Dinosaur Toothbrush Holder

My son is a dinosaur fanatic like a lot of young kids. He also doesn't do a very good job of remembering to brush his teeth or keeping his bathroom nice and tidy. So, I made this toothbrush holder from a cheap dinosaur and both of these things have been remedied. I don't remember seeing this before, but Family Fun Magazine did post a similar idea in 2012.

Step 1: Step 1: Gather Your Materials

This project doesn't take much and it cost a total of $3.

Materials:

1. Cheap, hollow dinosaur. I got mine at Michael's. Make sure that it's hollow, better quality ones are out there, but in this case, the cheaper the better. I also saw lions and hippopotami which could be cool depending on your kid as well.
2. An X-Acto knife or other sharp cutting instrument. I made two of these and started the first by clamping the dino in the vice and using a drill and power jigsaw, but in the end, the X-Acto was all I needed.
3. A power toothbrush. You could also do this with manual toothbrushes, but in that case you'd probably be best served using a larger gauge drill bit.
4. A sharpie or other marking device

Step 2: Step 2: Mark Out Your Toothbrush Circumference and Start Cutting

Using the base of your toothbrush as a guide, mark the circumference on the top and bottom of the dinosaur. A couple of notes, you will want to go smaller than bigger. The flexiness of the cheap plastic is what is going to provide the tension to hold your toothbrush in place.

Using the X-Acto knife, cut through the top and bottom of the dinosaur. This can be a bit tough, so be careful not to cut yourself. A sharp blade is key here. The top hole should be slightly larger than the bottom hole. After you are done test out the fit of your toothbrush. If it's too small, shave off a little bit of plastic on the sides until it works. The key is to be tight enough to hold the toothbrush in place, but not so tight that it's hard to get the toothbrush in and out.

When you're finished cutting the holes, you'll notice that there's a little bit of overlapped, extra plastic where the two halves of the dinosaur are attached. You can see in the photo on top of my sons Superman place mat above how it looks after you've shaved off the excess plastic. You'll want to shave these down to provide easier access and a more streamlined look.

Step 3: Finish and Use

All done! Insert your toothbrush and set it on the counter. It makes a nice addition to any kids bathroom!