DIY Wooden Tote: Easy & Affordable Craft for Your Home

There’s nothing better than taking a forgotten thrift store find and turning it into something truly special! When I spotted this little wooden tote at the Goodwill Bins, it was missing pieces and had plenty of wear—but I saw so much potential. With just a few simple steps, some creative DIY products, and a little bit of love, I was able to transform it into a charming, vintage-inspired piece that looks like it came straight from an antique shop.

In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through exactly how I brought this tote back to life using IOD moulds, stamps, and decoupage techniques. Whether you’re new to DIY or a seasoned pro, this project is easy, fun, and the perfect way to give an old piece new purpose. Plus, you can grab everything you need—chalk paint, moulds, ink, and more—right from my website at juliesdesignsandsigns.com!

So, if you love upcycling, farmhouse-style décor, or just a good thrift flip, keep reading—I can’t wait to show you how this transformation came together!

Items Needed: 

• Thrifted Wooden Tote
• Sand Paper
• Wooden Spindle
• Dixie Belle Chalk Paint – Fluff*
• STAALMEESTER Pointed Sash Brush*
• Ryobi Nail Gun
• IOD Mould – Bibelots*
• Amazing Casting Resin*
• IOD Stamps – Pastiche*
• IOD Empty Ink Pad*
• IOD Black Ink*
• Cardstock
• Fusion Decoupage & Transfer Gel*
• Exacto Knife
• Gorilla Glue

*Product can be purchased directly through my website [www.juliesdesignsandsigns.com]

I found this little wooden box tote at the Goodwill Bins during one of my thrifting adventures. It was missing it’s handle and front piece, but I immediately saw its potential to become a unique piece of vintage styled home decor!

The wood had plenty of dings and notches, but I wasn’t concerned. With a little sanding, I knew I could enhance the distressed look to blend everything seamlessly. This process helped highlight the character and details of the piece.

You can buy my favorite sanding tool on amazon here: [Amazon Sanding Tool for Under $10]

These are my favorite spindles, which I get from cutting down cribs. I measured between the top pieces of the wooden tote and then cut a spindle down to size to serve as the new tote handle.

Since I didn’t love the contrast of two different wood tones, I used a STAALMEESTER Pointed Sash Brush to paint it with Dixie Belle Chalk Paint in the color Fluff.

Once it was dry, I used my sanding tool and a wet wipe to wet distress it, giving it the most natural, aged look.

I wanted the piece to be hard so that it covered the hole in front of the wooden tote. I decided to create a resin casting of the mould. You can buy the Amazing Casting Resin set from my shop. It is an easy to use white urethane resin that creates a durable casting with intricate details.

I used the IOD Mould – Bibelots mould to create the resin casting. This collection is actually from the 2024 IOD Holiday Collection meant to create ornament castings, but one of the pieces had the perfect ‘label’ shape, so I decided to use it!

You can find the resin, IOD moulds, resin and chalk paint on my website at juliesdesignsandsigns.com.

Next, I grabbed a piece of handmade paper and the Pastiche IOD Stamps Collection. This collection was released over the summer, and I’ve barely had a chance to use it!

I chose a stamp featuring two birds sitting on a branch. First, I placed the stamp on a thin mount to make transferring it onto the paper easier.

Using an empty ink pad, I loaded the entire stamp with black IOD ink. Then, I flipped the stamp over and centered it on the paper.

Look how good this turned out! I LOVE the vintage look of these stamps.

I decided to add the birds to the center of the resin label I created. Using Decoupage Gel, I applied one coat to the front of the resin label, then carefully placed the bird image directly on top. You can see how I did this in the video HERE.

Once it dried, I used an X-Acto blade to trim off the excess.

I was SO happy with how this turned out—the image transferred perfectly!

I have been obsessed with creating my own decoupage paper using IOD stamps! You can use white tissue paper or handmade paper for a unique look.

Want to see how I created my own with tissue paper? Check out this video!

To attach the handle, I used my cordless Ryobi Nail Gun to secure the spindle onto the top of the wooden tote.

Lastly, I used Gorilla Glue to attach the label to the front of the wooden tote.

And that’s it! I’m already dreaming up my next project for the next wooden tote I find while thrifting!

This blog is all about Easy & Affordable Craft for Your Home!

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