How to Make a Drink Caddy Holder

Description:

Today I’m making a drink caddy from some scrap walnut I had laying around my shop. A few days ago I found one of these for sale online for $44.00, but I knew I could make one for much cheaper. In total, this project only set me back about $5.00 (for the bottle opener, I already had the wood). I started by planing all of my wood down to a 1/2″ thick, with the exception of the side rails. I planed those down to 1/4″ thick or so. At my table saw, I cut all my pieces to their final dimensions. I cut a groove in the center of the bottom board and a rabbet on the bottom of both side pieces. For the center board, I placed my template onto the board with some packing tape (I’d recommend spray adhesive, but I didn’t have any). I cut a round curve on top and drilled two holes at 1 1/8″ wide for the handle grip. I connected the holes with my jigsaw and this left me with a nice handle shape. I rounded over the inside of the handle with a round-over bit on my router table. This gave the handle a nice fit when it’s in your hand. Using wood glue and nails, I assembled all of my pieces and sanded everything nice and smooth. For the finish, I applied a few coats of wipe-on Danish oil. This really gave the walnut a rich, dark look. I finished it all off by attaching a bottle opener to the side and now it’s ready to be loaded up with your favorite summer drinks! If you’d like to make this project, I’ve included a 3D model and a cutting template down below to help you get started!