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Home » Aged » Rustic Wooden Caddy with a Branch Handle

Rustic Wooden Caddy with a Branch Handle

February 25, 2019 Brittany Bailey 33 Comments

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Rustic Wooden Caddy with a Branch Handle

Spring is right around the corner and I’m itching to cut some fresh flowers to bring inside. I love displaying them in jars placed inside rustic wooden caddies. Making a little caddy or tote out of salvage wood and branches can be an easy beginner DIY project. But, it’s also satisfying for experienced woodworkers looking to use up some old scraps or upcycle an old wooden box. Here’s how to elevate a simple wooden box into something more quirky and special by adding a branch handle.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

  • Old wooden box (Don’t have one? Make your own wooden box with this tutorial.)
  • Thick branch
  • Pry bar
  • Pliers
  • Clamps
  • Wood screws
  • Drill
  • Hand saw (coping or hack saw)
  • Spade bits
  • Paint
  • Sandpaper

I happened to be browsing through a yard sale and spotted a sad little box begging for me to buy it and give it a new life:

How could I say no! It was only $3. I couldn’t leave it at the yard sale in its sad burgundy dust-covered state. I brought it home so it could sit in my garage collecting more dust. (This happens more often than I’d like to admit. It’s a sickness I have.)

Using the pry bar and pliers, I pulled off the lid of the box and removed any nails.

Then I had a basic box to work with. You can use this tutorial to create a simple box if you don’t have one.

Instructions:

Cut upper handle supports out of 1×3 or other scraps. Clamp them inside the box.

Pre-drill holes and drive wood screws through the sides of the box and into the vertical supports.

Now it the time to finish the wooden caddy using your choice of paint or stain. (I like to create a rustic look using a relatively dry brush and by letting some of the wood grain show through your brush stokes.)

While the paint is drying, use a hack or coping saw to remove any bumps or burrs from your branch.

Measure the ends of your branch and select the spade bits that are closest in diameter to your branch (you want the holes to be equal to or wider than the branch.)

Drill a hole into each side of the vertical handle supports.

Insert the branch into the side of the caddy. You might have to experiment with which direction to install the branch.

Fill some jars with flowers and set them inside the crate.

Set it out in a prominent spot in your home.

Enjoy your shabby chic crate, caddy, tool box, or whatever you like to call it.

Personally I can’t get enough of this branch handle:

I’m curious, would you have bought that little dusty box too?!

If you liked this tutorial, you’ll love these other easy DIY Projects:

Mini-Picket Fence Caddy

Make a Driftwood Gift Crate | Pretty Handy Girl

Make Your Own Driftwood Crate

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Aged, Bin, Build It, clamps, decor, distressing, drill, gifts, Home Decor, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, ReNew, thrifting, Toolbox, Trash to Treasure, Upcycling

Comments

  1. Landon "Lumber Master" Edgington says

    September 11, 2020 at 2:42 pm

    This is a great idea for my table settings and a great replacement for my flower vase.

    Reply
  2. Lily says

    June 29, 2020 at 11:20 am

    What clear, great instruction!! Beautiful caddy 👍!! Ty!!

    Reply
  3. Teresa Archer says

    March 28, 2019 at 9:36 am

    I love making wooden caddies, tool boxes and trudges, but I always use dowels for handles, because that’s what we’re supposed to do. Thank you for kicking me back outside of the box! Just moved to 25 acres of pine and oak trees. I love branches, stripping the bark off and feeling the beauty of the natural wood. Time to go make a new, old caddy! Love your site, are we sisters from another mother?

    Reply
    • Brittany Bailey says

      April 4, 2019 at 5:07 pm

      We may be! 😉 So glad you came out of that box to explore new materials for the handles!!!

      Reply
  4. Tracy Klemens says

    February 28, 2019 at 2:26 pm

    I love this idea! I have so many trees branches that have fallen from the winter storm here in Wisconsin.

    Reply
  5. Susan Bartenfeld says

    February 26, 2019 at 8:41 am

    You have my brain on a major spin!! I have some of my “scrap” wood under a bed. I live in apartments and don’t have a “shop”. So, I have my wood under a bed! Of course it was wiped off before being put under there. But, Look out, my creative juices are in a full blown rapid rush!! OH, yes i would have bought that box too!!!
    Blessings,
    SusanB
    Junk to Treasure

    Reply
  6. Denise says

    April 7, 2018 at 1:32 pm

    Beautiful! I wish I was that creative 😊❤

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Brittany aka Pretty Handy Girl. I like the smell of coffee and sawdust in the morning. I live to break stereotypes and empower you to take on your own DIY project.

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