This easy DIY project transforms Daiso craft board wood into a stylish shelf for small toy cars and figurines.
If your little one’s collection of toy cars or animal figures is starting to take over the house, it might be time for a fun and practical DIY.
Watch the quick version on Shorts ▼
With just a few Daiso timber pieces and some basic tools, you can build a space-saving storage display that keeps everything neat and easy to grab without spending a ton or taking up much space.
DIY compact toy display with Daiso timber
This functional and minimalist-looking DIY shelf is not only budget-friendly, but also easy enough to put together in an afternoon, even if you’re not super handy.
What you’ll need (tools & materials)
- 7 pieces Daiso cypress work board DD-006 ( 1cm * 7cm * 45cm)
- 20 small L-shaped steel brackets with screws (you can find similar ones at Daiso)
- Screwdriver (I use electric screwdiver to speed things up)
- Water level
NOTE: I spaced my boards approximately 10 cm apart, which gave me a total of 5 shelves. If you prefer more space between each shelf, you can reduce the number of timber pieces used.
Since Daiso timber comes in various sizes, feel free to choose the dimensions that best fit your toy collection. If you have bigger toys, go for wider craft board. You can still use the same method to build your display rack. The measurements shown above are exactly what I used for this project.
How to build it (step-by-step)
Start by attaching L-shaped brackets to the edges of 5 of your timber pieces. These will be your shelves. I used two brackets on each side (four per shelf) for better support.
Next, fix each side of the shelf to another timbers on the left and right. These are your vertical supports. Keep going until all shelves are attached. Don’t forget to use a water level to make sure the shelves are straight so toy cars won’t roll off.
TIP: For better stability, place the bottom shelf timber directly on the floor. This helps support the structure and prevents it from wobbling.
Repeat the same steps for all the shelves, and you’re done!
Tips to customise the display rack for any collection
This DIY shelf has a simple, natural look that fits right in with Japanese or Scandinavian-style homes. It looks beautiful as is, but it’s also easy to personalise.
If you’re using it in a kids’ room, you can paint the timber before assembling to match your colour scheme or add a fun twist.
Each level of the shelf can also be further decorated to suit your storage needs. See below for more inspiration on how we styled ours to fit different types of toys:
Animal figurine display
If your kids love collecting animal, dinosaur, or bug figurines, try adding synthetic grass patches to the shelf for a fun, wild look.
You can also use coloured paper or felt to create different habitats. For examples: blue for water, brown for mud, white for snow, and so on. It turns simple storage into a fun little display your kids will love.
A mini parking lot
If you’re using the shelf to store toy cars, you can paint it black and add white lines to make it look like a car park.
Alternatively, for something less permanent, just cut a piece of black craft board to fit the shelf and draw road lines with white pen or use white stickers. That way, you can switch it up anytime.
Since I wanted the shelf to be versatile, I used a thick PP sheet with white sticker cut to size, and it ended up looking just like a real parking lot! It’s perfect for displaying Hot Wheels, Tomica, Matchbox, and other small cars neatly.
Toy train storage
This shelf also works great for storing and displaying small toy trains. You can use the same idea by drawing hand drawn train-tracks on a board or paper to make it look like a mini railway.
We tested it with our Plarail and Brio sets, and it holds them nicely and looks good too.
No matter what toys your kids love, this simple DIY shelf helps keep everything neat and easy to find. Kids will love playing with it and rearranging their favourite toys, and you’ll love how it keeps things tidy.
This setup is perfect for tight areas where floor space is limited as you can create efficient storage or display zones without overcrowding the room. It fits snugly into narrow spots and uses wall space that might otherwise go unused.
