French Trugs and Wood Totes

A while back when a friend and I were shopping up in Florence at an antique mall I spotted this tote on display way up on top of a shelf:

I couldn't get down fast enough! Once I had it in my hands I turned it 36o degrees looking for a price tag, without any luck.  I asked the clerk about a price and he said he'd call the seller.  A few minutes later he found me with the {bad} news: "NFS". Yes, the dreaded "not for sale".  Why do sellers taunt us so?  Fast forward to a week before Christmas when I miraculously was able to get Mark to that store to take a look!  I told him "This!  This is what I want!"

Today he cut up some wood and nailed together a rustic version of that tote.  Here's our version make with wood from our old siding:

 

While he was cutting up that I made another version of a trug. I used some scrap wood; I save everything! The round handle was made from a piece of driftwood we found at Whiskey Run Beach about a year ago!

I'll probably white wash or paint both of these; white, it's my signature color, I guess!

I've been looking up wood totes, tool boxes, trugs, French market trugs, French garden trug and more.  Don't you just love how "French trug" sounds so romantically nostalgic?  I do!

Here's what Google said:
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trug

trəg/

noun

Brit.

noun: trug; plural noun: trugs; noun: trug basket; plural noun: trug baskets

1. 1.

   a shallow oblong basket made of strips of wood, traditionally used for carrying garden flowers and produce

 

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Just for fun do a google/online search of "French Market Trug" or something like that, you'll love what you find!

 

Happy New Year and many blessings to you in 2014,

               ~Heidi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. 1.

   ying garden flowers and produce.

 

 

 

 

         
             Happy New Year and many blessings,
                      ~Heidi

Tool Box * Tote Box * Carpenter Box * Tulle Box * Tool Box *Wedding Card Tote*

Of

(made from driftwood from our beach!)

I don't care what people call these, but I call them a "tote".  For years I have purchased every old tote I could find at garage sales.  Hint:  These are usually found in the garage, with rusty and junky "man" stuff!  I bring the home and paint them white and store all my "girl" stuff in them, such as tulle, tags and trims!

(my tulle tote)

Mark and I made a bunch of these to sell at the Home Based Business Fair, where I primarily sold my hand painted custom signs.  I had a couple left over and when my daughter's friend needed some sort of "box" for her wedding for cards I knew the RUSTIC tote I made would be perfect.

(One of the totes I was selling at the Fair;

this was after a long day, I was about to tear down)

Back to the sewing room....

(tote for glues on back of sewing table)

On all the totes I made for the Fair I painted a strip of chalkboard paint on the front, and included some chalk for the buyers.  For the rustic wedding tote I'm giving to the bride she can hand write whatever she wishes, "Cards", "Best Wishes for the Mr. and Mrs.", "Love Notes",etc.  It will be a lovely addition to her rustic style wedding.

Then just today I saw on Funky Junk Interior's blog a post about making totes!  So guess what? Now I don't have to show and tell you how I make totes!  Funky Junk has a guest poster, Julie from "Follow Your Heart Woodworking", who tells how to make the tool boxes (totes--whatever!)  Her method is pretty much the same as mine!  The only thing is I'm pretty lazy in the shop, taking short-cuts when I can, so I use a nail gun with small sized nails to speed up the process.  Also, I use wood glue when I put them together, before nailing. 

But check it out here, "Let's build a tool box!".  Or, if you wait long enough, someday I may add totes (tool boxes) to my Etsy store!

Happy building!
       ~Heidi

Always showing and telling over at Cindy's "MY ROMANTIC HOME Friday Show & Tell.  If you have a couple DAYS go check out all the wonderful links!

Linked to Common Ground's Summer Blog Block PARTY!