So, okay, let’s be real. This DIY Hope Chest is actually just a simple hope chest. No hidden compartments, no fancy add ons. Just your standard DIY hope chest.
This post is sponsored by my friends at Kreg Tool and contains affiliate links. See policies for details.
BUT, I’ve got Christmas on the brain (and my tiny garage apartment is starting to feel a little cluttered so I need PRACTICAL storage ideas), so I started thinking about ways I could turn this ordinary hope chest into something a little more multi-purpose.
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And it hit me…
Okay, so maybe I wasn’t thinking THAT far out of the chest box, but it is a fun way to put it to good use 😉 With Christmas on my mind, I have been thinking about how we can get the decorations out of my shop because they are getting covered in sawdust…and that’s just not a good look haha.
But we don’t have a lot of available storage space in the house. So my intention with this project was to build a storage chest for the end of our bed to store the decorations in. But then I got to thinking what a waste of storage that would be when the decorations were out and the chest was empty.
Hey, by the way, if you are looking for more storage chest ideas, check out one of these:
So then, I thought…why not put the tree IN the box during the holidays? So here we are…
But, we could be here as well…haha. This chest doesn’t have to be “just a chest” and it doesn’t have to be a Christmas tree box either. It can be a coffee table.
Or an entryway bench. Or a blanket storage box in the corner of the living room. Or whatever you want it to be. It could even be a gift…because you know…Christmas is coming and people love handmade gifts 😉
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So if you want to build one, I’m sharing the how to video below and the FREE PLANS over on Build Something here.
Speaking of gift ideas, I’m sharing some other excellent handmade gift ideas here if you’re interested in making a few items this season.
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But if you’re into the store bought thing instead, let me tell you about a few deals worth mentioning this holiday season. *wink wink* And I’ll also share with you about the chest hardware I used on this project and the soft close mechanisms below.
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Kreg Holiday Deals You Don’t Want to Miss
If you’ve followed along for very long, you know that I use several of my Kreg tools on a very regular basis. But the most common tool is the pocket hole jig. Kreg has made it easy for so many people (including myself) to get started in woodworking and furniture building with their pocket hole jigs and I highly recommend them.
This season, they are offering two great deals I want to tell you about. First is a $15 off rebate on any jig over $99. So if you’re looking to upgrade to…or even just start out on a K4, K5 or grab the master kits, this is the deal for you. PS K5 shown below.
But here is my favorite deal they are offering…it’s an R3 jig PLUS a face clamp PLUS a K4 PLUS some screw and plug accessories for the price of a typical K4. So basically you’re getting a clamp, another jig, and some handy accessories to get started for free.
I like my little R3 for large plywood panels or really long boards that wont fit easily into my K4 or K5. But, the K4 and K5 are much quicker to use for smaller boards and panels that I typically work with. So it’s really handy to have both in the shop.
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These deals are for a limited time, so be sure to check them out now before they’re over.
DIY Hope Chest Hardware
I mentioned in the video that I added some soft close mechanisms to the chest to prevent smashed fingers from this heavy lid. However, the only down side to these is that they don’t allow the lid to open up all the way back.
So if you are planning to use this as a storage chest AND for a tree stand, you have be able to open it all the way when you put the tree inside. No worries. These soft close mechanisms are what I use and I love them because to install them, you screw two “knobby” looking parts for each end into the chest and the soft close cylinder simply snaps onto them.
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If I want to open it all the way, I take a screwdriver and simply pop one end off the knob and when I’m ready to put it back on, I simply pop it back in place.
As far as the other hardware on the chest, here are links to the latch, handles, and hinges I used. Also, I used Minwax Early American stain on this with a couple coats of Helmsman Poly…just in case you were curious 🙂
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But don’t forget the reason we are here…the free plans for this DIY hope chest/Christmas tree stand 🙂 Be sure to head over to Build Something for these plans if you’re looking to build your own. It’s truly a great project to tackle and really fun to build.
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I’d love if you’d pin this for later and don’t forget to check out the video tutorial!
Until next time, friends, happy building 🙂
