Maybe you have a ton of Lego or maybe you’re just getting started with your collection. Either way, you’ve got to do something with them. Without going into all the possibilities, we’re re-builders. My boys get a cool set, build it, savor it for a couple weeks, then break it down to use the components. So we sort and store our bricks to keep them ready for the next building session.
Without spending hundreds on clear plastic drawers or ready-made solutions, we often employ the actual Lego boxes to hold our loose bricks. If you’re willing to carry the cost of new-in-box Lego, why not reuse that expensive packaging?
It’s super simple: Choose a box from a set with 200+ pieces. They’re sturdier than the smaller sets and will last forever. I wouldn’t use a 300+ set box for anything but the largest bricks and elements. Otherwise, you’re in a perpetual needle-in-a-haystack swirl.
Use a box cutter or scissors to cut down the sides of the face of the box to create the lid. Start at the end that’s already open and don’t trim anything off. Open the new lid and apply duct tape (I love Gorilla Tape, I’ve had to replace cheaper stuff after a while) to the back wall of the tray. I mistakenly cut the back side of the box for this lid, so I needed those little rectangles along the top seam, it wasn’t enough and I replaced them with larger strips later.
Tape closed the open wall of the tray with as much, or as little, tape as you like to get your desired look.
Now, the lid will close with the extra tab actually fitting back in the box to secure it for storage.
For display, fold the lid backwards and bend it across the bottom seam of the box to create a new fold. It may not sit flat immediately, but after having some weight in it the box should sit just fine and the lid will still return to the closed position.
My first experiments with this technique were with much flimsier cereal boxes, but even those have lasted years with little maintenance.
Please put any questions in the comments section. I’ll have a lot more to say on Lego sorting and storage in the future.
God bless,
Jason