DIY Art Caddy

I recently ran across a DIY blog post from the Crafter's File Box on how to make an art caddy from a lazy susan, similar to the one Pottery Barn Kids has. I had a rather large lazy susan that I loved to use on our round table, but now that we have a rectangular table, it wasn't getting used as much. And I desperately was looking for a way to organize the girls' art supplies, yet make them readily available for my four-year old whenever she wants to create something.

What do you need:

-little buckets (dollar section at Target)
-one large bucket (optional, dollar section at Target)
-Drill, drill bits, short screws OR strong glue like E-6000 (Hobby Lobby)
-paint and paint brushes, if not using spray paint
-sand paper
-face mask or rag

I used Rustoleum Heirloom White, only because I had it on hand.
Otherwise, I would have used regular paint. I have come to the conclusion that I just don't like spray paints, but I did like how quickly it dried.

Lazy susan slightly sanded to rough up the surface and help paint adhere.



Here I am sanding the freshly painted surface and distressing the edges.
FYI: Use gloves. So much paint dust
 got on my hands and under my fingernails, as I sanded.



Two reasons you need a face mask: 
#1: Breathing in paint dust CANNOT be good for you.
#2: They just make you feel so darn cool. 



Word on the street has it that if you don't have this glue in your crafting supplies, you're not a REAL crafter. GULP. I ran out to buy this glue asap, costing a mere $3.99 from Hobby Lobby. The Crafter's File Box tutorial used this glue to secure her buckets to the LS, but since the temp was too cold for it to dry in the garage, and it had a VERY strong odor, my husband suggested screwing down the buckets instead of gluing them. I was glad we chose this method of securing the buckets. And I am happy that I have E-6000 on-hand now.




Pre-drilling the bottom of the buckets

Little buckets: I REALLY wanted to use solid-colored buckets with girly colors, like the big, pink one in the middle of the caddy, but Target only had the princess ones.

These are fun for Laney, because they are princesses, plus they fit the budget at $1 a piece. Hobby Lobby had some solid colored buckets in their Spring section, but they were $2 a piece. 

The main goals of this project were: to be creative with what I had on hand, provide space for the girls' art supplies, and spend as little as possible in the process.  For those who have boys, Target had boyish Batman buckets as well. Another option is to use half boy/half girl buckets.



Up-close of pre-drilling. 

DH didn't want to put any pressure on the bottom of the buckets while
screwing it onto the lazy susan, so as to avoid bending the metal. This worked great.

It's helpful, but not necessary to have someone hold the bucket while someone drills.
I was the helper while DH handled the power tools.
Next time, I want to drill. Ar! Ar!

The view inside the buckets after being secured to lazy susan with a screw.

Half way done:
I added the big bucket in the middle to hold bigger items like water color paints, etc.

Four buckets attached, four more to go.

Trial run:
Laney was SO excited to put her art supplies into the buckets!
In this picture, I only had four little buckets. I added four more buckets a few days later.

All done!

 

Overhead view of finished product

Still hoping to add some paint brushes and a few other things to her supplies.
Any suggestions?

I must say, I absolutely LOVE how it came out. I love how practical it is.
And most of all, the girls love it!