Vintage tool boxes are perfect storage for those of us who prefer something with a little rustic vintage cache. There are the tool boxes that were designed to be exactly that, boxes to store tools. We are very fond of those. But we are also fans of vintage metal boxes that were sold with a power tool to storage it. These come in a variety of shapes and sizes, which we find both delightful and useful. This Dormeyer Power Tool box was particularly appealing. It was our inspiration for seven ways to use a vintage tool box.
Although everyday cleaners like microfiber cloths, cleaning sprays and dish detergent need to be somewhere they are easily accessible. Specialty cleaners like metal polishes, shoe polishes, pouches of cleaners on lint free cloths and brushes for dusting delicate details aren’t used often enough to earn real estate under your sink or on your cleaning shelf. One of my favorite ways to use a vintage tool box is to keep special cleaners for special projects together, and store them in less valuable closet real estate. There is nothing better than going to polish your silver and finding that your buffing cloth and polish are all together like they are supposed to be.
Do you keep a first aid kit in your car? Or actually, do you have a first aid kit in your home? Small metal tool boxes are excellent homemade first aid kits. They are much better than the pre-filled first aid kits from the store that don’t really have enough of anything to last long.
Add a variety of adhesive bandages, a real pair of tweezers to pull splinters, a pair of small scissors, Benadryl in case you anger a wasp (it doesn’t take much), some adhesive tape and gauze pads, antiseptic wipes and anything else that might come in handy. Add a few other essentials like a thermometer, maybe a pulse oximeter and whatever handy over the counter medications you might use and it’s perfect to send off to college with a student.
There are lots of things lurking in your kitchen drawers that you use infrequently. We love the idea of keeping cookie cutters or cake decorating tools or even camping cooking utensils in a vintage tool box. Same idea as the specialty cleaners, if you keep them together you will spare yourself the frustration of having to track down the unicorn cookie cutter or the lettering tip.
Another good way to use a vintage tool box is to corral your art supplies. If you have a few pencils and a small sketch pad together in a small box wherever you decompress from your day, it’s easy to open it up and doodle your stress away.
Also, since some art supplies are sloppy, having something that will contain them but still keep them handy tamps down the possibility of spilled paint drama.
Keeping a couple of plant friends from water spotting a table is a decent way to use a vintage toolbox. It’s somewhat unexpected. It adds an industrial element to where your plants live. And if your plants fancy a bit of humidity, you can nestle in some small containers of water that won’t show from a distance.
A small tool box can hold the essentials of a traveling bar: corkscrew, strainer, church key, maybe some swizzles, a shot glass and even a small bottle of grenadine or bitters. It’s easy to change it up depending on your planned recipe, and small enough add to your picnic basket.
The very best way to use a vintage tool box is to keep your special treasures. Little mementos, things that amuse you, things that make you as happy as Smaug on his pile of gold.
More inspiration
Rachel from Smile and Wave cleverly used a small flat tool box that might have once held a socket wrench set to become a magnet board. It’s not exactly storage, but it’s a convenient way to keep important notes and inspirations front and center.
Lora Bloomquist turned an old machinists chest into a perfect tabletop stationery organizer.
Where to find tool boxes, how to prepare them
Estate sales are always good for finding vintage tool boxes. Head straight for the workshop. Garage sales can also be good. Don’t hesitate to ask, people often don’t realize that someone might want that rusty old box in the basement. And of course, you can find them in your favorite online vintage shop. If you’re looking for a box that’s a specific size or color, there’s no place better to save time and choose from a great selection that shopping online.
You would never serve a meal on a work bench, so why would you bring something from a work bench into your kitchen (or anywhere in the house) before it’s properly cleaned. Our three favorite weapons for de-grunging old workshop treasures are Dawn dishwashing detergent (it’s a killer degreaser), Fantastik spray (what Dawn doesn’t remove, Fantastik will) and Mr. Clean Magic Erasers (what Dawn and Fantastik don’t tackle, the Magic Eraser can usually handle). Some workshop pieces need all three. Working outside with a variety of scrub brushes and microfiber cloths will make short work of making workshop pieces ready for their close ups.
If your toolbox is rusty, chippy and shabby, you might want to stabilize the finish with a clear acrylic spray after it’s been washed and cooked in the sun to dry. Check the finish, you probably want to use a flat or satin finish rather than a glossy one.
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