The Shabby Creek Cottage

Hundreds of ideas for creative ways to eat, make & decorate!

How to Turn Junk into a Beautiful Decorative Tool Box

 this tool box tutorial guest post was written by Funky Junk Interiors

Hello everyone! My name is Donna and I’m a junkaholic. 🙂 My passion is creative decorating with unique elements, namely ‘junk’. So if you like pallet board builds and rusty trinkets, you and I have lots in common. 🙂 So… have you ever wished you could build something from scratch out of wood? Today I’m going to share how I made a junk style tool box myself a couple of ways, out of one board each. Both have very funky handles making them one of a kind. I LOVE to use a tool box for the versatility and these were really easy to pull off.

 I love this idea - repurposing junk into pretty tool boxes
I love this idea - repurposing junk into pretty tool boxes
Aren’t they fun?!?
Find a handle of your dreams, then build the box around it. And you’ll end up with a one of a kind creation.

 HOW TO MAKE A JUNK STYLE TOOL BOX

Pallet board / drill handle toolbox
This one looks a tiny bit complicated and took more steps than the picket one. But I promise, it wasn’t that hard.
 Adding this idea to my list: repurposing junk into pretty tool boxes
Front, back and bottom

1 2 3 – I measured out how long I wanted my toolbox and cut the first piece. I then used that piece as a guide for the other two. These pieces would become the front, back and bottom. 4 – I dry fit it to get a visual. LOVED the wood patina and nail holes. 🙂

Adding this idea to my list: repurposing junk into pretty tool boxes
Sides

Once I decided how tall I desired the sides to rise, I cut a board twice that long so I could make both sides at once. 5 – The board was clamped to two sawhorses for stability while cutting with a jigsaw. I drew one side, then cut it. (with a dull blade… use a sharp one!) 6 – I used the cut piece to transfer the design to the other side. 7 – The old board got a good sanding. 8 – The middle of the board was measured out.

Adding this idea to my list: repurposing junk into pretty tool boxes

9 – The board was cut in the middle, creating the two sides. 10 – Everything got another good sanding, especially the edges and ends, but care was given to not overdo it as I wanted to maintain the squareness of the edges. 11 – I dry fit to ensure it was working. It was! So hmmm… what’s that old tyme drill for anyway? You shall soon see. 🙂 12 – I used a spade bit in the cordless drill to drill the holes in the sides for the handle.

Adding this idea to my list: repurposing junk into pretty tool boxes

13 – After one hole was drilled, I used it as a template for the next hole position. 14 and 15 – I didn’t drill right through this time. Yet. 16 – I re clamped the board back onto the saw horse and jigsawed two small cuts leading up to the intended hole.

Adding this idea to my list: repurposing junk into pretty tool boxes

17 and 18 – I then finished drilling the hole. You see, I needed a slot for… 19 – the drill handle of course! The blade end of the (VERY DULL) drill slips into one hole, and the handle slips into the slot of the other. 20 – I predrilled and nailed all of the pieces together….

Adding this idea to my list: repurposing junk into pretty tool boxes

And called it done. 🙂

However I’m really glad toolboxes are so versatile because I really needed it inside the house as a telephone companion. Perfect. 🙂 Picket toolbox This one’s much easier.
Adding this idea to my list: repurposing junk into pretty tool boxes
Adding this idea to my list: repurposing junk into pretty tool boxes

Cut, screw together, find a cool handle, drill a hole for it and you’re done! (full tutorial is HERE)

Junk Tool Box with Twig Handle
Wish you could build your own stuff? You can you know. 🙂 Ask someone to help you work the tools and from there, it’s like icing a cake. But be warned, get proficient with building and you’ll be asking your sig other to move over to his side of the workshop… 🙂
These builds were originally part of a workshop series on how to build a toolbox. You can find those posts HERE.
Adding this idea to my list: repurposing junk into pretty tool boxes. Now I've just got to keep my eye out for some good pallets and cool junk to make them with.
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Comments

  1. OH Gina what an answer to prayer! We were discussing you all last night and how you hubby was in the hospital quite ill. Take care now and go pamper both of yourselves!

    Reply

  5. I’m so glad to hear that you’re home now. Praying for you that he continues to get better.

    Love Funky Junk. I’ll be sharing some of the tutes there with my son. His hands are needing something creative to do. He wants a job. Perhaps it’s time for him to put those two things together and learn to build.

    Thank you gals!

    Reply

  7. Hi Gina,

    I’m sooo happy that your hubby is home with your family! I love Donna’s blog, and I follow you both. What really touches me is that it seems like a lot of the bloggers that I admire and follow are friends – like you and Donna. It’s wonderful how you all step up when someone needs help and needs a “guest poster.” That speaks to me about the kind of people you all are and I’m happy I’m such a good judge of character! 🙂

    Reply

  13. Great way to use old drill. T first I taught that is unsafe because it is not safe an it could pulled out easily, then I realized that it cant be pulled out because of construction of that old drill. Lady tool box :)))

    Reply

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