Snuggleville Zoo

My husband and I saw this idea in my Family Fun magazine, and we thought it was so cute that we had to build it for our son! The idea is that it is supposed to look like a cage in a zoo for all of his stuffed animals, then have extra storage on the bottom for books or other toys. We think it is a unique idea and a very cute way to store his animals when he's not playing with them. :)

What you need:

3 tier shelving unit (we made our own)

3/4-inch-wide elastic for the "bars" (about 6 to 8 feet worth, or as much as you think you'll need for your shelving)

12 to 15 finish washers

12 to 15 one-inch wood screws (we used No. 8's)

Drill

What to do:

Along the shelves' edges, mark spots to attach the elastic bars, spacing them between 5 and 10 inches apart. With a drill, make pilot holes to match your screws. 

Measure the height of the zoo enclosure, then cut strips of elastic that are 1-1/2 inches shorter than the enclosure (you want to stretch the elastic when you attach it to the shelving to make it tighter). 

Find the middle of the elastic, then (with 2 pairs of hands) hold the middle part of the elastic tight on the middle shelf and attach it using the drill with the wood screw and washer. Once the middle part is attached, you can then stretch the remaining elastic above and below to make it taut. Then, attach it the same way on the top shelf, and the bottom shelf. Do this for the rest of the elastic strips until they are all attached. Alternatively, you can secure the top and the bottom of the elastic first, then secure the middle. 

Snuggleville Zoo