Toboggan Magic

It's thrilling to see potential in something others would discard, or dismiss.

In our garden shed we had just the item, an old toboggan, well used and abandoned by children who once rode it like a magic carpet in the land of snow and ice. Once the toboggan lost it's magic, it came to rest buried in the deep recesses of a corrugated metal coffin.

Until now. 

While venturing out of town, browsing quaint little shops and boutiques for inspiration, we came across a shop that had converted old wooden sleds into sweet little shelves, the perfect spot to display precious trinkets. I knew I wanted one!

It was my partner in crime who mentioned that we still had an old sled in the shed. So I looked lovingly at my live-in-handyman, smiled sweetly, and suggested we give it a try.






DIY Toboggan Shelf



1) First the toboggan needed a good cleaning. It was musty, and a bit mouldy from storage. A nice bath of bleach did the trick. We tossed the old nylon rope in the trash.

2) Next my husband took it apart. Unscrewed the planks, carefully put any screws to the side, and laid it out to dry completely, so he could sand off any remaining varnish.

3) Each piece (laid out in order, for ease of reconstructing) was stained a dark walnut, then after the stain dried, it received a protective top coat. Once all the pieces had been painted and sealed, back together it went. 

4) A 1X4 piece of wood was cut and stained the same way as the rest of the toboggan to make 4 shelves at each toboggan junction.

5) I wanted the extra rope detailing. My husband made drill holes on each shelf before screwing the backs in permanently. I had the satisfying pleasure of re-threading new thick twine through the holes.

6) Finally, we invested in good hooks to hang the new shelf safely, and securely, on the wall. As a little extra touch, I wrapped little battery operated fairy lights leftover from Christmas around the rope so I can light it up at night.

All it cost was one piece of wood, a roll of thick twine, a strong set of hooks for hanging, and some sweat equity. We had stain, and topcoat leftover from repainting our stairs, plus we reused all the original parts, helping to make this a budget friendly revival.

Our toboggan statement piece has been resurrected to a cozy position of pride, hung by a warm south facing window. Once a magical toy for the children, now a magical conversation piece for me!