I have always wanted a wooden grooming tote. I don’t know why, but there is just something classic about a wooden grooming box. I have looked into purchasing one, but I just can’t commit to spending around $100.00 for something I knew I could make myself. And after years of thinking about it, I finally did it! And now I am going to show you how you too can make your own wooden grooming tote.The best part of making your own grooming tote is, the materials will only cost you about $36.00 total! And this will give you enough material for 2 grooming totes. So you can make 2, sell one, or give the extra one as a gift, or have one for every day, and one for show. It is really up to you. But I think the best part of this project is every time you look at your grooming tote, you will know that YOU made it. And the feeling it gives is priceless.
Materials List
To make a wooden grooming tote, this are the materials you will need:
- 2 1”x6”x8’ pine boards ($12.00)
- ¾” wooden dowel (at least 24” long, they are sold in 4’ pieces ($6.00)
- Your choice of stain, or polyurethane ($5.00)
- Finishing nails (or air compressor with nail gun) ($3.00)
- 180 grit sandpaper ($5.00)
- Wood glue ($5.00)
And you will also need tools, and these are not included in the cost of the materials. If you don’t have the tools, you can find them relatively inexpensively online, or when they are on sale. When you buy the tools, this is where a lot of money will be invested, but it is a one-time investment (usually). So spend what you can afford, and take care of your tools so they will last a very long time.
Tool List
- Jigsaw
- Orbital sander
- 18 volt drill
- Circular saw (I have my radial arm saw, which I got for free from my parents, best saw ever! I have found them on craigslist for about $75.00!)
- Hammer
- Measuring tape
- Sharpie marker
- Paintbrushes
- ¾” spade drill bit (I only had a ½” one, so I made due with that, and used my jigsaw to cut the hole bigger.)
- Hammer
- Air compressor with nail gun (not a necessity, but it will make this project MUCH easier)
- Ok, so now you know what you will need, let’s build a grooming tote.
- First you will be cutting the wood. You will need the following cut pieces:
- 2 12” pieces of 1 x 6 wood
- 1 22” piece of 1 x 6 wood
- 2 23 ½” pieces of 1 x 6 wood
- Wooden dowel cut to 24”
How to Make a Wooden Grooming Tote
After you have cut the pieces, then you will take the 2 12” pieces of wood, and you will be cutting corners off one side. I used a ruler to get a straight line. You will be basically cutting of triangles. Use the jigsaw to cut these. The pine is very easy to cut with the jigsaw. That is unless you are cutting through a knot. And then it will be much more difficult, so try to not have to cut through a knot.
Then use this piece of wood as a pattern for the second piece of 12” wood, so you will get identical pieces. These will be the end pieces of your grooming tote.
Now, find the center of the top, this is where you will be drilling the hole for the wooden dowel to pass through. Keep it centered (or close to it) so you have the strength of the wood, otherwise the dowel can crack the wood, and you will have to start over.
If you don’t have a ¾” spade bit, you can use a ½” bit, and then trace around the hole with the dowel and you can cut out the excess wood with your jigsaw…..CAREFULLY!!! You want to cut a little bit, and then see if the dowel will fit through the hole. Only do a little bit at a time, because you want it to be snug.
Once you have these two pieces completed, and your dowel fits snugly, now you will sand all of the wood.
Now you will begin to assemble the pieces together. This is the fun part! Put the wooden dowel through your two sides, and then take the 22” piece of wood (this is the bottom of your tote) and place the two sides with the dowel on top of the bottom 22” piece to make sure it fits. Then take a little bit of wood glue, and put it on either end of the bottom board. Just use a little bit of glue, because you don’t want it spewing out on either end, otherwise the stain won’t stick to it, and it won’t look perfect.
Carefully make sure all your sides measure up and are fitting well. Then you can use finishing nails, or if you have a nail gun (much easier) and nail the boards together.
Once you have done this, now you will add the front and back sides to your tote. Do one side at a time, and again, add a little bit of glue along the sides and of the boards where the front piece will go on. Use your finishing nails, or nail gun and attach the front side, and then repeat this for the back side.
You can also check your dowel to make sure it is coming through either end of the sides, and if it isn’t use your hammer to get it even, or cut off the excess dowel with your jigsaw. And to keep the dowel secure, place a nail through the top, so it goes down through the center of the dowel.
Give the tote a final sanding, and blow off or wipe of any dust, and then your tote is ready to for staining!
Once it is stained, add a coat of polyurethane and allow to dry.
And now, you have your very own wooden tote that you have created! And you can create more for gifts, or to sell. There is no limit to what you can do with this wooden grooming tote! Think about your horsey friends, and wouldn’t this be a unique and thoughtful gift? If you wanted to, you could personalize the grooming tote too.
If you want to see me actually build this box step by step, go on over to my YouTube channel and watch the video I made.
The Budget Equestrian on YouTube!
And something really exciting is that once I get to 1000 subscribers, I am going to have a giveaway, and this wooden grooming tote is going to be the prize! So if you haven’t all ready subscribed to my channel, please head on over to YouTube and subscribe to my channel. The sooner I hit 1000 subscribers, the sooner you will have a chance to win a wooden grooming tote without having to do anything, other than subscribe to my channel.
I would love to see your variations of building this, so if you want to, share your photos in the comment section below.
Until next time, happy building!
