Upcycled Copper and Denim Tin Can Craft Caddy
Not having my own studio and having to craft on the dining room table can be a real pain sometimes. Basically because I have to tidy it up and can’t just shut the door on it. Sometimes I find it a real faff having to get my stuff in and out of cupboards. Then I thought if I made a good looking craft caddy for my brushes, scissors, pencils & pens not only would it be handy but I wouldn’t have to hide them away. I’m really pleased how this craft caddy has turned out and will now be making a cutlery one for when my dining room is a dining room and not a craft room.
What You Need to Make Your Caddy
As I like to upcycle I made my craft caddy out of stuff I already had. My sister had asked me for a copper pineapple for her birthday !; so I decided to use the copper spray paint left over from that project. Also as I think copper and denim look great together so decided to use some denim as well.
Six tin cans
Strips of denim cut from and hems of old jeans
Old screwdriver for handle (or could use old wooden handled corkscrew)
Piece of old wood such as pallet wood aproximately 35cm x 6cm
Copper spray paint
Coloured Spray paints
Acrylic varnish spray
8 eyelets and eyelet tool if you don’t have one of these then you can just use 8 small washers suitable for 3.5mm screws
8 wood 3.5mm 1/2″ wood screws
Screw driver to use as a screwdriver
Optional
Dark wood stain, olive oil and vinegar
How to make a craft caddy
Firstly prepare your 6 tin cans. Even though I had decided that I was going to have a copper and denim craft caddy I couldn’t resist a splash of colour. I just love colourful tin cans. To achieve this I spray painted the inside of every tin can a different colour. I then spray painted the outside of all six cans copper. Once the spray paint was dry I then sprayed the cans inside and out with a protective acrylic varnish.
The next stage I prepared the wooden handle of my craft caddy. I rounded the edges of my pallet wood with a chisel and then sanded it. As I thought dark wood would contrast nicely with the shiny copper colour of the tins I stained the wood. I also stained the handle of the screw driver to match, and sprayed the metal shaft copper. Finally I used a 50/50 mixture of olive oil and vinegar to buff all the wood to a nice sheen. (Wax would also work well)
Then marking the centre of you pallet wood, stick your screwdriver into the top. To do this I twisted the screwdriver while pushing down so that it slowly drilled into the wood. This worked really well, however if you are having problems with this you can always drill as small hole in the top and then glue your screwdriver in the hole.
To secure the tin cans to the handle you will need your denim straps. Cut the hem off old jeans as close to the seam stitching as possible, you will want lengths approximate to the circumference of your tin cans. This will depend on the stretchiness of your denim, to get a tight fit you will need to shorten the length of the strips of denim to compensate for the stretch.
As I have a eyelet tool I put eyelets each end of my denim strips. If you don’t have a eyelet tool, you can just make a small hole in the hem for the screws, and use a washer on top of the denim.
Screw one end of each of the six denim straps to the wood. Three on each side, where you want to place your tin cans. (I spray painted my screws copper before starting so they’d match the tins)
Now wrap each denim strap in turn round a copper can and screw in place. You want to ensure a tight fit. Also for the middle can, I shared the same screw for the straps of the cans either side. This ensured that the copper cans sat closer together but is optional.
That’s it once all the cans are attached your caddy is ready to go. I love the stylish copper and denim look of this craft caddy but with the surprise splash of colour from the insides of the cans. You can also use it as a picnic caddy, or just as a handy portable storage for all those bits a pieces you don’t know where to put but want on hand.
If you like my craft/cocktail cupboard in the background of some of the photos you can see it here: Easy craft cupboard transformation.
 
Related
Claire, this is such a clever and super cute idea. I loved that you used things you already had. Right up my alley. Thanks for sharing at Happiness is Homemade.
Thank you, Carol. My favourite kind of crafting is using the stuff around me.
[…] Copper & denim craft caddy from, Pillar box blue […]
As a fellow ‘crafter at the dinning table’ I think this is both lovely and brilliant. It’ll be one of the features at Handmade Monday later on today 🙂
Thank you, Julie. My dinning room is constantly full of craft clutter. I did briefly move into one of my sons rooms but he’s come back home for a year while he works in London.
[…] Stylish Copper and Denim Craft Caddy – Pillarbox Blue […]
[…] Stylish Copper and Denim Craft Caddy – Pillarbox Blue […]
[…] Stylish Copper & Denim Craft Caddy ~ Craft supplies can become unruly! Learn how to make an arts and crafts caddy by Pillar Box […]
What a fun upcyle project. I’m crazy about all things copper and I think I’ve spray painted everything I can over the last year. Your caddy is a great idea and it looks great. Thanks for partying at Snickerdoodle. Pinning.
Thank you, Beverly. I love a bit of copper spray paint too!
This is really neat idea! Thank you for sharing
Thank you, Elvira.
What a fun and cute idea. This would be perfect for my kids art center!
Thank you, it is handy.
I love this idea! I think some rose gold paint would look great too! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you, Pam. I love the idea of rose gold paint.
I love all the recycled bits in this! I made something similar for my paint brushes with mason jars & a fork for the handle. Great reuse of things destined for the trash!
Thank you. I love Mason jar caddy’s too, the fork for a handle sounds like a great idea.
[…] wanted my washi tape holder to match my copper and denim craft caddy, so I stained all the wood with a dark oak wood stain. To introduce the copper, I spray painted the […]
[…] out some of my other outdoor tin can ideas. Upcycled window herb planter Happy Hour Upcycled Window Copper and denim caddy amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = […]
Dear Girls: I’ve just recently discovered this “Wonderful and Creative” site. I’m so inspired by all of your Imaginative and Creative ideas. I’ve been living in “slow-motion” since becoming a Widow but now feel I have found “kindred-spirits”. So happy to have found your site(s) – I am looking forward to having some DIY of my own. Thanks for sharing your super ideas, and I hope to have some to share with you. (I can’t wait to get started – smile). Feel free to correspond if you’d like. Cathey Jo
Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m happy to hear that you have found stuff on my site that you enjoy. I do think that craft and upcycling can be healing and therapeutic, there is something special about creating things.
[…] zone I decided to accessorize my window further with a cute little cocktail caddy. I’d made a Copper Craft Caddy before, this was quite similar but this time I used little tins and decoupaged them. […]
[…] readers, have spotted my craft cupboard lurking in the background of a few blog posts, such as my Copper Tin Can Caddy. This classy craft cupboard transformation was completed a few years ago, and as requested I will […]
Another great use for tin cans Claire! This could be used in so many ways. I love that you used a screwdriver as a handle. So ingenious! Thanks so much for sharing at Vintage Charm.
Thank you ! I love upcycling tin cans and denim.
love the caddy so cool. I can relate live in a small apartment with two teens and a bossy siamese. No studio just the dining room table dreaming of a studio when I can get a house. Pinning love all upcycles getting ready to start on a wipes box and turn it into a little anything box have a great week
Thank you very much ! Maybe we will get our studio one day.
I love this project!! So handy for any area of the home! I’m asking people to share their tin can projects on my blog this month at a monthly Create With Me party and I would LOVE if you stopped by and shared 🙂 Lindi @ Love Create Celebrate
Thank you so much ! and thanks for the invite.
The Buzzfeed list of “16 Gifts You Can DIY From Stuff You Already Have Lying Around” is live now. Feel free to check it out, comment and share it with your followers. The more traction it gets, the better for all of us.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/makeanddocrew/21-gifts-to-diy-with-stuff-you-already-have-lying-212bi#.idydoAq7m
Happy crafting!
Jess
[…] PBB […]
Hey Claire-
I just included your awesome craft caddy tutorial in a Buzzfeed list I currated called “16 Gifts You Can DIY From Stuff You Already Have Lying Around.” Just wanted to say thanks for the great DIY idea!
Jess
Thanks ! That sounds great look forward to seeing it.
[…] PBB […]
[…] PBB gives us a super stylish and innovative idea when it comes to craft caddies. A bit of denim, copper and a creative notion give this a fun spin. […]
[…] This cool caddy is perfect for any desk or craft room. Prepare six tin cans, strips of denim cut from and hems of old jeans, an old screwdriver for handle, a piece of old wood such as pallet wood aproximately 35cm x 6cm, copper spray paint, coloured spray paints, acrylic varnish spray, 8 eyelets and eyelet tool, 8 wood 3.5mm 1/2″ wood screws, a screwdriver. Firstly prepare your 6 tin cans. Spray paint the inside of every tin can a different colour. Then spray paint the outside of all six cans copper. Once the spray paint is dry, then spray the cans inside and out with a protective acrylic varnish. continue reading the tutorial in the source. […]
This is a terrific diy and upcycle project too. Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop xo
Pinned
Thank you ! I love it when people like my upcycles.
What a great idea and so cute! Thanks for sharing at My Flagstaff Home!
Jennifer
Thank you very much ! Glad you like it
What a brilliant idea! Thanks for linking up with Thursday Favorite Things!
Thank you !
such a cute idea! love the contrast of the copper and denim. Thanks for sharing the tute!
Thank you ! Glad you liked it.
This is such a cool project! Love that you re-used the tins and the denim pieces! So clever! I would like to invite you to my DIY Crush Craft Party which starts at 7pm EST. and is new every Thursday. I’ll pin every post!! 😉
Thank you ! And thanks for the invite.
OMG, this is so adorable and so easy to do. Thank you very much for posting xx
Thank you ! I just love making stuff from old stuff and it’s great when other people like it too!
I love the denim with the copper! Fabulous colors. Thanks for sharing on the #HomeMattersParty this week. I hope you join us next week.
Thank you ! Yes I think denim and copper go really well together.
Really fabulous, need some too! and i have to confess, even though I do have an office/craft room, it doesn’t have a large table (and is currently too disorganized, sigh) so i usually work on the dining room table, which should be incentive enough to get my craft room in order! thanks so much for sharing on craft schooling Sunday!
Thanks ! I’d love a craft room, but I’m sure it just be an excuse for me to leave everything out and soon it would get really messy.
Yet another inspiring craft project! Looks great, I can think of so many uses for it x
Thank you Wendy glad you like it.