Are you always looking for your tools? Does the mere thought of tackling clutter send shivers down your spine? Fear not, my friend, we’ve got the perfect solution that will take you from “Where the hell did I put that tool” to “Oh, it’s right here”. Introducing the Easy DIY Toolbox Caddy, your ultimate weapon to conquer the mess monster.

Tired of looking for your tools? Conquer the chaos with this easy DIY toolbox caddy! Crafted from scrap wood, this budget-friendly solution will keep your tools neatly arranged and within easy reach. Spend a morning on this fun project and transform your workspace into an organized haven. The best part? You can customize the compartments and design to fit your tools perfectly. #ACraftyMix

No more wasting precious time and energy rummaging around to find the hammer or measuring stick you just used, when you can have them neatly arranged within arm’s reach.

Tired of looking for your tools? Conquer the chaos with this easy DIY toolbox caddy! Crafted from scrap wood, this budget-friendly solution will keep your tools neatly arranged and within easy reach. Spend a morning on this fun project and transform your workspace into an organized haven. The best part? You can customize the compartments and design to fit your tools perfectly. #ACraftyMix

There’s space on the front and back for all kinds of tools.

Tired of looking for your tools? Conquer the chaos with this easy DIY toolbox caddy! Crafted from scrap wood, this budget-friendly solution will keep your tools neatly arranged and within easy reach. Spend a morning on this fun project and transform your workspace into an organized haven. The best part? You can customize the compartments and design to fit your tools perfectly. #ACraftyMix

And when you’re done, just hang her up.

Tired of looking for your tools? Conquer the chaos with this easy DIY toolbox caddy! Crafted from scrap wood, this budget-friendly solution will keep your tools neatly arranged and within easy reach. Spend a morning on this fun project and transform your workspace into an organized haven. The best part? You can customize the compartments and design to fit your tools perfectly. #ACraftyMix

To be honest; this DIY toolbox caddy has been a game-changer for me. My hubby always calls me a los koppie (roughly translated to little loose head). I get so involved in making something I forget from one minute to the next where I put whatever I was using 2 seconds ago.

Tired of looking for your tools? Conquer the chaos with this easy DIY toolbox caddy! Crafted from scrap wood, this budget-friendly solution will keep your tools neatly arranged and within easy reach. Spend a morning on this fun project and transform your workspace into an organized haven. The best part? You can customize the compartments and design to fit your tools perfectly. #ACraftyMix

If you’re the same, you’re going to love how easy this little caddy is to make. But, before we get to the tutorial, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!

What you need

Designed with functionality in mind, this DIY project requires just a few materials and minimal effort. I made the simple toolbox caddy in a few hours and used the following:

Toolbox caddy base

  • Plywood sheets (10mm or ½” thick)
  • Two small hinges
  • Drill and drill bits
  • Wood Glue
  • Jig saw or table saw
  • Measuring tape
  • Wood screws
  • Rope
  • Paint or stain
What you need to make an easy toolbox caddy

Tool holders

Depending on the tools you’ll be storing you may not need everything listed below:

  • Wide Elastic
  • Thumbtacks
  • A chunky piece of wood
  • Fabric bags
  • Eye hook
  • PVC pipe

How to make an easy toolbox caddy

Okay, it’s time to turn chaos into order and reclaim your sanity. Your future self will thank you. Mine sure is 😉 Adapt the measurements to suit the tools you want to keep organized. I made this caddy for my miniature/fairy-making tools and paraphernalia.

Miniature tools thrown in a box

Making the caddy base

Gather the tools (or other stuff) you’ll be storing in the caddy and lay them out on a flat surface to get an idea of how big or small the caddy should be.

Layout your tools on a flat surface to get an idea of how big the caddy should be

Cut two equally sized pieces of plywood to fit your measurements. If noisy machines with teeth scare you, most hardware stores will cut the pieces for you.

Cut two equally sized boards for the caddy

The two pieces of plywood will form the base of the toolbox caddy. Next, you need to figure out what tools go where on the base and how to hold them in place. I’ll be hanging my caddy up, so the clunky tools will go on one of the pieces and the other piece will hold the flatter stuff.

Adding tool holders

Screwdrivers and files

Using the width of the cut plywood pieces as a guide cut a piece of chunky wood. Find the center of the cut piece of wood and mark off equal spaces on either side of the center mark.

Handy tip to measure the half way mark.

Handy tip, to find the center, place your hard metal bit of the measuring tape on one end of the cut piece and measure across. Fold the tape measure in half and mark it on the fold. It’s so much easier than trying to divide a weird number like 15 1/8” by 2.

Handy tip to measure the half way mark.

Use a spade bit or wood drill bit to drill equally spaced holes all the way through the cut piece of wood.

Using the files or screwdrivers as a guide, pick the right drill bit size
Drill a hole all the way through the piece of wood

If you need a larger, elongated hole, drill two holes close together and chip away the bit in between the holes.

Drill holes in a piece of wood and test fit the tools

Sand any rough edges.

PVC Pipes for clunky tools

For clunky tools that won’t fit into a drilled hole, I used PVC pipe. They worked so well for storing our brooms under the stairs and I had an off-cut lying around. Depending on how many tools you have that fit into the clunky category, cut the PVC pipe into equal 6 cm (2 ¼”) pieces.

Mark and cut the PVC pipe into 6 cm pieces

Cut one end of the PVC pieces at a 30-degree angle with a hacksaw. Clamp the pipe down on the other end so it doesn’t wobble while you cut. Sand any rough edges and check that the clunkers fit.

Sand the cut edges of the PVC pipe

Mark and drill a hole in the back, tall portion of the PVC pipe before painting them in a color of your choice.

Mark the top of the PVC pipe and drill a pilot hole. Paint the PVC pipes

Once all the prep work for the tool holders is done, we can dolly our toolbox caddy up 😀

Decorating the toolbox caddy

You can embellish or dress up your toolbox any way you want. Since mine is going in my craft room, which is kinda dusty rustic, the hubby cut grooves into the cut boards, to mimic pallets, and distressed them with a flapper disc.

Cut grooves into the boards and distress for a well-worn and rustic look

To give the boards a worn and aged appearance, I applied some of our rusty nail muti mixed with a tiny bit of grey craft paint.

Stain or paint the boards to suit your décor or style

And no self-respecting pallet would be complete without one of my favorite stencils from Funky Junk.

Add pallet-themed stencils

If you prefer something less rustic, you can adapt this tutorial that shows you how to mod podge scrapbook paper on wood. When you’re happy with the look we can put everything together.

Assembling the toolbox caddy

Putting the caddy together basically means:

  • attaching all the storage bits onto the boards,
  • adding hinges and a restraint/limiter thingy,
  • giving the toolbox a handle.

Depending on the layout of your caddy you may want to add the hinges first before attaching the storage bits and handle. I added the bits, then the hinges, and the handle went on last.

Attaching the storage bits

The layout I choose for my toolbox caddy was tools on one side and odd bits on the other. The odd bits go into fabric pockets or bags that are attached with thumbtacks. To hold the tweezer case, I used a wide elastic band that’s been stapled in place.

The back of the toolbox caddy stores pockets and uses an elastic band to hold a case of tweezers

My scissors and metal files all slot into the piece of wood and the clunky pliers and multi-tools go into the PVC pipes.

The front of the toolbox caddy holds clunky tools

To attach the piece of wood, glue it onto the front of the board.

Glue the piece of wood to the front end of one of the boards

Flip it over and drive screws in from the back.

Screw the piece of wood in from the back of the boards

To add the PVC pipe, mark spots between the vertically drilled holes and screw them on. Make sure the marks don’t sit on top of the drill holes. You don’t want a screw blocking the tools from slipping inside the holes.

Screw the cut PVC pipes into the piece of wood

If you do need to add a PVC pipe over one of the holes use a shorter screw.

Installing the hinges

I used two small hinges to join the pieces of plywood together. On the back of one of your boards, measure 5 cm (2”) in from both long sides and mark. Using the holes in the hinge plate as a guide, drill pilot holes. Glue and screw the hinge in.

Screw the hinges on

Place the two pieces of plywood together, long end to long end, and open the hinge. Mark and drill pilot holes before gluing and screwing the other end of the hinge on. I had to be careful here. The screws I used were a tiny bit longer than the thickness of the boards, so you may want to watch out for that. To stop the toolbox from opening up completely flat, add a piece of rope to the sides of the caddy.

Knot two equally sized ropes and attach them to the sides of the caddy

Adding a handle

To make handles for the caddy I considered various options:

  • Cut a handle shape in the plywood sheets;
  • Dismantle one of my many old handbags and screw those on;
  • Or, use a thick rope
Tired of looking for your tools? Conquer the chaos with this easy DIY toolbox caddy! Crafted from scrap wood, this budget-friendly solution will keep your tools neatly arranged and within easy reach. Spend a morning on this fun project and transform your workspace into an organized haven. The best part? You can customize the compartments and design to fit your tools perfectly. #ACraftyMix

To add a rope handle, use a spade bit that’s a little bigger than the rope.

Use a spade bit to drill a hole for the rope handle

Close the toolbox caddy so the two plywood boards sit flush against each other and drill two holes towards the top of the toolbox.

Use a spade bit to drill a hole in the toolbox for the rope handle

Slip a long piece of rope inside the holes.

Slip the rope inside the hole

Adjust the rope to the length you want and cut. Wrap a little tape around the cut edges to prevent the cut ends from fraying.

Cut a length of rope to use as a handle for your caddy

Add a good dollop of glue on both cut ends and join them together. Secure the join with more tape.

Add glue to the rope ends and glue them together

Leave the glue to dry and cover the taped join with s piece of fabric.

Wrap fabric or leather around the rope to disguise the join

All that’s left to do is load up your tools and you’re done. Easy right? When I’m done crafting and DIYing, I hang my toolbox caddy up for the day.

Tired of looking for your tools? Conquer the chaos with this easy DIY toolbox caddy! Crafted from scrap wood, this budget-friendly solution will keep your tools neatly arranged and within easy reach. Spend a morning on this fun project and transform your workspace into an organized haven. The best part? You can customize the compartments and design to fit your tools perfectly. #ACraftyMix

You can adapt the caddy design to hold whatever tools you enjoy using.

Tired of looking for your tools? Conquer the chaos with this easy DIY toolbox caddy! Crafted from scrap wood, this budget-friendly solution will keep your tools neatly arranged and within easy reach. Spend a morning on this fun project and transform your workspace into an organized haven. The best part? You can customize the compartments and design to fit your tools perfectly. #ACraftyMix

The PVC pipes can handle the bulky stuff with ease….

Tired of looking for your tools? Conquer the chaos with this easy DIY toolbox caddy! Crafted from scrap wood, this budget-friendly solution will keep your tools neatly arranged and within easy reach. Spend a morning on this fun project and transform your workspace into an organized haven. The best part? You can customize the compartments and design to fit your tools perfectly. #ACraftyMix

While the pockets on the back are perfect for storing small odds and ends.

Tired of looking for your tools? Conquer the chaos with this easy DIY toolbox caddy! Crafted from scrap wood, this budget-friendly solution will keep your tools neatly arranged and within easy reach. Spend a morning on this fun project and transform your workspace into an organized haven. The best part? You can customize the compartments and design to fit your tools perfectly. #ACraftyMix

I put a collection of craft sticks in one pocket. We use them all the time in our fairy creations. The other pocket holds glue, pens, pencils, and markers.

Tired of looking for your tools? Conquer the chaos with this easy DIY toolbox caddy! Crafted from scrap wood, this budget-friendly solution will keep your tools neatly arranged and within easy reach. Spend a morning on this fun project and transform your workspace into an organized haven. The best part? You can customize the compartments and design to fit your tools perfectly. #ACraftyMix

Plus, the smallest, craft knife disguised as a pencil.

Tired of looking for your tools? Conquer the chaos with this easy DIY toolbox caddy! Crafted from scrap wood, this budget-friendly solution will keep your tools neatly arranged and within easy reach. Spend a morning on this fun project and transform your workspace into an organized haven. The best part? You can customize the compartments and design to fit your tools perfectly. #ACraftyMix

I’m thinking of making another one to hold my small gardening tools. The possibilities are endless. What would you use your caddy for?

If you like the idea of making an easy toolbox caddy, don’t forget to pin it for later.

Tired of looking for your tools? Conquer the chaos with this easy DIY toolbox caddy! Crafted from scrap wood, this budget-friendly solution will keep your tools neatly arranged and within easy reach. Spend a morning on this fun project and transform your workspace into an organized haven. The best part? You can customize the compartments and design to fit your tools perfectly. #ACraftyMix

Sharing is caring 😉

Tired of looking for your tools? Conquer the chaos with this easy DIY toolbox caddy! Crafted from scrap wood, this budget-friendly solution will keep your tools neatly arranged and within easy reach. Spend a morning on this fun project and transform your workspace into an organized haven. The best part? You can customize the compartments and design to fit your tools perfectly. #ACraftyMix

BTW, if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below, means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us make more amazing crafts to share with you.

Plywood Sheet Board Squares, A Grade, 12 x 12 inch, 1/4 inch Thick, Pack of 5 Unfinished Wood for Crafts Basswood by Craftiff
60Pcs Small Hinges for Wooden Box, Jewelry Box Hinges,Small Mini Hinges for Crafts,Bird House Hinges, Bronze Small Box Hinges with 260 Pcs Screws
SGT KNOTS Twisted Manila Rope - Natural 3 Strand Fiber Hemp Rope for Indoor and Outdoor Use | Multipurpose Manila Rope for Crafts, DIY Projects, Home Decorating, Climbing | 1/4 in x 10ft

Some of my favorite tools in the caddy.

Sale Gifts for Men, Stocking Stuffers for Adults Men Hammer Multitool, Christmas Gifts for Men Dad Him Husband Grandpa, Unique Gifts for Men Who Have Everything, Camping Essentials Cool Gadgets for Men
Sale Slice 10416 New Precision Cutter 10416, Craft Cutter, Micro-Ceramic Blade Lasts up to 11x Longer Than Metal, Hobby Knife With Precision Blade, Replaceable Blade
Pefei Tweezers Set - Professional Stainless Steel Tweezers for Eyebrows - Great Precision for Facial Hair, Splinter and Ingrown Hair Removal (Black)

And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY, then maybe these beauties will appeal.

Sale McGuire-Nicholas 15' Collapsible Tool Tote, Grey and Black Tool Tote Bag, 22015
MyGift Vintage Brown Solid Wood Home Storage Crate Organizer Caddy with 6 Compartments and Galvanized Zinc Metal Dividers and Handle
Sale BULL TOOLS 26 Pocket SAE Wrench Roll Organizer Metric Roll Up Tool Pouch Bag Hand-Crafted, Heavy Weight 100% Cotton Duck Canvas - Washed Black/Grey

And as always, wishing you a wonderful, crafty week filled with lots of love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.

Made with love by a Crafty Mix