Turn Empty Soup Cans Into A Handy Garden Tool Caddy For Easy Storage

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There's no need to splurge on a fancy garden storage caddy when it'll inevitably get roughed up and dirtied over hours of physical labor. Instead of buying an overpriced, bulky caddy, DIY a custom build using popular materials and a common throwaway household item — a soup can. There are many ways to repurpose empty soup cans around a home, and this method puts them to use in a garden. Metal cans are the perfect size and material to make sturdy pockets for a portable basket. The TikToker mrsclarehoops showed the internet how to craft a cute but basic design with minimal supplies.

This idea is just as easy as the adorable craft can organizer idea that also repurposes metal soup containers. The original TikToker designed a six-pocket carrying caddy for various outdoor tools that keeps them organized and within reach. This creates a very practical device for working around a landscape, so you don't have to keep walking back and forth to a shed or garage for tools.

Crafting this receptacle only requires a few steel cans, a handle, and a wood block. You'll also need a drill to secure the whole design together and additional embellishments for aesthetics. When finished, leave this can sitting in a garden, tuck it away in a shed, or display it on a porch. Keep in mind that this isn't the only way you can put soup cans to use outside a home, as there's also a hack that turns empty tins into light-up garden decor.

Design the caddy around how many tools you intend to carry around your yard. If you have a smaller collection, four family-size soup cans will do. However, you can design it with up to six cans without it getting too heavy. Also source a piece of plywood that's at least one to two inches thick, so it's sturdy and has room for a handle on top. It should be eight to 12 inches long, depending on how many cans you intend to attach to each side.

@mrsclarehoops

DIY tin can caddy anyone? #gardenupcycle #budgetgarden #tincancaddy #gardenorganiser #gardenstoragegoals

♬ original sound – Mrs Clare Hoops | Crafts/Hacks

Dress up the cans before you begin. The easiest option is to color them with spray paint, such as the Rust-Oleum American Accents 2X Ultra Cover Flat Spray Paint. Drill evenly spaced holes around the bottom of the can so water and condensation have somewhere to escape, and drill each can into the wood board side-by-side. If you want to protect the metal from outdoor humidity and rain, add a rust-resistant sealant too. Soup cans are usually made of steel with a tin coat, which may not always hold up to corrosion if they get scratched or are constantly exposed to the elements. Consider also adding a wood finish to the plywood board to protect it from the same risks.

Finish off the design by drilling a handle into the top, so it's easy to carry the caddy around a garden. Pick a handle designed for outdoor use, such as the QUALIALL Premium Barn Door Handle. Once all these pieces are assembled, you can fill the caddy with various items, such as a shovel, plant shears, a pair of gloves, and other niche tools for gardening endeavors.