Hi there! I’m Shayna from The Wood Grain Cottage and I’m back to share my latest project! I’ve been busy working on our office, trying to get things organized, and I couldn’t help but stop and look at the plain jane wood crates I’ve been seeing around. Problem was, they did seem a bit, well, plain. And then an idea struck and I couldn’t buy one of those crates fast enough…
Basic, but really cute. First, I stained the entire crate with Early American by Minwax…
Once the stain was dry, I applied dark finishing wax, also from Minwax…
Then, to give it a bit more personality, I had Anthony cut two pieces of galvanized metal to size for the ends. It’s handy being married to a welder! 😀
I simply marked the corners where I was going to attach them to the crate…
Used a drill bit that fit my screws, and drilled each corner marking…
Then, I placed the metal back onto the crate and pre-drilled the holes for the screws…
And with the holes ready, I added the screws to hold everything together…
With the first side done, I just flipped it over and did the exact same thing to the other side. Then, it was ready to use!
The metal ends add just the right amount of character…
And…. if you really wanted to personalize the ends, no problem…
A chalk pen works perfect and erases easily!
How perfect would that be for organizing? Using the crate for towels or blankets? No problem, just write it on the box. Or, use stencils to transfer some of your favorite images….
Yes, and Yes! I have a feeling a few more of these will be popping up all over the house… and suddenly, I’m ready to start organizing! Until next time… You can find me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! And be sure to stop by The Wood Grain Cottage to say hi! Have a wonderful day!
How are the edges of the steel finished so its not sharp and wont cut fingers? I love this idea!
Hi Kathy! The metal edges aren’t sharp. We used a little bit thicker metal, and he used a metal press at work to cut the edges. It doesn’t leave sharp edges. Using a grinder to lightly buff the edges would help as well. Also, the metal doesn’t stick out past the wood, so it won’t catch on anything. Hope that helps! 🙂
Where did you get the boxwood wreath?
It’s from Decor Steals.
Beautiful! Did you hand-draw the wreath?
I believe Shayna did hand draw it with a chalk pen.
Hi! Where did you get the original crate? Thanks!
Hi Cece, You can buy them at several places – Joann’s, Target, Home Depot… Just type in unfinished wood crate, and you should get lots of results. Hope that helps!