Anthropologie Inspired Alice in Wonderland Desk Caddy

One of my favorite things to do is re-create a design I see in high end stores that is usually ridiculously over priced. I go window shopping and I come home to get to work on creating a version of the product that doesn't empty my bank account. This time, it was Anthropologie that provided the inspiration. Check out what I was able to recreate for next to nothing!

The inspiration for this project is a wooden desk caddy priced at $58.00. $58.00 for a block of wood with a few drilled holes and an image image adhered to the front... This sounds pretty simple to make and it was! I started out with a block of wood I found out in the garage. This one looks like it could be used for a post or a beam of some sort. As long as the wood has enough depth to hold a pencil, it will work. I cut a piece of the beam using an electric saw (you could also use a hand saw, or ask for help with the cut at Home Depot) approximately 8 1/2 inches long. I then drilled three different size holes measuring 1", 1/2" and 1/4" thick in various places on the top side of the block of wood as seen here:

A little light sanding and here comes the fun part. I visited a local scrapbook store and picked a vintage looking graphic print of the Alice in Wonderland tea party scene. Using the block as a measuring guide, I cut the paper to fit. Using Modpodge and a paintbrush, I applied one thin layer on the front of my block. I then layed my paper over the wet Modpodge and applied a layer over the top of the image. Allow the Modpodge to dry for a few hours and then apply another coat.