Stop Toys From Hiding Under the Couch!

2 Materials
$10
1 Hour
Easy

Did I post yesterday? Yes. But today I walked into the living room to discover blocks everywhere and my 1-year-old kicking them under the couch.

Half of these would be missing in 10 minutes.

And I snapped. I MUST END THIS MADNESS! NO MORE HIDEOUT FOR YOU, LEGOS! So out to the garage I went to see what I could come up with.


And, folks, this might be the cheapest and easiest solution to any problem I’ve ever delayed fixing. 🤦‍♀️


Gathered materials:


  • Spare 1×2
  • Leftover black spray paint
  • Brad gun and 2 inch nails


Step 1: Measure the length between the front feet of the couch. I didn’t want to see the board from the ends of the couch, so I measured from about the center points of the feet. Mine was 74 inches.

Measured to middle of couch foot.

Step 2: Cut a piece of 1×2. In the garage, I measured 74 inches on a spare 1×2 and used the miter saw to make 1 simple cut. (An entire project that requires only 1 cut! Again, I’m kicking myself that I didn’t do this forever ago.)

Board marked to cut at 74 inches.

Step 3: Lay out the board. I balanced it on our recycling and trash bins.

Very technical positioning. Haha.

Step 4: Paint the board. Using leftover black spray paint, I painted the front, top, and bottom of the board. I went with black so it would hide in the shadows under the couch. But I didn’t bother painting the backside since it would be lost to sight.

Leftover spray paint.

Step 5: Dry. After painting, I brought the 1×2 into the house to dry because it was so cold out in the garage.

Drying on kids art. Why not.

Step 6: Flip your couch. Once the 1×2 was dry, I flipped over our couch and held the board in place. I had some help.

Step 7: Attach the 1×2 to the couch feet. I used a brad gun to nail the 1×2 in place. It only took 2-3 nails on each end. You could also use a screw if you wanted – my brad gun was just faster. Be sure to attach the board at the bottom of your couch’s feet so there’s no gap between the board and the floor.

Nailed on 1×2.

Step 8: Return the couch to its place. Once the board was attached, I flipped the couch back into place. Now all that was left was a test run of knocking toys under the couch…and it worked! The blocks and toys hit the board and couldn’t be lost under the couch anymore!


“Before.” Black hole for toys.
“After.” The toy stopper works!

Now I suppose I should clean my floors. lol


See you next time!

Suggested materials:
  • 1x2 furring strip   (Lowe’s)
  • Spray paint   (Lowe’s)
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  3 questions
  • Ros Ros on Jan 25, 2022

    How did he deal with the frustration?


  • Dee Dee on Jan 25, 2022

    Or stuff a pool noodle under there?

  • Mary Mary on Jan 05, 2023

    There is always the sides of the couch. How did you resolve that?

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