DIY Crate Shelf

 Hi friends!
I wanted to share a fun DIY project I've been working on! My crate shelf!

I made this shelf from crates I had been using to house outdoor plants. Unfortunately, due to plant and decoration theft, the porch needed to be cleared off and the crates repurposed. 

First, I compiled my supplies; sandpaper, Rustoleum piant, shelf legs, tarp, paint brush, spackle, cork board, glue, nails and screws, power drill, hammer (most supplies I already had, others were found on Amazon.) I started by cleaning my crates with a damp cloth. Once dry, I sanded them then wiped them down again with a damp cloth. I used spackle to fill in any extra weather worn spots. 

Next, I applied a few coats of white paint to each side, letting it dry 24 hours between coats. I used Rustoleum outdoor paint. 

I then attached the legs using screws and a power drill. The legs I found on Amazon turned out to be pretty industrial, I ended up using only two of the drill holes on each fixture for fear of cracking the cheap crate wood.  

Next, I hammered the top crate to the footed crate. Make sure your nails and screws are not longer than the width of the wood you're nailing into, otherwise they will poke through the bottom of your shelves! My nails ended up being just the tiniest bit too long. In order to solve this problem I grabbed some cork board and cut it to size to line the bottoms of my shelves. 

I then used gorilla glue to adhere the cork board to the inside of the shelves, I used a few weights to hold the cork board down and let it dry for 24 hours before putting the shelf to use. 

I am pretty happy with how this project turned out. I would definitely do a couple things differently if I did it again. a.) I would use younger crates that had not been outdoors, these crates were a little more weather worn and unsteady than I expected them to be, b.) I would use the right size nails and screws. One of my goals for this project was to save money by working with supplies I already had on hand but proper fixings are worth the cost. There were some touch and go moments with the overlarge nails and screws that I worried would crack the wood in half but luckily everything stayed in one piece. c.) I would use wood glue to smooth out all the nail holes on the outside of the crates. Just a stylistic choice but I think the final product would look cleaner. 

Overall I am satisfied with the results and already enjoying the extra storage space in the bathroom!

What do you think!? Would you attempt a DIY crate shelf? 

Let me know in the comments.

Thank you for reading!
Ashley