Hello lovely friends! Up for a little makeover today?? Always, right? Me too!
Today I am sharing what I did with this very utilitarian looking tool caddy:
I rarely pass on simple caddies/crates/totes, whatever you want to call them, because they can be so charming! This one was anything but, however it was only $5 and I figured swapping out that handle would fix that.
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Here is how it looks after a day in my workshop:
Much more charming, don’t you think?
I started by filling in the holes in the plywood with wood filler, and sanding those curved edges smooth. Then I painted the caddy in the leftover paint from my walls. I love this subtle gray/beige. It’s Campfire Ash by Behr.
Actually when I first painted it, I thought it was too light and painted over it with a darker taupe color I had. Then I realized I liked the lighter color better, and painted it back.
It worked out though because when I lightly sanded the surface, some of that darker color came through, which I like. I have included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I use.
I decided to add a stencil to the front. You can find the stencil I used here. I only used part of it…
I used spray adhesive on the back of the stencil to hold it in place, and a small brush to paint in the stencil using chalk paint. I did two coats, brushing away from the edges as much as possible. I also filled in the breaks in the stencil.
After removing the stencil and letting the paint dry, I sanded across it lightly with 220 grit sandpaper to knock it down a bit and make it smooth.
Now normally I would just go rootin through my big ole stash of wood pieces and parts in the garage to find something I could use for a handle, but since my Hubby tossed said stash in the move ( I just can’t let that go, can I??), I had to go on the hunt elsewhere.
I tried the two thrift stores nearest to me to see if I could find a sad chair or table that I could steal a spindle from, but no luck. I did find a gorgeous dressing table for $30 though!
So I finally decided to settle for a wooden dowel since surely it would be better than that metal handle. Home depot had just what I needed but it was almost $5!! No way…$5 for a dowel?! So I decided to dig a bit more and guess what I found? A deck spindle!
And it was only $2! Perfect!
I brought it home, cut it to fit with my miter saw, spray painted it dark brown, then painted it in my DIY chalk paint (recipe HERE) in Ultra Pure White. I lightly sanded it and I used my nail gun to attach it to the caddy.
It makes a great handle!
So much prettier than the metal one it had originally.
Because the ends still showed big holes where the metal handle had been, I needed to either fill them, or find something to cover them. These knobs that came off of my boys’ baby changing tableworked perfectly! (See what I did with their changing table HERE.)
I glued them in place with wood glue, and used clamps to hold them in place until they dried. Everything got a coat of MMS wax to seal.
This faux lavender came from Hobby Lobby.
I love how this cutie turned out. I was redoing it to take it to my booth, but it has already found a home on my built-ins. 🙂
I need to get this house done already so I can get my poor booth filled. I want to keep everything I redo!
So speaking of getting the house done, we started tearing out the flooring in the entry and the dining room. We’re also removing the carpet in the living room which is right across from the dining room. That whole area is getting the same hardwood floors that we put in the living room. I’ll be back on Thursday to share how far we’ve gotten, and a snag we’ve run into already!
And if you haven’t joined us already, we have a fun new Facebook Group made just for thrifty makeover lovers like us:
It’s totally free and it filled with nothing but thrifty projects and makeover ideas. There are also opportunities to share your own thrifty makeovers and finds if you like! Visit it HERE and request to join! 🙂
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Clever and so beautiful!
Thank you, Sandi! 🙂
Super fun makeover Christy. The spindle was a brilliant choice. If this goes in your shop, I know it will sell fast!
Thanks, Christina! It has found a home on my built-ins ha ha! XO
Love the caddy. Your house is going to be beautiful when you finish. Enjoyed the Halloween decor last week.
Thank you, Janice! I am looking forward to getting the house done! XOXO
This is so awesome. I have a few of these been wanting to do just can’t get past the brain hangup. So thank you now I know what to do. I never knew those spindles we’re so cheap. Trip back to Home Depot. My girls said for Christmas they are buying me stock in the company lol.
Thanks, Bonnie! Sometimes when I get a block on what I want to do with something, I pull it out and slap a coat of paint on it…usually an idea of what to do next comes to mind. That’s what I did here…and yes those spindles are super cheap! I never realized either! Love me some Hone Depot. 🙂 XOXO
Sometimes it is hard to part with things we make because they are so cute, such as this tool caddy. The new handle and stencil were just the thing to make it so much nicer.
Thanks, Debra! My last house was totally done so I never felt the need to keep the things I redid. I am having a hard time here since I still need pieces for this house. Hopefully when this house is done, my poor booth will get some love again lol! XOXO
Oh, only if I had your insight!! I love what you’ve done to this tool caddy. I would have passed it up in a heartbeat by thinking it still belonged in the garage! You never cease to amaze me.
Thank you so much, Vivian! I’ll admit I had my reservations about this one, but glad it worked out! XOXO
Love it! Totes are some of my favorite finds. They are great for all sorts of things. I have a huge one and I’m thinking it needs a makeover. It’s my DVD storage now but the paint job on it is meh. I never got around to redoing it. Now I think I must! 😊
Thanks, Cecilia! I love totes as well…almost always buy them when I find them! Glad you were inspired to redo yours! XOXO
Reading about your makeovers is like going on an adventure! lol 🙂 I like Home depot as well…I could spend a great deal of time just wandering around..much to my husbands dismay. You have to forgive your hubby….and hide your stash from now on!! I am making a chalkboard from an old frame of a mirror. It will be done this week;hopefully.
Aww thank you, Melinda!! I love me some Home Depot! Ah yes, my poor hubby…I think he learned his lesson lol. Glad to hear you are making a chalkboard! I’m sure it will turn out awesome!! XOXO
So cute! I can’t wait to see how the rest of your house looks with the pretty new flooring! Always never done, right?!! I know all about that! lol xoxo
Thanks, Nancy! I am so ready to get these two front rooms going! We removed all the flooring and today I painted all the trim in the office… not my favorite task! Tomorrow I’ll be painting the dining room and entry trim yay! 🙂 XOXO
So pretty! How long would you say that project took to do?
Thanks, Robyn! This project could easily be done in a few hours if you include dry time. 🙂
Somehow, I thought it fit too well with your style! You have such a good eye, Christy, and you’re on your way to starting a new “spare parts” stash.
Ha you know me well, Marcie, thank you! And yes, I have a new stash going, and I’m pretty sure my Hubby learned his lesson lol. XOXO
Love how multiple items were repurposed to upcycle this very pretty caddy, Christy! pinned
Thanks, Marie! I love when things come together like that! XOXO
This is beautiful! Great job!
Thanks so much, Tina! XOXO
Christy, I just love, love, love this little caddy! You must have a hard time parting with any of your creations, they are just so great. When I saw the lavender I thought, “oh, she’s got fresh lavender. I wish I had some.” And then you said it was faux. It looks wonderful in the box.
Thank you, MaryJean! I had no intentions of keeping this one, but I just loved the end result. And yep, that lavender came from Hobby Lobby. Doesn’t it look so real? They are half off every other week if you have a HL near you. This was about $20 worth, but unfortunately they don’t smell as pretty as the real deal! XOXO
I like what you did with the box it is now beautiful
Thank you, Norma! XOXO
What a cute makeover. Perfect for lavender! x
Thanks, Denise! XOXO
A deck spindle?!!! Now THAT’S the tip of the day! Very pretty, as always!
Love when I find just what I need, and for cheap!! Thanks, Julie! 🙂
You always amaze me with your ability to see potential in things. I would have looked at that thing and said, “Ooh.” And then walked away without it. The handle and paint made all of the difference. It’s lovely.
Thank you so much, Christine!! I was happy that the metal handle wasn’t too hard to remove! XO
I like it! The color is perfect! I’ve got some sad brown caddies that I’m converting over to whites now too. (Got a show in 20 days! Eeek!) My favorite part is the knobs on the ends though. Genius!!! Sometimes those ends NEED something… never thought of knobs!
Thank you, Becky! I love this color on my walls, and thought why not try it on this little caddy? Oh I remember the storm before a show very well! Good luck getting ready and at your show!! XOXO
So pretty, Nancy! I just love the caddy makeover!
I love this. Such a cute idea. Did you upholster your dining chairs, the ones with the black stripes? If so, was it hard to do considering there are two levels to the seat cushions?
Thanks, Stephanie! You can see the makeover of those chairs here if you like: https://www.confessionsofaserialdiyer.com/reupholstered-french-provincial-chairs/ 😊