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Dukes and Duchesses

Dallas Fort Worth Creative Lifestyle Blogger

altered junk building creative projects painting repurposed thrifty treasures · Written by Randi Dukes

An Upcycled Outdoor Dish Caddy

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Today I’m sharing a project that’s all about summer entertaining, something that will make life a bit easier: an outdoor dish caddy repurposed from an old CD crate.  If you’ve still got one of these old wooden CD holders sitting around from the 80’s, it’s time to upcycle it into something useful!

upcycled outdoor dish caddy

Despite the crazy Texas heat, the kids love to eat outside during the summer.  I love it too but sometimes it seems like such a pain to grab all the outdoor dishes, napkins, cutlery, and all that we need for the meal.

I decided to make an outdoor dish caddy.  It keeps everything in one place and when we’re ready to eat someone just has to grab the caddy and take it outside.  We instantly have everything we need at our fingertips.

I didn’t photograph every step of this project but it’s pretty simple.  I started with a small CD crate that I found at a local thrift store.  It was super cheap and the perfect size.

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I cut two pieces of plywood to fit into the bottom of each side {so forks and napkins wouldn’t fall through the cracks} and cut another small piece of plywood to divide the front section.  I used liquid nails on all three pieces and also used some tiny finishing nails to hold the divider firmly in place.

I spray painted the whole thing bright yellow and then rubbed it with some white paint to give it a bit of a distressed, weathered look.

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This outdoor dish caddy is perfect for our colorful summer dishes and will make outdoor entertaining super simple … which is what summer should be all about.

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How do you make summer entertaining simple?  Any special tips and tricks?


7 Comments

About Randi Dukes

I’m Randi, a Dallas-based mom of five kids, ranging from third grade to college and including a set of twins. I love strong coffee, craft and DIY projects, my planner, and my big ol’ family. When I’m not creating something for my blog, I can be found in the car, running kids from one place to another. I’m the one knitting at the red light. Connect with me on google+ | twitter | facebook

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Comments

  1. barb says

    June 22, 2012 at 12:18 pm

    Great idea, Randi! I love it.

    Reply
  2. Laura from Top This Top That says

    June 22, 2012 at 12:22 pm

    Randi-I picked up some wood crates a while back and they have sat until I saw this cute idea!! 🙂

    Reply
  3. Kristin says

    June 22, 2012 at 1:37 pm

    I love these little box ideas of yours!

    Reply
  4. Jessica Kielman says

    June 22, 2012 at 2:24 pm

    Too cute, Randi!

    Reply
  5. Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia says

    June 22, 2012 at 3:23 pm

    Love this idea, very cool.. I believe this is my first time here, so glad to have found your blog. Take care
    Kristin

    Reply
  6. Emily Morgenstern says

    June 22, 2012 at 10:28 pm

    What a great upcycle. So cute!! And, I’m loving the yellow 🙂

    Reply
  7. Maria says

    June 1, 2018 at 3:33 pm

    Love how bright and festive this is! Great for kitchen or outside patio!

    Reply

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Welcome to Dukes & Duchesses!

randi dukes

I’m Randi, a mom of five living in Dallas. I love strong coffee, long lists, bright colors, thrift stores, repurposed junk, and power tools.

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