Wood Box Caddy

It’s March 15th, which means that it is time to share our Monthly Home Depot Gift Challenge post. Last month, Emily showed you how she used copper fittings, combined with other supplies, to make an Industrial Book Rack. This month’s challenge item was a wooden dowel and the project was supposed to be a gift for a child. After a little brainstorming and chatting with my sis and hubby, I decided to make a Wood Box Caddy that could be used as an Easter basket for my kids.

Since we have two kids, I obviously had to make two caddies. I bought our boards and wooden dowels from The Home Depot and they cut everything for me while I was there. Behold the wood!

These caddies are pretty easy to whip up, so if you have minimal wood working skills, do not fret. You can do this!
To make one wood box caddy you will need:
- 1 – 1″ X 4″ furring strip (cut into 3 – 12″ pieces and 2 – 7.5″ pieces)
- 1 – 1″ Wooden Dowel (cut to 12″)
- Pencil
- Drill with 7/8″ Spade Bit
- Electric Sander or Sandpaper
- Wood Glue
- C-clamp
- Hammer
- Finishing nails
To start, figure out where the hole for the the dowel will go in the two 7.5″ end pieces and mark it with a pencil. Use the drill with a 7/8″ spade bit to make a hole in each end by lining up the tip of it with the mark on each board and drilling through. Lightly sand any rough areas.

Lay out the 5 boards of the box. Apply wood glue to the edges that will be meeting up by following the guide below.

This caddy is basically one 12″ bottom piece that is sandwiched between the other two 12″ boards on the sides. The 7.5″ end pieces are placed on top of the bottom piece and also in-between the side boards with all of the ends lined up.

Assemble the pieces together and use a c-clamp to hold them in place while the glue dries.

Is this thing reading like stereo instructions? Stick with me. We are almost there.
Insert the dowel through one side of the caddy and add some glue to both ends. Then push the dowel into the second hole and make sure the ends are flush. Wipe away any excess glue.

Finally, secure the sides of the caddy with some finishing nails.

I decided to get crazy and paint both of these caddies white with some chalk paint. Just kidding. I tend to paint everything white. *wink*

Aren’t they purdy? I’m so excited for the Easter Bunny to deliver some goodies for the kids in these. The best part is that once the holiday is over, the kiddos can use these for a multitude of purposes. Matchbox car holder? Check. Nail polish storage? Check. These will be perfect for toting things around the house.

Oh, and I can’t forget the wrapping! As part of the challenge, this gift was to be wrapped in an item also from The Home Depot. Since these will be used as baskets and set out on Easter morning, I didn’t want to hide everything inside, so I decided to go with a clear plastic drop cloth and a lovely white bow. Cute, right?

Like how we tackled this challenge? Head on over to check out all of the other awesome projects involved by clicking on the images below!
19 Comments
Shelly
This turned out so cute! Love how you filled it with easter eggs like a little easter basket!
Erin
Thanks, Shelly! That time of year is coming up and it seemed like a great way to present the project to the kids. Hopefully, they will still enjoy using them after Easter is over!
Mari
Awesome idea! Thanks for sharing :)
Erin
Thanks, Mari!
Lindi
I LOVE this! I would absolutely use this Easter basket with my daughter when she gets older – such a great idea!
Erin
Thank you, Lindi! I love that it can be an Easter basket, yet be used for so many more things!
Shannon Churchill
Such an adorable caddy box! Perfect for Easter too.:) Nice job Erin and Elizabeth!
Erin
Thanks, Shannon! We are so excited to give it to the kids!
Cat @ therusticwillow
I love this! I’m in such the spring spirit now, this is so cute.
Erin
Thank you, Cat! I’m so ready for Spring too, so I’m sure that fueled my Easter basket idea!
Amanda @ Dwelling in Happiness
This is SO CUTE Erin!!! SUCH a clever idea instead of an actual basket, and I love that thy can use this after for storing things!!
Erin
Thanks, Amanda! That’s my favorite thing about them. Yay for multipurposing!
Roxanne
Great job on this! And I agree, everything is better painted white!
Erin
Thanks, Roxanne! Great minds think alike!
Carmody
These caddies are so great!!! I can imagine so many uses for these. Well Done!
Erin
Thanks, Carmody!
Amy@HomeRemedies
I love this! I’m already thinking of tons of ways to utilize these after Easter! So clever!
Erin
Thank you, Amy!
john crosby
did u have a pattern