A Housewarming Tool Caddy for a Dad or Son — and a House Cheat Sheet

Materials

• The caddy: one unfinished pine crate, roughly 13 × 9 × 7 in, with handles. The divider: a 1/4-in (6 mm) craft or hobby board at least as long as the crate's inside length and 4 in tall, and wood glue
• The finish: 120 + 220 grit sandpaper, pre-stain wood conditioner, walnut wood stain, one 2-in foam brush, satin wipe-on poly, lint-free rags, disposable gloves, four adhesive felt pads
• The toolkit: a 16-ft tape measure, a 9-in torpedo level, a multi-bit screwdriver, a pocket LED flashlight, twenty assorted picture-hanging hooks, one roll of painter's tape
• The drop zone: one 3-hook strip plus four short wood screws (see step 3). Your tools (not in the gift): a drill with a small bit for pilot holes, a screwdriver, a fine-tooth handsaw, a tape measure
• The labeling: a white paint marker and a stencil set (or a vinyl letter sheet)
• The House Cheat Sheet: one 5 × 7 cardstock card and a roll of clear packing tape (for laminating on the cheap)

Instructions

1. 01

   Glue in one divider first, before any finish. Measure the crate's inside length. Cut the craft board to that length and about 4 in tall with the handsaw, and sand the cut ends. Glue it along its bottom edge and both ends so it runs the length of the crate about 4½ in from the front wall, and weight it while the glue sets (follow the glue's clamp time). The front bay takes the level, tape measure and screwdriver lying flat; the back bay takes the flashlight, hooks and painter's tape standing up. The bays make this a caddy, not a box.

2. 02

   Sand and stain the crate. 120 then 220 grit until smooth — give the handles and the top edge an extra pass since hands land there. Pine soaks unevenly, so wipe on pre-stain conditioner first, then brush walnut stain along the grain and finish with one coat of wipe-on poly. Drying times vary by product: follow each can's label before the next coat and before loading, work in a well-ventilated room, and get rid of the rags the way the can says.

3. 03

   Mount the hook strip on the front rim. Four short wood screws, with pilot holes drilled first. Pick screws no longer than the hook strip and the crate wall together, so the tips don't come through inside. This is the keys-wallet-phone drop zone — the reason the caddy stays on the entryway shelf instead of migrating to a closet.

4. 04

   Stencil their last name (or HOUSE KIT) on the front. Block letters in white paint marker. Skip handwritten — block holds up better in a working entryway. Pad the bottom corners with felt before loading.

5. 05

   Write the House Cheat Sheet and tuck it inside. Wi-Fi network and password, breaker box location, water shutoff, gas shutoff, trash and recycling days, paint colors and brand for each room. Hand-write it on the 5 × 7 card, cover both sides with clear packing tape, slide it into the back bay so the corner sticks up.