If you’ve got scrap wood bits – even as small as 4″ – you can whip out this adorable tea caddy / hot cocoa caddy in no time! Make one for your Mom, your sister, your bestie and of course, yourself.
I wish I had the plans for this tea caddy / hot cocoa caddy earlier; I would have whipped out several as gifts!
As it is, this simple build takes less than an hour and uses up some of the smallest bits of scrap wood so it is a GREAT handmade Holiday gift!
I can’t take credit; Shara over at Woodshop Diaries came up with this little cutie, so click her link to be taken to the building plans and measurements.
I had some beautiful bits of maple that I couldn’t bear to part with. Not enough for a full furniture build, but more than enough to make a hot cocoa caddy!
I did have to deviate from the tea caddy building plans slightly because I didn’t want to deal with drilling into dowels into a dowel. Instead, I cut a narrow strip of maple to act as the upper cross section to hold the mugs.
I used a couple of pocket holes on either end to attach it to the tea caddy / hot cocoa caddy arms.
Sand before assembly, then use a bit of wood glue and a couple of screws to hold it all together. (Woodshop Diaries has more detailed assembly instructions).
I used a bit of butcher block oil to bring out the grain of the wood and it is adorable!
I filled it with hot cocoa packets and these cute candy cane spoons I found at the dollar store.
If I’d planned ahead, I would have made the centre compartment a bit bigger so I could fit a small mason jar inside to hold marshmallows – but c’est la vie. This way the hot cocoa caddy can sit out on the counter as-is without the marshmallows drying out.
Shara uses hers as a tea caddy, so I wanted to show you the option of it filled with flavoured teas.
I didn’t realize I had that organic peppermint tea until I staged this photo, so that will be going into my tummy shortly.
You can leave this on your counter all year – it takes up next to no room!
The only downside is that it is not big enough to hold k-cups – or it will, but only about 6 or so. If you change up the plans to remove the section dividers, you can fit more.
Oh my gosh! I just thought of something!
What if I/we combined these tea caddy building plans with the recent plans Ana White put up for a K cup holder ladder!
You’d lose the mug storage, but you would have every possible morning drink available in one spot!
Yes – I’m off to the garage to make one now!
Have a great one!