I used a $2 thrift store find and upcycled it to house all of my Copic and Distress Markers. \u00a0The 4 level heavy duty metal letter tray started its life in an ugly industrial green. I sprayed it with several coats of black spray paint and then embellished the sides with gears that I die cut out of chip board using the Diemond Dies Steampunk Gears Die Set<\/a><\/span>, the Diemond Dies Steampunk Gears Mini Album Die Set<\/a><\/span>,\u00a0and my Steampunk Fairy Digi<\/a><\/span> (re-released for\u00a0FREE\u00a0download now through January 31, 2016). \u00a0I used three different methods of creating a faux metal look to give these gears a lot of texture and interest. \u00a0I also added “CraftyPaws” on the front with some Tim Holtz Grungeblock letters that I distressed with black acrylic paint, sand paper, and Distress Ink in Antique Photo.<\/p>\n

<\/a>I had used the storage unit with each color family of markers bound together with rubber bands. It was workable, but not elegant. \u00a0That is, I could see and find what I needed, but accessing and then replacing each marker\u00a0was cumbersome. \u00a0I found myself hesitating to use more colors because I didn’t want to be bothered with getting it out of the rubber bands.<\/p>\n

Finally, with some left over foam core board that I had picked up from the Dollar Tree and Staples to make a Distress Ink Pad Storage Unit (YT tutorial HERE<\/a><\/span>), I made some simple boxes with compartments for each color family of markers.<\/p>\n

<\/a>All I needed to do was measure the space I needed to hold the markers in my collection and the vertical and horizontal measurements of each level of the letter tray. I used an Xacto knife to cut the foam core board the the appropriate widths and lengths and glued each compartment together with hot glue. Because the metal letter tray holder is so sturdy, I did not feel the need to do cross cuts or anything complicated to strengthen each joint of the foam core compartments.\u00a0I simply used metal Shurtape from the HVAC department of the hardware store to reinforce the back side of each foam core box (being hidden by the back of the letter tray holder, I didn’t even have to worry\u00a0about hiding the tape).<\/p>\n

This entire unit cost under $3! I was so happy to have my newly re-vamped marker storage unit, and I have felt so much freer to use more colors! LOL<\/p>\n

The following is a video share of this project:<\/p>\n