This drink caddy makes the perfect personalized gift for Father’s Day or any other special occasion, like graduation! This gift is easy to put together and will definitely make your loved one feel special! Keep reading to learn how to put your own together!
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Watch the video to see how I assembled this gift:
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The Inspiration
I was inspired to put together a gift like this in two different ways. First, we received a drink caddy like this one for Christmas one year, filled with beer. After that, I started making a few of my own using scrap wood, adding bottle openers and selling them. Then, around graduation time a couple of years ago, I saw someone use these caddies as creative graduation gifts—filling them with a mix of drinks and snacks. (Find more graduation gift ideas HERE.) They even dressed it up a bit by tying balloons to the top. I loved the idea and thought it could work well for Father’s Day too!
Supplies
- Drink Holder Crate, Use THESE for a fun, less rustic option, or get a pack of THESE!
- Filler
- Drinks of your choice
- Snacks
- Gift Cards or Cash
- Small Gifts
- Card
Drink Holder
Buy new OR thrift! I am constantly finding similar wooden drink holders at the thrift stores, but you can also find them online. I also find silverware and napkin holders while thrifting that are very similar and work well too!
Buy cardboard ones online or reuse your drink caddy from the gas station or liquor stores!
Filler
Buy new shredded paper OR reuse some you may have received in a gift or package!
You may want to use tissue paper! Depending on the height of your items and the container you are putting them in, you may want to add the tissue paper in first to help give the items height. Otherwise, add it in as you add in your drinks and chips.
A long time ago while working in retail I learned to grab tissue paper in the middle and then use my other hand to bring it up and together, kind of like a cone. You can then tuck that into the box leaving the fuller portion at the top.
Your basket may also look better with some ribbon. You can tuck curled ribbon in around the bottom, like the shredded paper. Another way is to tie some on the end of a skewer, popcorn stick, or equivalent. This gives your ribbon some height. You can curl this ribbon or leave as is.
Treats
If you know the recipients favorite snacks you can fill your drink caddy with those! If you buy variety packs in bulk you can make an assembly line and create a lot of gift caddy’s.
To help the chip bags fit in their slot, turn the bag upside down and pinch it. There is always a lot of air in chip bags and doing this seems to help it fit better.
Putting it Together
You can start by adding your filler. For filler, you can use crinkle cut paper shred filler, burlap ribbon, or tissue paper. If you are using the crinkle cut paper shred filler, I would definitely suggest putting this in first. When I used the burlap ribbon, I tucked it in around the items after filling up the crate with goodies.
Ideas for Filling the Drink Caddy
You can pick up the recipient’s favorite sodas from your local grocery store. However, if you want to take it up a notch, it would be fun to find some sodas in glass bottles to add! A favorite beer would be a great option as well.
Next, add some snacks! These days it is so easy to find little individual servings of various snacks, and there are tons of options – mini bags of chips, pretzels, popcorn, cookies, etc. If you know they have a sweet tooth, you could also include their favorite candy bars.
After you have it stuffed, you could just tuck your Father’s Day card in, and stop there you’d have a great gift! However, if you want to add a few more surprises I definitely have more ideas!
Gift Cards
Gift cards to their favorite places would be an excellent touch – think favorite restaurants and favorite stores! If this is a Father’s Day gift, you might want to pick up a gift card for their favorite home improvement store or gaming stop. You could also go with an Amazon card or generic Visa gift card.
Also, consider adding in a subscription box! You can get subscription boxes for just about anything these days! Beer/Wine, Food, Socks, you name it!
Additional Gift Ideas
Depending on the interests of the recipient of your drink caddy, you can add in other small gifts that would be useful! Small tools could be a great option – think about the ones they are always misplacing or looking for! A tape measure, flashlight, carpenter’s pencil, a multibit screwdriver, or utility knife would be great options. If they are a grill master you could add in sauces, seasonings, or a thermometer. Get creative and look for small items to give your gift an extra personal touch!
Looking for more graduation gift ideas? Check out THESE ideas!
Filling a Drink Caddy – The Perfect Father’s Day Gift
Materials
- Drink Caddy Crate
- Filler
- Beverages
- Snacks
- Gift Cards/Cash
- Small Gifts
Instructions
- Gather all of the items (snacks, small gifts, card, etc.) that you want to put in your drink caddy.
- Place filler in the bottom of the drink caddy.
- Fill the drink caddy with snacks, beverages, small gifts, and add your card.
Ready for More DIY Ideas?
Summer is almost here! Spruce up your home with some easy DIY projects!
Summer is a great time to get outside and do some painting! Spruce up your wood furniture with my DIY Chippy Paint Technique.
If you love patriotic decor, I have two projects that would be perfect for you – Start with my Simple Patriotic Bunting DIY, and then try your hand at creating a Wooden Iowa Flag!
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