DIY: Large Light Up Pegboard For Your Kids Playroom

While at our local Children's Museum, our kids were drawn to this fun life size pegboard exhibit.  Ever since seeing it, i've been planning to make it for their playroom.  It's such a fun addition to our quiet play.  I used an Ikea Besta shelf as the base.  This was a fun Ikea hack!  

BESTÅ Shelf unit/height extension unit, white $40.00 Article Number: 202.216.56 Size 23 5/8x7 7/8x25 1/4"

I used the bottom shelf to separate the pegboard from the translucent rod storage area.  I didn't use the second shelf.

BESTÅ Leg, square, white $10.00 / 2 pack Article Number: 002.119.22

This is a 1/2 inch 2X4 Slat of birch wood that Home Depot cut down for me to fit the inside area of the Besta Unit. The cut I chose was 5" shorter than the height of the Besta Unit. I placed one of the shelves below the peg board so I could have a storage area for the translucent rods. I had to drill new bracket holes to support the shelf. I created this grid to get an even distribution of peg holes. I used a 3/4 inch drill bit to create all the holes. I chose this size because it created the same diameter of the translucent rods. Then I spray painted the face of the peg board black and sealed with a satin polyurethane.

I used these small brackets to fasten the pegboard to the Besta frame. I placed them at each corner of the peg board and Besta frame.

My next layer inside was a thick piece of clear plastic. I used this so that the pegs would stop halfway through the system. I fastened the plastic with the same brackets at each corner of the system. I used a plastic cutter to get the fit. All holes were pre-drilled. If you don't pre-drill, the plastic will crack. Make sure you pre-drill. Also, make sure you get the thicker plastic. The thin ones aren't rigid enough and will have to much give when the rods are being inserted.

I dismantled an old lamp and used it's existing base to secure the light fixture inside the system. Notice I screwed it into place. I used a 25 watt LED bulb. You want this bulb. It doesn't get hot and is the safest.

I used a 1" drill bit to create this back hole for the cord. As a final step, I unscrewed the bottom portion of the Besta unit so I can insert the back white panel. I had to hold the whole system up and lower it down while aligning with the slots for the white back panel. Then I screwed the bolts back into place. I had to do it this way because I couldn't access the bolt system on top because of the peg and plastic layers.

These are the bolts I'm referring to.

These are the translucent colored rods I found. I had the company cut them into 5" rods and chose ones that were 3/4 in diameter. The company I used is Delvies Plastics Inc.

Here's what it looks like lit up.

Kids already having fun with it!

I placed it next to this play kitchen for this photo to give you an idea of the actual size of the light Up Pegboard Activity.

I'll make it for you.  Check out my store if you're interested

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