Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

| By | | 251 Comments

Finishing Our Sandbox Project

Ready for the next chapter of our sandbox project? If you’re not, I can tell you one person who definitely was. Her name rhymes with Blara.

Here’s where we left off. Box built (more on that here) and awaiting sand. But in need of a cover first.

Sandbox 18 Done For Now

Having looked at a bunch of other DIY sandbox covers (like the awesome ones from Dana Made It, Small & Friendly, Modern Parents Messy Kids, and Dover Projects) and based on our own experiences, we compiled a mental list of what we wanted (and didn’t want) out of our cover. Our checklist was something like this:

  • Should primarily keep out natural debris (leaves, acorns, etc) and animal “debris” (from neighborhood cats, birds flying by, etc).
  • Should help keep water out, but we weren’t going to be crazy about making it completely airtight.
  • Should be sturdy – so no tarps that could fly off or other plastic that might warp. Wood felt like our best bet.
  • Shouldn’t be too heavy. If lifting it were a burden, we might be less inclined to use it.

So this is what we came up with. It doesn’t make much sense in it’s pre-constructed phase, but I promise it’ll all come together a bit later.

Sandbox 19 Cover Wood

The concept for it was born from the fact that plywood was the cheapest way to cover such a big area (a 5 x 5 ft square, essentially) but my experience with plywood outdoors is that it can warp. So we decided to buy two 2 x 4″ plywood sheets with a frame of 1 x 8″ boards around it – both to add stability and to make it large enough to do the job. Plus since it’s right off of our patio we wanted it to look clean and finished and not like a plank of wood tossed haphazardly over a box.

Oh, and since one big 25 square foot cover threatened to be quite heavy – we decided to build it in two interlocking pieces. So here’s the frame for one side (I attached the frame boards using my Kreg jig). Hey look – it’s a C for Clara.

Sandbox 20 Cover C Frame

After building both frames and screwing the plywood to it from the underside, I stained both pieces with the same Behr waterproof Deck Stain in a “Natural” color that I used for the sandbox itself. It came out a bit streakier than I would’ve liked, but in my continued efforts to not stress about a sandbox I let it be (will Clara care about a less-than-perfect stain job? I certain hope not). Oh, and you’ll notice that one side has the board kinda dangling off the side. That’s a middle piece that I added to cover up some of the seam between the two sides. It’ll make more sense when you see it all in place in a few pics.

Sandbox 21 Cover Stained

We could’ve just let the cover sit freely on the top of the box, but I opted to attach it with some hinges so that we wouldn’t have to carry the whole thing every time Clara wanted to play.

Sandbox 22 Hinge Into Cover

Plus, this meant the cover could rest against the fence rather than having to be stored somewhere else on the patio while the sandbox is in use. So I attached the other half of the hinge right to the top of the box itself.

Sandbox 23 Hing Into Frame

While we’re on the subject of hardware, we also attached a matching handle on each side of the cover for easy grabbing. They actually polished things off a lot. Note to self: add hardware to stuff, it makes it look legit.

Sandbox 24 Screwing Handle

Here it is with the cover finished and attached, but I realize it’s a bit hard to see given the tree shadows…

Sandbox 24 Cover On Bad Lite

…so let’s momentarily skip ahead to some pictures I took later in the day when the sun was starting to set. It’s not as pretty looking, but there aren’t those blotchy shadows going on. As for rain collecting on those panels, we’re going to see how it goes, but there are a couple of seams and cracks that should let it drain out well. So far (with very small rains) it has been fine. But if we have a gully washer and it’s an issue we’ll alter it with some drainage holes and report back!

Sandbox 24 1 Good Lite Done

And now you can see how each side can swing open to reveal the sandbox beneath.

Sandbox 24 2 Good Lite 1 Up

Ta-dah! Oh and you’ll notice that the rain barrel has a fully fused plastic top on it (so there’s no danger of Clara somehow climbing on top of it and falling into water). Sometimes from pics of the side, folks assume that a rain barrel is topless, but it’s closed and has very small mesh circles where the water filters through (to keep mosquitoes out).

Sandbox 24 3 Good Lite 2 Up

And on the subject of child safety, you may be thinking the same thing we thought – “Ack! What if Clara pulls the cover down on herself?!” So we installed a little safety latch to keep that from happening. It’s a bit of a contraption (again, me over-complicating things) but it’s basically an eye-hook screwed into the underside of the cover with a piece of chain attached via carabiner. When the cover is closed it sits hidden under the box, but when resting against the fence we can hang the chain over a hook we screwed into the fence post.

Sandbox 26 Safety Latch

These may look dainty, but they’re actually nice and heavy duty. We tugged on them more than a few times just to be sure they’re really in there. So when the sandbox cover is open and locked in this position, it’s not going anywhere. It’s especially nice that the hinges rotate more than 90 degrees since the cover can lean back on the fence for more security (if it were frozen in the air at a 90 degree angle we’d worry it might be more apt to fall closed, but when leaning back against the fence and hooked into place, it’s nice and secure). So now that we’ve covered how the cover works, I’m going to rewind to a time when there wasn’t sand yet in the box. A much sunnier, distractingly shadow-y time.

Sandbox 27 Cover Done

Even though I showed you a few extra bags of play sand that we had sitting around from last year, I still bought about 15 more because I knew it would take a lot to fill it up and give a decent amount depth for Clara to really get her dig on.

Sandbox 28 Sand In Carport

I call this picture “the inaugural sand” – my sand box equivalent to a ceremonial cornerstone or symbolic spike that connected the railroads. But it’s really just the first bag I dumped in there.

Sandbox 30 Inaugural Sand

As I dumped bag after bag of sand, Clara stood patiently waiting for her cue to play. Patience isn’t always her strongest virtue, but I have to give her props for being a very calm lady in waiting this day. Look at her all poised and ready with her bucket and her shovel.

Sandbox 31 Clara Waiting

20 bags of sand later – we gave Clara the go ahead.

Sandbox 32 First Steps

And the rest is history.

Sandbox 33 Clara Playing Far

Sandbox 36 Playing With Truck

Think she likes it?

Sandbox 37 Smiling

We’re just as happy about it. The location is perfect for letting her play in a contained area (the patio is fully fenced in) while allowing us to sit outside and try to get some work done in a nearby chair. Plus, it’s pretty shaded most of the day too.

Sandbox 34 Clara Playing Overhead

I must admit, in addition to be a bit more complex than I had set out to make it – it also was a bit more expensive than I had prepared myself for. Both wood and sand really add up quickly, but after looking up other wood sandboxes (many which didn’t even come with a cover and were $180 or more, like this one from Target) I felt a lot better. Plus sandboxes don’t come with sand, so that’s always an added expense. Here’s our budget breakdown:

  • Wood for 5 x 5′ box: $17
  • Wood for 5 x 5′ cover: $38
  • Stain: $22
  • Weed block: $0 (leftover from last year)
  • Hinges, handles & safety hardware: $21
  • Sand: $48 (thanks to some leftover bags from last year)
  • TOTAL: $146

Sandbox 38 Flower Foreground

Clara happily digging around for hours on end: priceless. And so ends the two-part saga that was…

YHL Making A Covered Sandbox

OR DOES IT? Just when we thought our sandbox adventures had come to a close, something else happened. And it resulted in a little sandbox remix. More details tomorrow (we just have to edit the pics and write the post up). Then it’s really over. Whew. Who knew a simple sandbox would turn into a trilogy? In the meantime, have you added hardware to anything that suddenly felt more legit? I’m telling you, it’s a thing.

Pssst- To read The Sandbox Chronicles in their entirety, here’s Part 1 (about building the base of the box) and Part 3 (about swapping what we found out was unsafe sand for pea gravel).

Comments

  2. Sylvie says

    Hmm, sounds like part 3 deals with the safety issues with play sand. We just added a sandbox to our deck for our 15 month old, courtesy of the in-laws. They got designated “play sand”. But after reading about the dangers of “play sand”, I’m trying not to hyperventilate and ask them to spend literally a hundred dollars more to switch the sand. Don’t want to seem ungrateful, but I still worry. Being a parent sure means endless worries!!

    Reply

  3. Emma says

    OK. The picture of Clara waiting for the sandbox is a classic. Kind of like me walking in to Home Goods. Great sandbox!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We considered doing something like that, but I was having flashbacks to my childhood sandbox with those where they house lots of spiders and other creepies… so we opted against ’em for now.

      -John

    • Lisa says

      Just grab a couple of dollar bin plastic step stools as part of your sand box toys (seriously check the Target dollar bin section and grab them in various colors) and there is an easy fix to the sitting in the sand part…you can just put one or two in the box when she and her pals are playing and they can sit on them (or use them as part of their adventure). Then when you are cleaning up the toys, take them out so that they don’t attract any of the creepies!
      Actually, they would be good on your patio too…a little seat just for kids…mine love it! :)

  5. Jaz says

    Wow! What a great feature to the patio area – no doubt Clara’s favorite!

    I saw another comment on the concerns with certain types of sand & your response, so it sounds like you’re on it (of course, you guys rock!). And, I thought I’d share this great link from WebMD Healthe Home on this topic complete with a quick video:
    http://www.webmd.com/health-ehome-9/default.htm#nav

    These posts make ME want to spend some time playing in the sand box! :-)

    Reply

  7. Virginie says

    This comment isn’t as much a reaction to this post than to your blog as a hole.
    YHL is my daily dose of fresh air and positive thinking, as I see you guys moving from one project to the other with so much energy !
    Life brought me to a place far away from my family, and I cannot wait to finally go on home-improvement adventures with (for) them, like you do everyday. I am specially intrigued by carpentry, and your own wood experiments inspire me so much !
    Keep up the great work, you have no idea how much good you do!

    I hope this comment didn’t come out too creepy (I’m sure it did :), and pardon any mistakes, as English is not my native language.
    It is just my own simple, flawed way to tell you how much energy you let sip through those pages.
    Keep being awesome, and enjoy each and every second of it !

    Reply

  8. Meg says

    YEAH! I have been trying to convince my husband to let me craigslist our plastic sand box and make a bigger one that wouldn’t mildew if rain collects in it.

    You will be so glad when baby #2 is ready to play in the sandbox that you made yours so big. Small sand box and multiple kids equals lots of fights and sand throwing!

    I sent him the link to this post and my husband is now on board.

    THANK YOU!

    Reply

  11. Jamie B. says

    This brought back nice memories. :) My dad built an amazing playground (we had 2.5 acres) for me when I was little, all with his own two hands and ingenuity. There was a swing set, teeter-totter, the most BAMF playhouse you can imagine (although that came later) and a sandbox. Sorry, John, but I have distinct memories of digging down to the weed barrier, which was plastic, at which point I ripped through it and just kept right on digging into the dirt … lol.

    That playground got a lot of use but gradually as I got older and the wood inevitably rotted it was all taken down until only the sandbox was left, which my mom turned into a flower garden. She got a kick out of emptying the sand out and finding old marbles and Happy Meal toys still buried in it.

    Reply

  13. Amy says

    Love the sandbox. I am curious if you considered putting the hinge in the middle of the doors (underneath the flap cover board, and then had it lift and fold? If so, what made you decide against? I am just thinking that over time it may put less stress on the upper part of the fence and have less of a chance of coming loose since it will be lower to the ground and have a lower center of gravity. That and it would be lower in the case of monkey children trying to scale the lid. I have one of those at home too. :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hmmm, it just didn’t cross my mind I guess! Maybe it’s something we’ll look at doing if this solution wears out more quickly than we expected.

      -John

  14. Rachael says

    After 4 children, I am really a bit, errrmmmm, lax on safety, but even I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw you latched those lids up!!
    And love Lilly up there^^^’s idea for chalkboard paint on the lid. On the outside OR inside!

    Reply

  19. kristin j says

    I really need to add hardware to my built-in entertainment center, but I just dont know how to go about picking something that will look good…but it really needs it

    Reply

  24. John Manross says

    I think that’s one cool sandbox right there. Thanks for posting the financial details of the project, too. This is one cool way to convince people who want to do DIY projects that they won’t be spending a fortune in the procesa.

    Reply

  26. Thais Bessa says

    OMG there is a third part, can’t wait!

    I was wondering what do you guys think about painting some cool art in the inside part of the cover, so when it is open and she is playing inside, she can see cool pictures that remind her of the sea and sun. That should be no problem for artist Sherry!

    Since we are talking about building stuff for kiddos and we have a little one almost same age as Clara, I wanted to ask you guys something. We are in the process of moving her from a cot to a toddler bed. Are you planning to move Clara soon? If so, are you going to build her a little bed? That would be brilliant!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It would be fun to decorate the inside cover with art or chalkboard paint or something! As for moving Clara to a bed, she has three older cousins (7-12 months older) and they’re all still in cribs so we’re just sticking with the family. Haha. Our doc said something about doing the crib as long as she’s comfortable and we can since she’s sleeping so well! We’re actually planning to use a daybed as her big girl bed once she’s ready for that though! SO excited! And we would love to build a trundle bed under it to pull out for sleepovers a lot later on!

      xo,
      s

    • Lisa says

      My daughter was 3.5 years old when she moved out of the crib and into the toddler bed. We kept her in there as long as we could! Now, at 4, she sleeps in a twin bed that my dad made for her from an Ana White plan. It is a daybed look…we just had him make two headboards, instead of a headboard/footboard. It is AWESOME! It is pretty high up, but will grow with her so nicely and it is so sturdy! It has plenty of space for a trundle or storage underneath. While he was at it, he made the same bed for our son, just used the two footboards instead of headboards because his room is smaller and will be more regular bed, than daybed. I will have to post some pics soon on your FB page and on the Ana White page!

  27. Tasmin says

    You should totally paint the inside of the lid with chalkboard paint, double fun and it would visually look great!

    Reply

  28. Lara V says

    WOW!!!! That cover is amazing!!! Great work guys!!! I’m sure Clara will enjoy that sandbox for years!!! Makes me wistful……seems like mine were just playing in our sandbox and now they’re 11.

    Reply

  29. Sarah says

    That looks so legit! I love the pic of Clara waiting for Dad to pour the sand in…classic!! Does it remind her of the beach in Hawaii?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I think so! She still talks about Hawaii! It’s so funny how we thought it wouldn’t be something she remembers, but she chats about whales and the airplane and the beach and the pool. And the wild chickens we saw! So cute!

      xo,
      s

  30. Michelle @ Lifewithacrazypup says

    I love Clara’s adorable little face when she was showing you how excited she was about the sandbox! She’s so precious. I love her name too! Whenever kids come into our life, my husband and I have considered the name Claire (which is kinda close, haha!)

    Reply

  31. Sid says

    Please tell me post 3 isn’t going to be about you replacing all the sand for different sand. We all grew up with play sand. We’re all fine.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Things have changed since we were kids when it comes to how they make things! And anything that says “can cause cancer” on a container that’s labeled for kids is terribly wrong in our mind!

      xo,
      s

  32. Katie says

    This comment really has little to do with the sandbox. I didn’t want to backtrack to other posts, but I’m wondering if you have any good tips/ideas on combining brown with gray as far as decorating goes. I’ve never seen it addressed on my *professional* decorating blogs, so I was wondering if you had an opinion.

    I will add though that the sandbox turned out wonderful. We’ve never made it to making a sandbox. When my 4th was 1, I was at Target and found one of the turtle sandboxes on clearance for $6. We’ve been using it ever since, but it’s on the tiny side and the sand is EVERYWHERE.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      They’re both neutrals, so in our book they look great together! Many many rooms with gray have brown in them since if the walls or upholstered furnishings are gray there are usually a few wood items in each room that are brown in tone. It layers in nicely together- so our tip would just be to have a few gray things and a few brown things so it looks intentional and one brown or gray thing isn’t the odd man out.

      xo,
      s

  33. Debra says

    Sand boxes have such found memories. Our kids practically lived out in theirs – then my husband built a fort over their sand box. They still played in the sand box more than the fort! Your door to cover it up is ingenious idea!!

    Reply

  34. JZB says

    You two crack me up! Once again, amazing job. I’m so inspired, but know I will never have the time to do that myself.

    Reply

  35. Deborah says

    I adore the sandbox, and Clara, and don’t be surprised if Burger takes a notion to dig in it, too. If you put talcum powder or corn starch on Clara’s skin—if she’s wearing shorts, sun-suit, et cetera—then the sand will brush/wipe off much easier. You can also buy a cheapie dust pan brush to stash nearby for brushing off the sand. Works a lot better than trying to dust her off by hand alone.

    Re: adding hardware. I definitely agree that a bit of hardware is a nice touch, and practical. I added a simple but shiny shiny shiny handle to the inside of a screen door so we would “see” the handle and not push the door open by pushing on the screen. Worked great. I also bought some tiny little handles for my surprisingly heavy wooden recipe file box, but haven’t attached them yet.

    Reply

  36. Jeff says

    Please make sure you use “Silica Free” sand. Silica or Silicon Dioxide can lead to lung disease or even cancer if inhaled over time.

    Reply

  37. Nikki S says

    Hi! Love the sandbox. Great job as always.

    As a mom of 2 older boys, I can tell you from experience that it is nice to have somewhere to sit when playing the sandbox with the kiddos. You may want to consider adding some pieces to the four corners per one of your inspiration sandboxes.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Nikki! We mentioned in the last post that John didn’t like those corners on his original sandbox growing up in VA since they got overrun by spiders/webs/creepy stuff- haha. So we just sit in chairs on the patio overlooking the sandbox while Clara is happy to sit right in the middle and dig in!

      xo,
      s

  38. Katie G says

    I am in my mid-20s and have no children, yet I’m sitting here thinking “ooh, I can’t wait to see what happens with the sandbox in part 3!” I realize this probably means I’ve lost it…haha.

    Reply

  40. Heidi G says

    The sandbox looks great! We just added hardware to our kitchen cabinets (we didn’t have any before), and they look so much nicer now!

    Reply

  41. Michelle says

    Good to know about the sand. Thanks for sharing. We’ve been planning to build a sandbox for awhile now too. Hopefully we get ‘er done this summer! ;-)

    Reply

  42. Claire says

    You guys may already know this but apparently you can quickly remove sand from skin by applying baby powder.

    Reply

  45. Kate says

    So I know you’re going to monitor the drainage situation for a while because you guys seem to be extra thorough. But once you figure out if that cover drains fine through the cracks…the underside of that cover is begging for some chalkboard paint. It is basically a chalk easel waiting to happen.

    Reply

Stuff We Love

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *