Rustic Wood Bath Caddy Instructions
After we finished the build on our master suite including a good size bathroom, I immediately started on decor. I dreamt of all the interior designs, researched like a madwoman on Pinterest of all the great ideas. Everything centered around me looking forward to the bath. It was in the hundred-year-old claw-foot tub. We resurfaced it to a beautiful beaming white enamel.
I needed some sort of table top for the tub’s top. This would give me easier access to bathing products, book holders, iPad holder, and my drinks while bathing. So I did some more research. I found metal and wooden bathtub caddies especially for clawfoot tubs. They ranged from $40 and up. Frugal Nelly over here didn’t want to spend that money after spending an unseen amount on the master suite build. So I took it upon myself to make a rustic wood bath caddy for nearly free.
After much searching through our outdoor shed, my husband and I found a beautiful piece of wood. We pulled it out. It was reclaimed from an old barn some time ago.
How to make bath caddy
I measured the width of our clawfoot tub first. Then, I measured the wood plank. I wanted to make sure I got the appropriate size. I wanted it to go about 2-3 inches past the sides. And walla, I found it.
I sanded the wood because it was nothing but splinters waiting to happen. Make sure you sand with the grain and not against it.
The rustic grains in the wood were absolutely beautiful. I didn’t want to lose that texture. However, I wanted to change the color. I pulled out my trusty wood stain that I use for everything. I rubbed it with the grain using a rag. Dark stains are my favorite and this color was mahogany. I stained both sides, front and back, including the narrow edges.
When I got the color of stain, I desired on the wood; I let the wood dry throughly. Overnight is the best. Next, I sprayed Thompsons Clear Water Seal over every inch of the wood. I sprayed 3 even coats with an hour of dry time in between each coat. Be sure to reseal the caddy every year to every other year depending on your usage.
I then glued two large pieces of felt to the bottom of the wood plank. The felt is a cushion and barrier between the wood and the top of the clawfoot tub. It makes it much easier to slide the caddy back and forth with no worries about damaging the tub.