DIY Wooden Bath Caddy

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Sigh, can I make a confession? I just finished up this bath caddy yesterday and ran a bath just to take pictures. But I was rushed to get to a meeting so didn’t get to enjoy the bath. So I can’t tell you from experience how wonderful it is to use… but man, it’s so inviting! I’m planning on trying it out tonight when we get home from swimming lessons. Because a long soak in suds filled water beats the chlorine smell.

Okay, now that I’ve come clean about this being a fake bath… let’s talk about this bath caddy because I’m kind of in love with it! I can tell it’s going to make my ‘me time’ so much more enjoyable. And less magazines will suffer damp pages because of it. Also… our bath does not have a very big ledge around, so it’s exciting to know I’ll be able to have tea (or wine when this baby makes it’s appearance!) without having to reach to the floor #thestruggleisreal. When I spotted this bath caddy on Etsy a while back, I knew that instead of shelling out the $130, I needed to try making my own. I’m so glad I did!

This project took me only a morning to assemble and then I took my time staining and sealing it. And do you want to know how much it cost me? $4 in lumber. Seriously. I already had the stain on hand, but if you needed to buy that, it still would come in around $20 which is a $110 savings.

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:

• 1×4 board
• 1×2 board
• Miter saw or circular saw
• Sand paper or sander
• Drill, small bit, and 1 1/4″ screws with matching bit
• Stain and sealant of your choice: I used Minwax Pre Stain Wood Conditioner, Early American Stain, and Finishing Paste

Start by measuring out your bath tub. Measure how wide you would like the top to be and where you should position the supports to keep it from slipping off the edges (this is just inside your tub). Then, cut your 1x4s to length. I used three pieces and love the depth that it has. The 1×2 strips for the supports need to be cut long enough to hold all three boards together. I cut them on an angle (because my dad was manning the saw for framing that day) and love how ‘finished’ it looks.

When your pieces are cut, lay them out and line up your supports. One of my supports needed to be much closer to the edge than the other. Mark out where your screws need to be to attach the boards. I used one screw in each of the end boards and two in the centre for both supports. Use a small drill bit to make pilot holes (into a scrap piece of wood!) before screwing it together. This is just because it’s such narrow pieces of wood, I didn’t want to deal with splitting.

When everything is assembled, it’s time to get sanding! I can’t believe how much the wood I had was yellowed before I sanded. I smoothed it all down with an electric sander and 100 grit paper before applying Minwax Pre Stain Wood Conditioner. This is the first time I’d used the stuff, I actually bought it for a patio table project we’re working on (I can’t wait to share that one with you!!) and thought I’d test it out on a smaller project first. It helps the wood absorb the stain more evenly and it definitely gave such an even finish!

I then applied Early American Minwax Stain (it’s a go-to colour in our house) and finished it off with Minwax Finishing Paste– which is essentially a wax which I thought would be good for the moisture. It’s what we used to finish off our Jenga and I really love the feeling of it and the natural look compared to a poly.

When it’s all done and dried… run yourself a bath and test it out. Or if you’re in a rush like me, set it up anyways and dream about how wonderful it will be to use! I can’t help but think what a perfect Christmas gift this would make… maybe include a lovely scented candle and some epsom salts.