How To Make A Tool Organizer

Need a simple, easy to make tool organizer? I had the thought that it would be better to have a vertical tool organizer instead of having the tools lie all over the work area. Using styrofoam and cardboard, an effective tool holder is made.

Step 1: Gather Materials

For this simple project, you will need cardboard, styrofoam (EPS foam, actually) a craft knife or box cutter, a hotwire machine if possible, some glue and a rubber band.

Step 2: Prepare Foam Blanks for Cutting

Here, a piece of foam is selected to be the holder for the pair of pliers shown. With a pencil or sharpie, trace silhouette onto the foam.

Step 3: Cut Out All Tool Holders From Foam

In this step, all pieces are cut with the hotwire machine. A craft knife can be used also, you are just limited in thickness of foam. Use many strokes to cut with a knife, taking care not to tear foam.

Step 4: Glue foam to cardboard

For each tool piece, cut and glue appropriate foam piece to the pre-cut cardboard. For this project, I had four tools to organize, hence four pieces of foam and four pieces of cardboard.

Step 5: Complete Pieces for each tool.

The four tools in this project and their foam pieces cut and glued to cardboard.

Step 6: Complete Project

The final product...Note how footprint of holder is about equal to the space one tool occupies. This way you can tell at a glance if all tools are in place, and they are easily grasped for doing your work. I used a rubber band to hold the modules together, but they can be enclosed in a "box" made of cardboard, masonite, matboard, or so on. I left it at this point as I might want to add to it in the future, but don't want to make it too big.

Step 7: Tool Organizer Makeover

I decided to update, improve and decorate my tool holder....time on my hands!

Comments

[elbardalet]

Great idea.Thanks
I will use, but I will try to use a some plastic instead of carton.
I live close to ocean, and carton or paper in contatc with with tools produce corrosion. (paper absorb humidity)

[Kesthie]

You could make over an old toaster to have it hold your tools too. I somehow had thought your picture was a toaster until I clicked on your instructable and saw the much bigger picture.

[Bushie]

I like that idea, as it had also looked like a toaster to me as well ~ stripping out a defunct old toaster and fitting a foam holder like this inside could produce a nice lightweight hybrid ~

a tough stainless steel exterior to protect the foam and hold everything snug; and maybe rivet a handle on one end to make it easy to carry.

A nice and neat way to carry 12 - 15 commonly-used tools around ~ and zero cost, for those who already have a few scraps kicking around their w'shops...

[ArtsyFartsyGirl]

I've been thinking about styrofoam strips lately, and what i could do with it. This is great except I'm gonna do what Lord Vek did. YaY!

[tlh-in-tlh]

This is a really great idea! And, if you never permanently attach them together, you can just pull out the tools and holders needed for a particular job.

[aashilrv]

Awsome!

[Screwerman]

wow is fantastic.
is simple,
is fast,
is usable.

[Creativeman]

Thanks for comments!

[urbanwoodswalker]

 Terrific idea~~~!

[Lord_Vek]

Μy friend, you gave me the idea. This is what I made. Thank you!!!

[zipzapper859]

how did you make that hand thing?

[haunted_lady]

Maybe  wrap it in  brown grocery bags and glue it --rubber stamp it or paint it so it looks nice. I love the use of scraps of styrofoam.!!!! AWESOME

[Creativeman]

Thanks, h_l, I think you are right! Maybe I will knock at a new version soon, that would be Tool Organizer 2.0. Cman

[haunted_lady]

 You could even collage glue in left over machine parts to make it look man up :)
lol

[monter]

Smart and good.

[davee52uk]

If you were to use wood and white glue instead of the white plastic it would be immensely strong

[snowpenguin]

It's not plastic, but styrofoam, and it is strong already. It would take quite a bit of woodworking to make it from wood, anyway.

[forced_to_make_an_account]

Not with a table saw =D

[snowpenguin]

You would need to do some routing... Not too challenging, but to do it for each tool??? For something like a toolbox drawer organizer I would go the extra mile and route it, but for a simple organizer like this I would stick with styrofoam.

[forced_to_make_an_account]

Ah, to be honest, I didn't read up to step 2, so I didn't realize you had shaped the foam to the tools like that.

[forced_to_make_an_account]

Looks great!

[terf]

nice, i shoulda thought of something like that since i have lotsa small hand tools at home. Plus i have a lot of useless styrfoam and cardboard lying about. Thanks!

[Ravenelle]

I may use this idea for my desk supplies (pens, pencils, markers etc..) and just not use the styrofoam. Really cool. :]

[sensoryhouse]

you r the man

[ausable]

That's a very good storage idea. Especially if you need to travel around with a bunch of tools. Good job!

[Creativeman]

Thanks