What's inside
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This organizer holds markers, brushes, pencils, scissors, and small paint bottles in one grab-and-go case. The outer box is 15″ wide x 10″ deep x 12″ tall, with four removable bins inside that lift out for use at a desk or easel. It’s an intermediate-beginner build: all straight cuts, no dovetails, and glue plus brads does most of the work. Expect 4-6 hours including finish drying time, and about $35-60 in materials if you use plywood.
Contents
What You’re Building
The design is an open-top carrying case with a centered handle. The lower half holds two large bins (7″ x 9″ x 4″ tall) for bulkier supplies like paint bottles and glue sticks. The upper tier holds two small divided bins (7″ x 4.25″ x 3″ tall) with 1/4″ plywood dividers for pens, brushes, and pencils. A 3/4″ thick hardwood dowel or shaped handle spans the width and doubles as a divider that keeps the bins from shifting in transit.
Overall tolerances are forgiving, but bin fit is not. Leave 1/16″ clearance per side between bin and case interior. If you make bins exact-fit, seasonal wood movement or a thick finish coat will cause them to jam. Dry-fit every bin before you glue dividers in place.
Materials and Tools
Use 1/2″ plywood for the case and bins. It stays flat, it’s lighter than 3/4″ stock, and you avoid worrying about wood movement inside dadoes. For the handle and any edge banding, use solid hardwood like maple or poplar.
Cut List (for 1/2″ plywood unless noted):
Case sides: 2 pcs at 12″ H x 10″ D
Case front/back: 2 pcs at 12″ H x 15″ W
Case bottom: 1 pc at 14″ W x 9″ D (recessed 1/2″ up from bottom edge)
Large bins: 4 sides at 4″ H x 9″ D, 4 fronts/backs at 4″ H x 6″ W (makes 2 bins at 7″ x 9″ outside)
Small bins: 4 sides at 3″ H x 4.25″ D, 4 fronts/backs at 3″ H x 6″ W (makes 2 bins)
Dividers for small bins: 4 pcs at 2.5″ H x 4.25″ D from 1/4″ plywood
Handle: 3/4″ dowel or 3/4″ x 1-1/2″ hardwood bar at 15″ long
You can break down the sheet with a table saw or a circular saw with a straight-edge guide. The cheaper option is fine if your guide is actually straight — a warped factory edge will throw off every bin. A brad nailer with 1″ brads speeds assembly, but you can clamp and use screws if that’s what you own. Predrill for screws in plywood or the plies will split near the edges. Have wood glue, 120 and 180-grit sandpaper, and a tape measure that reads in 1/32″ increments.
Choosing Wood and Hardware
Don’t overthink wood species for a shop organizer. The case takes abuse, so stability and weight matter more than figure.
| Material | Cost for This Project | Weight | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2″ Baltic Birch Plywood | $38-50 | Light | Voids-free, holds brads well, clean edges | More expensive, needs edge banding |
| 1/2″ Sanded Pine Plywood | $28-35 | Light | Cheap, available everywhere | Soft face veneer dents, voids can catch brads |
| 1/2″ Solid Poplar / Pine Boards | $45-65 | Medium | Nice to finish, no edge banding | Heavier, can warp, movement affects bin fit |
| 1/2″ MDF | $20-28 | Heavy | Dead flat, cheap | Weak screw holding, swells if finish is missed, dusty to cut |
For this size, Baltic birch is worth the extra $10 if you can find it. Pine plywood works but inspect the sheet for voids on the edge — tap along the edge and listen for hollow spots. Avoid MDF for removable bins; the corners crumble when bins get dropped or banged together.
Step-by-Step Build
1. Cut case parts. Cut sides, front/back, and bottom to the list above. Sand interior faces to 180-grit now. It’s awkward to sand inside the assembled box.
2. Groove the case for the bottom. On the inside faces of all four case pieces, cut a 1/2″ wide x 1/4″ deep dado 1/2″ up from the bottom edge. This captures the bottom panel so the case can carry weight without relying on brads alone. Test the fit with a plywood offcut.
3. Drill handle holes. On the two side panels, mark center at 11″ up from the bottom. Drill a 3/4″ hole for a dowel handle, or a 1-1/2″ slot if you’re using a flat bar handle. Clamp a backer board behind to prevent blowout.
4. Assemble the case. Apply glue in the dadoes, slide the bottom in, then glue and brad the front and back to the sides. Use 1″ brads every 4-5 inches. Check for square by measuring diagonals — they should be within 1/16″ of each other. If not, rack the case square before the glue grabs. Let it cure 30 minutes before moving it.
5. Install the handle. Slide the dowel through both sides with glue, center it, and pin it with a single 1-1/4″ brad from the outside on each side. If using a flat handle, glue and screw from the outside with 1″ screws. Wipe excess glue immediately; dried glue under finish shows as pale spots.
6. Build the bins. Assemble each bin as a simple box: glue and brad the fronts/backs between the sides. Keep the bottom flush with the lower edge. For bin bottoms, glue and nail a 1/4″ plywood panel underneath — don’t recess it, the extra 1/4″ height doesn’t affect fit and it’s much faster.
7. Add dividers to the small bins. Cut 1/4″ plywood dividers and glue them in 2″ from each end to create three compartments per bin. Don’t nail dividers; brads will split 1/4″ stock. Use a small spring clamp or painter’s tape until the glue sets.
8. Fit and adjust. Place all four bins in the case. They should slide in without force and have that 1/16″ gap per side. If a bin is tight, belt-sand or hand-plane the outside face that rubs. Number the bins and their positions lightly in pencil — plywood thickness varies enough that bins become position-specific.
Finishing and Use
Round all top edges with 120-grit to soften the carry. Plywood edges are sharp and splinter. If you used pine plywood, seal the edges with a 50/50 mix of glue and water or iron-on edge banding before finishing, otherwise the end grain drinks finish and looks blotchy.
For an art supply box, use a hard-wearing clear finish rather than oil. Two coats of water-based polyurethane is fast, low odor, and resists marker and paint stains better than Danish oil. Sand lightly with 220-grit between coats. Don’t finish the inside of the bins thickly — buildup reduces clearance and makes bins stick. One thin coat inside is enough.
Failure modes to watch: overloading a single large bin with glass bottles can bow a 1/4″ bottom. If you plan to store heavy jars, upgrade bin bottoms to 1/2″ plywood. Brads alone without glue will work loose in six months of daily bin removal; the glue is structural, the brads just hold alignment. And if you skip the handle pin, the dowel will eventually spin and loosen — that one brad per side is not optional.
Store brushes bristle-up in the divided bins and markers tip-down to keep them from drying out. The open top lets you see everything at a glance, and with the bins out, the case works as a caddy for current project supplies on a small desk.