Conquer Clutter with an Easy DIY Toolbox Caddy
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.
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.
There’s space on the front and back for all kinds of tools.
And when you’re done, just hang her up.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Use a spade bit or wood drill bit to drill equally spaced holes all the way through the cut piece of wood.
If you need a larger, elongated hole, drill two holes close together and chip away the bit in between the holes.
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.
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.
Mark and drill a hole in the back, tall portion of the PVC pipe before painting them in a color of your choice.
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.
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.
And no self-respecting pallet would be complete without one of my favorite stencils from Funky Junk.
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.
My scissors and metal files all slot into the piece of wood and the clunky pliers and multi-tools go into the PVC pipes.
To attach the piece of wood, glue it onto the front of the board.
Flip it over and drive screws in from the back.
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.
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.
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.
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
To add a rope handle, use a spade bit that’s a little bigger than the rope.
Close the toolbox caddy so the two plywood boards sit flush against each other and drill two holes towards the top of the toolbox.
Slip a long piece of rope inside the holes.
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.
Add a good dollop of glue on both cut ends and join them together. Secure the join with more tape.
Leave the glue to dry and cover the taped join with s piece of fabric.
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.
You can adapt the caddy design to hold whatever tools you enjoy using.
The PVC pipes can handle the bulky stuff with ease….
While the pockets on the back are perfect for storing small odds and ends.
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.
Plus, the smallest, craft knife disguised as a pencil.
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.
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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.
Some of my favorite tools in the caddy.
And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY, then maybe these beauties will appeal.
And as always, wishing you a wonderful, crafty week filled with lots of love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.
What a cool caddie and a great way to keep tools organized. I need several of these for the garage.
LOL, I know the feeling. I need a few more for all my other tools
This is a great way to conquer that tool clutter and keep everything organized, at hand and pretty, too!! Love the rustic wood.
Rustic wood that used to be pristine new wood 😉 Thanks Kim. I’ve been meaning to make a tool caddy for the longest time and finally got my butt into gear.