How I Built a Beer/Picnic Caddy in Less Than 30 Minutes

By Jessica Ansley of Artbucket Creations

If you are an avid crafter like I am, you could probably spend hours at Michaels or Hobby Lobby, just browsing the aisles! I do this as often as physically possible, because I love to imagine all of the things that I could make with all of the wonderful products that craft stores offer. A few weeks ago, I came across a beer caddy at Michaels.  It was priced at $24.99 and looked just like this. 
(See Photo of Screenshot from their website).

Now that looks nice and all, and it is at an affordable price if you aren’t trying to paint them and sell them. However, if you are trying to make money at selling them, you would have to charge at least $45-50 to make a decent profit.

I decided that I wanted to make my own and make even more of a profit! I chose not to make individual sections (unlike the one in the photo), but I made just one divider down the center so that people could put other things besides bottles in there, such as silverware, ketchup/mustard/mayo bottles for a picnic, along with napkins.

Watch the video to see how to make your own. You can also read the step by step instructions below the video!

Tools List:
Miter Saw
Jig Saw
Tape Measure
Speed Square
Drill
Drill bit for pre-drilling with countersink
Driver bit for screws

Air Compressor for Brad Nailer

Brad Nailer
1″ Spade Bit
Pencil
Scissors
24 in. Racheting Bar Clamp/Spreader
Sandpaper (220 grit)

Supplies List: 
(1) 1×6 Pine Board cut at 10.5 inches

(2) 1×6 Pine Boards cut at 12 inches
(1) 1 in Dowel Rod cut at 12 inches
(1) .5×4 Poplar Board cut at 10.5 inches
(6) .25×2 Poplar Boards cut at 12 inches

Your Choice of Wood Stain (optional)
Wood Glue
Wood Stain
#8×2 inch General Purpose Wood Screws
3/8th Wood Plugs (optional)
18 gauge Brad Nails

Old Fashioned Bottle Opener ( I get mine from PlumbKrazy Blanks!)

If Stenciling A Design:
Acrylic Paint
Paint Brushes
Silhouette Cameo or Other Vinyl Cutting Machine
Stencil Material such as Oracal 631, Oramask 813, etc
Transfer Tape
Squeegee

Instructions:
Step 1: Begin by cutting your bottom piece. We used a 1×6 pine common board from Home Depot and cut it into 10.5 inches with a miter saw. After the bottom piece, we cut both of our end pieces, also cut from the 1×6 common board. We cut the end pieces into 12 inch lengths with our miter saw. Make sure all pieces are even.

Step 2: Mark your measurements for your side slat pieces. Those are made from the .25×2 Poplar board pieces. You can find them in the craft wood section at Home Depot.

You will need to cut six (6) 12 inch long pieces of the Poplar for your side pieces.

Step 3: Cut your center piece for the inside of the caddy. We used the .5×4 Poplar board, and we cut it to 10.5 inches in length.

Step 4: Lastly, cut your 1 inch Dowel Rod in 12 inches.

One of two design bundles that I created for this project!

Step 5: Now that we have all of our wood cut, we can begin the more challenging, but still pretty simple stuff. Clamp both of the 12 inch 1×6 boards together so that they are lined up perfectly. Find the center of your boards on one end and make a mark with a pencil. Mark an inch to the left and right of your center mark. Mark 7 inches up the sides from the other end. Use a straight edge or a speed square to make a line that connects your markings.

Step 6: Now that we have our marks for our end pieces, we have to cut on those lines using a jigsaw. Be sure to keep them clamped while cutting so that both are cut even. Sand your edges.

PLEASE USE  EYE PROTECTION WHEN USING ANY MACHINERY!

Step 7: Using a drill and a 1 inch spade bit, drill your hole for your dowel rod.

Step 8: Center your inside middle piece (the divider) on your bottom piece. Mark along the edge of the divider piece onto the bottom piece so that you know where to put your divider after you add your end pieces.

One of the design bundles that I created for these!

Step 9: You can use clamps and wood glue to hold your pieces together while you add screws to attach the bottom and end pieces together. Add your divider piece before you begin attaching everything together.

Step 10: When attaching boards together, use a counter-sink and drill to pre-drill holes into the sides to attach them to the bottom piece. Use same drill with a drill bit to screw in screws to the holes you just drilled. (Optional: Fill your screw holes with the wood plugs.)

Step 11: Line up your side slats to where you want them on your caddy. Using your brad nailer and your compressor, begin nailing your slats onto the caddy. I also added a few nails from the end pieces into the divider to make sure it couldn’t go anywhere.

Step 12: I added some wood glue to my dowel rod and stuck it into the designated holes.

Step 13: Last but not least, I screwed my “old fashioned bottle opener” to one end of my caddy using screws and my drill.

Later on, I stenciled some designs on all of my caddy’s using my stenciling process. You can check that out HERE. 

Check out the DESIGN BUNDLES created for these HERE  and HERE!

 

If you guys enjoyed this post, please share with your friends by PINNING it to your favorite board on Pinterest or on your facebook. Thank you for reading and creating new things with me today!

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