DIY Wood Storage Crate

March 6, 2012 By

Hey there!  I am so excited to share a fun, easy and cheap project with you all!

I love it so much that I want one for every room in my house;)

Here’s how I made it for $17!

~ I purchased 5 – 1×3 furring strips and 1 – 2×2 scrap from the scrap bin at Lowe’s (you only need about a 4″ piece)

~ I cut 8 pieces at 36″ and 8 pieces at 20″.  I then cut 4 pieces of the 2×2 at 9.5″ (Lowe’s will cut your boards for you also).

~ I also bought one 1/4″ sheet of plywood at 36×20″.

I finished my shopping trip with a package of 1/2″ wood screws and 8 metal angles.  The angles are back with the roofing products.  There is a huge shelf of metal pieces (fun:) and these are about $.60 each.

I started by nailing the short furring strips to the 2×2′s (4 on each side).  I used Gorilla Glue wood glue to secure.

 I then added the long furring strips to each end also using nails and Gorilla Glue wood glue and then finished the build by attaching the 1/4″ plywood to the bottom with wood glue and nails.  (I just nailed it into the bottom of the furring strips).

EASY!  Before applying the finish, I beat the crate all over with a hammer, bolts, basically anything I could find to rough it up.  I also used a flathead screwdriver and dragged it across the boards.

I used my favorite Rust-Oleum Dark Walnut Stain to finish:)

To achieve the industrial look I was going for, I added 1 angle at the top and bottom of all four edges and secured them with the wood screws.  Easy right:))

This was one of the quickest projects I have done and so cheap:)

If you love it, I would so appreciate pins:)  Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great week!

~Ashley

50 Comments Filed Under: Accessories, DIY Crafts, Storage Solutions

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  • Teresa

    So pinned this….. For 2 reasons, one I LOVE it, two….I want to remember to make it lol

    • Ashley

      LOL! Thanks Teresa, I do the same thing:) Pinterest has become my to do list:)

  • http://thatsmyletter.blogspot.com Jaime

    Ashley, great fast build, you could even add casters on the bottom to make mobile (then your kids will think it’s a wagon – good and bad!). Thanks for the plans.

    • Ashley

      Great idea Jaime:) Thanks so much!

  • http://www.quaintlygarcia.com Adriana

    Love it, thanks for sharing!

    • Ashley

      Thank you Adriana:))

  • http://www.killerbdesigns.com Brooke

    So do these not have a bottom? Just curious. They look great though! Love the idea of using it for blankets at the end of the bed

    • Ashley

      Eek, thanks for catching that Brooke! I left that part out LOL! I used 1/4″ plywood:)

  • Rhia

    This is soooo perfect for the dresser we just finished. It has drawers at the top and an open space at the bottom.
    This is awesome! Thank you for sharing this!

    • Ashley

      Fun! Thanks so much Rhia:))

  • http://www.sewafineseam.blogspot.com Jill Flory

    Love this! I’m going to have to find a spot for at least one of these somewhere!

    • Ashley

      Thanks Jill:))

  • http://www.annonandon.blogspot.com AnnOnandOn

    This is a great project! I “pinned” it. :D

    • Ashley

      Thank you so much:))

  • http://www.redhenhome.blogspot.com Korrie@RedHenHome

    Terrific project! Love the addition of the metal brackets.

    • Ashley

      Thanks so much Korrie;)

  • http://gardenberger.blogspot.com/ Becca

    Wow! It looks awesome! I already pinned it! Thanks for sharing this great post!!
    xo Becca

    • Ashley

      Thank you Becca;))

  • Sophie

    Beautiful! LOVE it! I need to go to Lowe’s this weekend. Did you treat the wood with anything after staining? I’m afraid the wood stain will ruin the fabric inside.

    • Ashley

      Thanks Sophie! I didn’t treat it with anything but I would suggest giving it plenty of time to dry. I haven’t had a problem with it rubbing off on the fabric:)

  • http://fortheloveofacottage.blogspot.com Jan

    This will definitely be pinned!! It’s perfect and brings a wonderful rustic look into a room. Great project, great tutorial!!

    • Ashley

      Thank you so much Jan!

  • http://bilingual-crafting-sewing.blogspot.com/ Catrin

    Gorgeous. I love it. I pin it and will try to make some that fit under my bed in the summer. Thanks so much for sharing.
    Greetings from Germany
    Catrin

    • Ashley

      Great idea Catrin!!! Thanks so much:)

  • claudia

    at what point did you attach the bottom? And did you glue it or screw it on? I’m going to make one but add a top with hindges and use it for a coffee table! Sounds easy enough. Thanks for sharing!

    • Ashley

      Great idea Claudia! I think I was half asleep when I wrote this post last night and I completely left off the instructions for the bottom:) Thanks for catching that…I have updated it:)

  • Sarah

    I love the crate… and I also love the fabric of the pillow and the throw! Do you know where they were purchased? I have been searching everywhere for a decorative throw, and that is exactly what I want!

    • Ashley

      Hi Sarah, the fabric is by Waverly and I purchased it at JoAnn’s. I got the throw for $19 at IKEA:) Thanks so much!!!

  • Rita

    Love this idea! Will definitely try it when I get my own house. A great pin!

    • Ashley

      Thanks so much Rita! I appreciate it::)

  • http://thehomespunjournal.com brookeO

    Love this! I have been looking for a second hand wood crate for a long time. I might just have to make my own!

  • http://srobinsnest.com Suzanne

    Thanks for the easy to follow instructions. I think I could actually make one of these! I will be subscribing to your blog . I am inspired every time I visit ! thanks

  • http://lexmallabooks.com/ Lex Malla Books

    I love it. I need to get me some wood and some tools. This would be nice in my home.

    lexmallabooks.com

  • http://chase-thestar.blogspot.com/ Barbara

    Ohmygoodness! I was just telling my friend I want to find some wood crates! Now I know how to MAKE them! Thank you!!

  • http://greg-shannon-mulder.blogspot.com Shannon

    Whoa. Loving those crates!! I’ve been a follower for QUITE a while now and for some reason this is my first comment I believe. But, seriously I love ALL that you girls do! Incredible stuff.

    Hey, I also tagged you in a fun little “get to know me” post on my blog. If you feel like participating, come visit my tiny corner of the blog world…and join the fun!
    http://greg-shannon-mulder.blogspot.com/2012/03/ive-been-tagged-get-to-know-me.html

  • Danielle

    Love these! And love the ideas people are coming up with to add to it – under the bed storage, wheels, lids – fun! Quick question, do you use a nail gun or just a hammer and some muscles? :)

    • Ashley

      Thanks Danielle! I just used a battery powered nail gun. It could be done with finishing nails and a hammer pretty easily though:)

  • Holly

    Love this! And it was so simple to make, my husband and I made it this weekend and it looks great!!! Thank you for the inspiration!!

  • Susan

    Love it! I might have to make one for blanket storage and one for dog toy storage in my living room!

  • http://www.deliniation.com Delina

    This crate is larger in reality than I expected! Also, our Lowe’s doesn’t have a scrap bin, so after buying all the wood and supplies, our total was more than $40. Still, I love it…but don’t know how many more I can make if I don’t find scrap wood somewhere! Thanks for the plans. Gonna do the sanding and staining today!

  • Heather

    I think this would be great in a nursery/playroom…but with some black wheels on the bottom and some sort of handle (like on a radio flyer wagon) to pull it from the playroom to the living room. Then maybe some big hobby lobby letters bolted to the side that says TOYS…..OR with rope handles on each side, then fill it with goodies for gifts…oh the fabulous & endless possibilities!! THANKS!!

    ~Heather

  • http://Www.come-on-over-yall.blogspot.com Laurie-Anne

    I found this post on pinterest. Absolutely love this piece and your blog! :-)

  • Julie

    Thank you! My husband built this as a toy box for my sons room. I had him build a lift off lid for it and added handles to the sides to make it look more like a wooden trunk. It’s perfect!

  • Carissa Danielle

    Thanks so much, i’ve been looking EVERYWHERE for old crates, but never thought of just DIY… and these are SO PERFECT for what I want to use them for, thank you SO much for this and sharing….
    ~Carissa Danielle

  • Patty S.

    I just made this storage crate this weekend – I LOVE it! I did find that the dimensions for the 1/4 plywood on the bottom are too small at 36X20 – mine was too narrow by about 1.5 inches – it needed to be more like 36X21.5. I added some scrap 1X2 along the inside bottom edge so I would have something for the plywood to nail into along the longer edges. Aside from that, it was super easy and SO cute! I also made your magazine tray and “FAMILY” wall sign. I am SO inspired to keep building!

  • http://welivedhappilyeverafter.blogspot.com Ashely

    I LOVE these & I LOVE your website! You guys are amazing and such an inspiration to me! I love all your DIY stuff! “Pinterest Rant”

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  • http://www.facebook.com/rseddon Rob Seddon

    This crate looks brilliant. I’m excited about making one!

  • http://twitter.com/samanthavaughn Samantha Vaughn

    Can’t wait to make this! However, I noticed when you first detailed the materials, you said that you only needed about a 4″ piece of the 2×2, when it should say 4′. I figured it out soon after reading but I know I would’ve gotten to the store and got a 4″ piece without thinking about it haha. Just letting you know so you can fix! :) Thanks for the great project!!

  • Rebecca Waldron

    Question: what is the 5th furring strip for? I’m confused. I think this crate is beautiful and would love to make it.