s

  43. Michelle Z says

    I bet it would be cute to paint just the “trailer” part of the truck with chalkboard paint, too, and then stick chalk in the holes instead of crayons. I would use it on a cabinet by my front door for quick messages (the dog needs to be walked, pick up milk, put on clean underwear, etc.).

    Reply

  45. Chelsea says

    Happy Anniversary!
    If Clara ever decides to graffiti any non-approved spots, get a magic eraser. Those things are life savers!!

    Reply

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