DIY distressed blue wooden caddy

One of the many perks of attending the Haven Conference each year is that I get to take home some cool swag. (By the way, if you’re a DIYer and/or a home niche blogger, you should seriously consider attending Haven this year. Bonus: We can meet in person and hang out!)

For example, last year the folks from Home Depot handed out cute wine rack and wooden caddy kits.

I finally got around to putting my caddy together this week, so I wanted to share with you how I made it extra special. (For a free plan on how to build your own wooden caddy, click here.)

I started by stenciling the two long side pieces with the Royal Design Studio French Number Stencil. I already had this stencil on hand after using it on my wooden coat rack project.

I used Royal Design Studio Stencil Crème in Bronze Age for the color.

After that dried, I mixed together a combination of Bleached Blue and Vintage Aqua Varathane® wood stains.

I applied the stain mixture to every piece of the caddy except the handle. (The pieces weren’t put together yet.) I even brushed the stain right over the stenciled numbers.

I wiped back the stain and this was the result:

While that dried, I spray-painted the caddy’s handle with a coat of Rust-Oleum® Aged Metallic Paint & Primer in One – in Weathered Steel.

I used my orbital sander to distress the edges of each wooden piece. Then I attached all the pieces.

To give the caddy an aged look, I used a watered-down coat of Varathane Wood Stain – in Kona – over the sanded edges. I wiped back the stain with a damp piece of steel wool until I achieved my desired result.

Finally, I applied a clear topcoat in a matte finish. Done! I can use this caddy to hold my tools or garden supplies.

Or I can use it as a decorative piece in my living room.

Have you stained any wooden pieces lately? I’d love for you to share your project in a comment.

Special thanks to Rust-Oleum, Home Depot and Royal Design Studio for providing the supplies needed to complete this project.