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One cedar fence picket, cut five times, becomes a tote that makes whatever you put in it — a bottle of wine, garden tools, a batch of cookies — look deliberate. This is the definition of an offcut project: the material costs less than a greeting card, and the rope handle does the design work.
The two ends are cut at 5° so the sides splay slightly — that small flare is what makes it read as a tote instead of a box. The front and back get a gentle curve cut with a jigsaw; trace something round (a paint can lid is about right) rather than freehanding it, and cut both pieces stacked together so they match.
Cedar picket is rough-sawn on both faces, so sand before assembly — after assembly the inside corners are unreachable. Everything goes together with glue and 1-1/4" brads. Drill the rope holes, knot the rope inside, and you're wrapping presents in woodwork.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Cedar fence picket, 5-1/2" x 72"One picket does the whole tote with material to spare. | 1 each |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4", 18 ga | 40 each |
| Rope, 3/8"Sisal or manila reads best against cedar. Knot the ends inside. | 3 linear ft |
| Wood glue | 2 oz |
Overall cost: $. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Front and backCedar fence picketTrace and jigsaw a curve along the top edge — stack-cut both so they match. | 2 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 10" |
| EndsCedar fence picketLong point to long point, both ends cut at 5° off square, NOT parallel — the ends taper so the sides splay. | 2 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 5 1/2" |
| BottomCedar fence picketCut to fit the assembled sides — measure yours. | 1 | 5/8" × 5 1/2" × 10" |
Buy 1 board at 8 ft.
1 board
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →
Set the miter saw to 5° and cut the two end pieces — both ends angled, NOT parallel, so each piece is a slight trapezoid measured long point to long point. Cut two identical.
While the saw's out, drill the rope hole near the top of each end piece, centered, sized to your rope.
Trace a gentle curve along the top edge of the front piece — a paint can or dinner plate gives a fair arc. Stack the front and back together and cut both at once with the jigsaw so they match exactly.
Sand the curves and both faces of every piece now, while everything is flat and reachable.
Glue and brad the front and back to the tapered ends — the taper makes the sides lean out slightly, which is the look. Keep the bottom edges flush.
Measure the actual opening, cut the bottom to fit, and glue and nail it to the sides and ends.
Thread the rope through the end holes and knot it inside each end. Set the handle length so a hand fits comfortably under the rope with the tote loaded — test with the wine bottle you're probably giving.
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