We have a few things left to do to our covered porch before it’s ready for cookouts and company. One of my favorite projects so far gave us some much needed storage and best of all, it was (nearly) free.
I have to admit it, I’m not shy when it comes to asking for free stuff.
You never know when someone is ready to give up something they consider junk.
When the idea struck me to repurpose a crate into a storage table, I drove to four different garden centers before finding the kind soul who gave me a bulb shipping crate in exchange for being sworn to secrecy of my resource.
I’m good with that.
Today, I’m going to show you how easy it is to turn a crate into a side table that doubles as storage.
If you can’t find one at the garden center, check with the grocery stores or buy one on Amazon. You can also find some reasonably priced vintage crates at an antique store.
If all else fails and you can’t find a crate, Lolly Jane shows you how to build a crate yourself in this simple tutorial.
affiliate links included for convenience
Other than the crate, you’ll need:
(4) caster wheels
(2) hinges
A handle for the lid
1/2 inch plywood for the top that overlaps the crate by 1/4 inch on all sides
Medium grit sandpaper
A paint brush
Watered down white latex paint
Dry Rag and a tack cloth
Outdoor polyurethane to protect your piece if you plan to use it outside
First, you’ll want to sand the crate and plywood top. Then, wipe it off with a tack cloth to remove the dust.
To give the new wood an aged look, brush on watered-down white paint and let it sit for a couple of minutes before wiping it off with a dry rag.
To make sure you have the ratio of paint to water to your liking, test it out on the bottom of the crate first.
After letting the paint dry a couple of hours, seal the wood with an outdoor polyurethane.
Next, add caster wheels to the bottom of the crate.
Screw in the hinges for the lid.
Add the handle.
And you’ve got yourself a super cute side table that doubles as storage.
I’m using our crate on our covered porch to hold gardening supplies.
In the winter, I’ll use it for storing pillows but it would also be the perfect place for keeping the kids’ outside toys.
Who doesn’t need a little extra place to hide the clutter?
If you like this crate storage idea, then you should check out my post on how to make a decoupaged map crate.
And if you want to see how I aged the flower pots stored in our crate, check out my tutorial on how to age terracotta pots with a mixture of Annie Sloan Paint and wax.
Be sure to come back tomorrow for my very first giveaway! I’ve teamed up with several fabulous bloggers to bring you a prize that you won’t want to miss!
Lolly Jane says
Just gorgeous! I love how versatile this is- the lid is a genius idea (: Pinned!
xoxo
[email protected] the Manor says
So, so pretty! I need something like this to store our outdoor pillows.
JaneEllen says
I am so loving that crate table I’m all excited to make one a.s.a.p. Now all I have to do is get hubs to do it. I’m not much of a builder, and he likes to be the boss so he’ll get to build it. so glad you shared this.
[email protected] says
How creative!! Would love it if you’d share at my {Work it Wednesday} Linky party!
xo
Amy
http://theblissfulbee.com/work-it-wednesday-linky-party-no-2/
Krista @thehappyhousie says
You have such a talent for making gorgeous vintage looking pieces that add so much character to your space Tricia… and you have done it again. I love this!!
Tricia says
Thanks, Krista!
Tania says
I love this project, what a great idea for an old crate! I have several old apple crates, I might have to try this with one of them!! Thanks for the inspiration, I pinned!!
Tania
Whitney says
This is such a cool idea! I love how you styled it, too!
Jennifer @ Town and Country Living says
I love this project! It’s pretty and functional. Thanks for sharing it at the Summer Inspiration party. I’m pinning it!
Tricia says
Thanks for sharing, Jennifer! And thanks for hosting the summer link party!
[email protected] Charm says
What a creative idea you have here…LOVE it!!
Blessings,
Linda
Abby @ Just a Girl and Her Blog says
Ooh this is so gorgeous! I can’t believe it’s just a crate–it looks so expensive! I popped over from Monday Funday–thanks for sharing!
~Abby =)
Elaine says
Love this, and was wondering, what are the details on the galvanized tray on top? I’ve never seen one.
Tricia says
I’ve seen them recently at Marshalls. I bought this one from Buhi Imports. It’s the same company that I ordered the galvanized pails that are hanging on my laundry room wall. They only sell wholesale right now so you have to have a business license number to buy from them. Thanks for stopping by!
Megin says
Beautiful, Tricia! I just love it! What a unique table and I also love the wheels.
I’m visiting today from C.R.A.F.T. I hope you get the chance to visit my blog, linkup and leave a comment, too!
~ Megin of VMG206
Join me at my NEW party!! Open NOW (Sat thru Fri) @ DIY Showcase Link Party
Tricia says
Hey Megin! I forgot to leave a reply, but I did link up. Thanks for the invite!
[email protected] This Top That says
tricia- your projects are always amazing!
Tricia says
Thank you, Laura! Same to you. I just shared your ladder project with a friend who just found one by the road the other day. She loved it!
Eileen (Lobster Meets Peach) says
Such a great project. I would love to hear more about your chair and pillow too!
Tricia says
Oh, I need to post about that soon! These boys are keeping me busy at home. Thanks for the reminder!
Shelly- minettesmaze.blogspot.com/ says
I did something similar for indoors, but Great idea for outdoor stuff!! Thanks for sharing on DIY Showcase!!!
Shelly- Cohost
Tricia says
Thanks for cohosting the party, Shelly! I’m so glad you like the crate table. I ended up getting another smaller free crate, so I might have to make one for inside too. I need all the storage I can get!
[email protected] says
This is such a cute and thrifty idea. I love it!
Tricia says
Thank you, Lauren!
TidyMom says
I love this Tricia!! pinned it!
Tricia says
Thank you for pinning, Cheryl!
Jennifer @ PinkWhen says
This was featured over at the DIY Sunday Showcase! Thanks so much for sharing this last week, Jen
Katie says
I love this project! It is so cute and functional!
Funky Junk Interiors says
LOVELY! I adore this and can appreciate the extra work involved to get it outdoor worthy. Super cool look and productive to boot! I’ll be featuring this beauty on I Love That Junk and various other places this week!
Me, Myself & DIY says
Love this and I know you did it awhile ago but going to share on a post I’m doing about outdoor tables!
Tricia says
Thank you for sharing it! It’s one of my favorite projects.
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Using infrared light, the device can find flaws within the construction of masonry, piping, or roofing.
For the kids, they normally have some rather old-fashioned toys at
hand, like aan antique rocking horse or such, so that the
whole effct looks wonderful.
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Paul Langley says
Wow, this is a really cute and simple table design! I recently got some new patio furniture, and I’ve been looking for some storage options for the cushions during rain or winter, and this looks pretty perfect! I may have to try my hand at one or two of these over the weekend, I think I even have the perfect crates. Thanks so much for writing!
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