If you are looking for the best guide in putting together a tool box as a antique booth or craft vendor, you have come to the right place. I am going to show you How Make To A Vendor Booth Tool Box.
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In the past 2 years I have been a vendor at several of my local antique malls. I LOVE doing it even though it's a lot of work. It's fun work though! Since I like to cut down on things being hard, I have found a few things that make it easier- and one of these things is having a Vendor Booth Tool Box.
How to Make a Vendor Booth Tool Box
I use this box every single time I update one of my booths. But not only do I use it for my booths, I use it when I do activities at church or teach craft classes. It has come in SO handy for many projects. Having tools and the other items all together makes it so I can grab and go and not have to search for everything!
I started with a locking plastic tote box (get a 4 pack here) . The locking part is essential so all of those contents don't spill out everywhere. This box gets a lot of work as it is hauled around and all of that stuff needs to be contained!
Crafty Tool Box Supplies:
- stickers
- black and white twine
- safety pins
- glass wipes
- disinfecting wipes
- packing tape
- scotch tape
- duct tape
- pens, pencils and markers
- furniture sliders
- bar of soap
- bandages
- zip ties
- peg board hooks
- tools
- hot glue gun and glue sticks
- container of nails and hanging supplies
Label Supplies
I usually tag all of my items before I take them into each of my booths. But sometimes I miss one or need to change a tag, so these items for sure need to be included.
For my tags, my "brand" is to use white cardstock cut (with paper cutter) into squares. I use a small hole punch and then tie the tag onto the item with black and white twine.
Stickers are super handy for dishes and other items that a tag can't be tied on. I use 1" x 3", 3/4" x 1 1/2", 1/2" x 3/4"
For fabric items I use the cardstock tags and pin it to the pillow or quilt with a safety pin.
Cleaning Supplies
I usually clean everything before I leave the house. I launder all of the linens, wash all of the dishware and wipe down everything else. But like above, sometimes things slip through and are dirty. It's so gross to be selling something that's dirty. So I carry cleaning wipes.
Even if my items are clean when they get there, they can accumulate dust and finger prints once they are in my booth. But a quick swipe with glass cleaning wipes and/or disinfecting wipes solves just about any cleaning issue.
Tape
This may be a bit of overkill but I swear I have needed all of these tapes at different times.
I use scotch tape to hang small signs or tape a tag. I use clear packing tape to hold some furniture doors closed and to hang posters or other items that are heavier. I use duct tape to hide cords, cuz no one likes to see ugly cords hanging out.
Writing Utensils
Of course pens, pencils and markers are an important part of a tool box.
After several times of having to borrow a marker from the store, I decided to make sure I carried my own. For markers I like Sharpies, and chisel tip. I also keep several of my favorite pens and some mechanical pencils.
Furniture Sliders
Just like in my home, I often move furniture and decor around in my booths. It is the most inexpensive way to give things a fresh look.
To make those big pieces of furniture easier to move by myself, I use furniture sliding pads. It makes a surprising difference to put these little pads underneath the corners. I do this by tilting the furniture piece just enough to slide the pad underneath. Repeat on all 4 corners and then you can slide the furniture without giving yourself a hernia!
Bar of Soap
Now I'm sure you're thinking how weird it is that I carry a bar of soap.
Soap is actually an excellent lubricant for sticky drawers on a piece of furniture. Coating the underside of a drawer with a couple of swipes of soap, makes them slide in and out so much easier. Not to mention, the soap smells nice in my tool box!
Bandages
This tool box item is probably self explanatory.
I am a little bit accident prone and it seems like I scratch or poke myself fairly often. Aint nobody got time to stop for a little flesh wound and no one wants to buy an item with someone else's blood on it. EW!!! I started packing bandages in my tool kit so I can pop a bandage on my wound and keep going!
Zip Ties
Zip ties are so handy to have on hand!
I have used zip ties to hold items together, for cord management, to hold curtain rods on hooks for display and to secure items to the wall. I keep a variety of sizes in my tote.
Peg Board Hooks
One of my booths has peg board so I keep hooks in my tote.
Pegboard can be a little less than attractive, but it sure makes hanging art and shelves super easy. I use pegboard utility hooks, peg board hangers, steel hooks. I keep them all in an old Chinese food take out container because it's long and flat. Nothing like putting containers in my container, which I call organization!
Tools
Other than labels, tools are the most important thing that I have in my vendor box tote.
I keep hole punches, scissors, a tape measure, a utility knife, a light weight hammer, a screw driver set and a rechargeable screwdriver. These items take care of just about anything I need to use a tool for. Sometimes when I know I'm going to be doing something heavy duty I'll take a full sized hammer and my full sized drill.
Hot Glue Gun and sticks
There have been many times something small needed to be reattached or repaired and I was so glad to pull out my mini glue gun. It's inexpensive, takes up hardly any room and is so handy!
Container of Attachers
Along with the tools, having nails and screws is just about essential in a vendor booth.
I keep a variety of nails, screws and push pins in all different sizes in a small flip top container. Ask me how I know these HAVE to be stored in a locking container. I probably cleaned nails and screws out of the bottom of my tote at least 10 times before I finally got smart and put them in a locking container.
Wagon
No matter what kind of mall I am a vendor in, it requires me hauling things inside. And using a wagon makes is SO MUCH EASIER.
I keep all of my products in large plastic totes. Since I sell a bunch of dishes, books and other heavy things, those totes are h e a v y. So I put them in my little red wagon. I love this thing and it makes hauling things so much easier on my arms and back. When the wagon is not in use, it collapses and store almost flat.
