Home First Aid Kit Recycled Tool Box

Inspired by Suzanne over at MeridianRoad, I pinned her lunch box turned first aid kit and set out on my merry garage sale way to find one of the millions of lunch boxes I see every week.  

Except last week.  Not one. 

I did however score two old tool boxes for a buck each.  

Now with six kids we've had our share of household mishaps, and those tool boxes are twice the size of a lunch box which is better to hold more medical supplies right?  

You know.... bandages for things that don't require an ER visit.  

Say maybe a stubbed toe, cut finger side of onions, splinters the size of Texas, or a barbed fish hook in your naughty finger.

Enter this nice big heavy galvanized tool box with shiny silver feet and hinges, accompanied by a nice black doctor bag style handle under that masking tape.  

I think this will work nicely as a medical bag in a junky sort of way.

First I taped all the chrome.  

I sort of wanted to go wild with paint, and my original vision was a nice bright color.  But all I had was Dove White, so Dove White it is.  

I also decided I wanted some of the galvanized part to show, so the whole wild color thing went out the door and at least I didn't slam my finger in that door before the kit was loaded.

Web graphic inspiration

I hand painted the emblem I found on line for one side of the medical kit with regular silver and red craft paint.

Then I did a reminder to call 911 for an emergency on the other.

Next I had to name it....

They call me Dr. Love.  Nope, the Ranch voters vetoed that one.

Fine...Dr. Kildare.  "Who's THAT, mom?" 

How about Dr. Feelgood.  Yes? 

Ok, how about Dr. FeelgoodER because I did my math wrong and it's not centered and it's 100 degrees out and I don't feel like painting it again. 

Dr. Feelgooder and Dove white it is.

Maybe it's like Dr. FeelgoodER for emergency room?

The bin was easy to stock.  I just ran around the house in a panic as if someone was bleeding to death to gather supplies that are spread throughout the house.  

You can put whatever you think you might need in your kit, these are just the items that I decided should be centrally located. 

I eyeballed a set of 4 little bins I saw at the dollar store hoping they would fit.

They fit inside like they were made for that old tool box.

Gauze, several sizes of bandaids, a pair of disposable gloves.

Goo and goop and Bactine for bee stings, bug bites or fire pit burns.

Antibiotic and alcohol wipes.

Even something for sore muscles and a sample size dental floss in case there is a BBQ emergency and someone has a piece of corn on the cob stuck between a molar.

Rubbing alcohol, or just vodka?  Only the kit maker knows for sure. 

Hydrogen Peroxide.  Thermometer, scissors.  Tweezers, possibly the most used tool in all my years of marriage.

Superheros for the tough guy boo-boos.

Splints for the kid who always thinks they broke something, or the backyard volleyball sprain.

Yes those are an extra pair of reading glasses.  

They help to read directions and see splinters.

It's a good idea to be prepared for summer cuts and stings, and to always have a first aid kit handy, you never know when something unexpected will happen. 

I'm not sure a first aid kit would of helped when Brawns friend cut off his pinky finger in our garage.  I guess we could have used a sterile piece of gauze to help transport the pinky to the emergency room in my Tupperware lettuce keeper.  True story for another time.

 The very next morning The Hulk was put on a bleeding finger...... of a 21 year old.  

And she picked Hulk out herself.

That part earlier about a barbed hook?  Unfortunately that wasn't a joke.  

Any fisherman knows that there is only one way to remove a barbed hook...... you can't pull it out.  You must push. it. out. the. other. side.

And anyone that knows my fishermen, knows they don't want to pay an evening emergency room fee for something they can do themselves. 

*CAUTION* graphic photos follow.....  Look away squeamish people.

 Now you know why the rubbing alcohol container is just marked alcohol.

 First step, clip off the lure and take a question from the shaky disbelieving photographer.... 

"youuuu ARRRRE NNNNOT....are you??????"

Yes they are.

Next step, dip finger in ice water.  Yell.  Loud.  Repeatedly.  Me and son both.  

Brawn was calm, like he does this all the time, he didn't even wash his hands before surgery. 

I left the room till the operation ended and the hook was pushed out the other side of his finger.  

This time the story of the one that got away had a different ending.  When the fish jumped off the hook, the lure snapped into the finger, and the big one really did get away, just without the hook.

If you want a giggle about getting a fish hook in your finger without the graphic photo, check out this post by a gal who left me a comment.  Olive can relate.

Linking up with: 

Linking this up at Saturday Night Special at Funky Junk

Tool boxes & totes

FlickerWhips

 Show and Tell Saturday @BeDifferentActNormal 

Catch as Catch Can @MyRepurposedLife

What's Cluckin' @ChickenScratch 

Sunday Stop @Joy2Journey 

Sunday Showcase Party @UnderTheTableandDreaming

IGottaCreate! 

It's Overflowing  

Tuesday's Treasure @MyUncommonSliceOfSuburbia 

Cowgirl Up Party @CedarHillRanch 

Wow Us Wednesdays @SavvySouthernStyle 

Sizzle Into Summer @DIYByDesign 

 Be Inspired @ Elizabeth&Co. 

White Wednesday @ FadedCharm 

 Show Me What Ya Got @ NotJustAHousewife
 Whatever Goes Wednesday @SomedayCrafts 
 Look What I Made @ CreationsByKara 

 Creative Inspirations @EmbracingChange 
Show Me Extraordinary @ 36thAvenue 
 Thursdays Are Your Days @ 52Mantels 
 Thrifty Thursday @ ThriftyDecorating
 Open House Party Thursday @NoMinimalistHere 

 Uner $100 Link Party @BeyondThePicketFence
 Hookin Up with HOH @ HouseOfHepworths

 Time Travel Thursday @ Brambleberry Cottage 
Treasure Hunt Thursday @ FromMyFrontPorchToYours
 Transformation Thursday @TheShabbyCreekCottage 

Blog Hop @OneMoreTime 
 Friday Free For All @ FiveDays5Ways 

Subscribe, Bliss Ranch arrives magically!