Upcycled Caddy for Craft Tool Storage

5 Materials
$7
1 Hour
Easy
From 1980s country to modern glam, this was a fun makeover for a thrift store find! I found a wooden tool caddy that was straight out of the 80s, adorned with those not so lovely 1980s ducks. It got a fun, peacock inspired makeover to go with the decor of my home office/craft space. Finding items that have seen better days or items that I can give a new use to is always a fun challenge.
This tool caddy  has a burned on marking on the bottom that reads, “Hand Crafted by Fred Buckles.”  How many of you had ducks in your decor during the 80’s? I did! My kitchen had ducks all over it. This tool caddy had one on each side. 


Whatever glue that was used, it was strong. One of the ducks popped off pretty easily using a flat head screw driver to pry it off. The other one was stubborn. It finally came off in bits and pieces, leaving some of still adhered to the wood. 



After searching on line for methods to remove glued on wooden pieces, I tried using acetone nail polish after reading that it would work. It did not. It might have worked if I could have removed more of the wood
Using my palm sander was the best option at this point. I carefully sanded the spot with the remaining wood until I had a smooth surface. 



The caddy was cleaned with TSP and was ready to be painted.


After applying two coats of Waverly Chalk Paint in Peacock, I gave the caddy one coat of Polycrylic Spray Finish. Once that dried, it was ready to embellish. I used a jeweled strip on a few other projects in my Office/Craft space room makeover
The finishing touches were to add a peacock feather and a strip of self adhesive jewels to the front of the caddy. I love that the tool caddy went from 1980s country to modern and glam. 



Don't pass up those outdated items at thrift stores! This is a useful item to have for some of the small tools that I use frequently. It keeps things organized and it freed up some space in some drawers in my craft desk.  It’s always great to find thrift store items that can be given new life! 


To see this and more thrift store find makeovers, please visit the link below.
Suggested materials:
  • Thrift Store Find Caddy   (Goodwill)
  • Chalk Paint   (Walmart)
  • Jeweled Strip   (Dollar Tree)
See all materials
Beverly Roderick at Across the Blvd
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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