Monday, August 13, 2012

DIY Crate Bookshelf

When we moved into our new home I realized pretty quickly that we needed a new storage solution for the kids' books. I was in the mood for a little project so I decided to make something myself.


I grabbed a few unfinished wooden crates and set to work. These things are a dime a dozen. You can find them at most craft or home improvement stores. If you have a coupon, you can usually get them for 7-10 bucks a piece.



Here's a little play-by-play:
  1. Sand them down. Ugh. Sanding's the worst part, right? My crates were pretty rough when I got them, so started with 80 grit, then 100, then 150. They're not exactly silky smooth; my main goal was to smooth them up enough so the kids wouldn't get splinters on their new bookcase.
  2. Beat 'em up. My kids LOVED this part (maybe a little too much). Get creative here...use nails, hammers, chisel, chains, anything to make scratches and dents. If your scrapes leave any rough edges, you may want to sand them down a bit.
  3. Stain. Make sure your crate is clean and free of dust, then stain it your desired color. I used my favorite stain (Rust-oleum Dark Walnut). They've got these nifty half pint cans that are perfect for a small project like this.
  4. Seal. Finish with a coat of polyurethane. I used Satin finish, because I didn't want too much shine.
  5. Finishing touch. Screw on some corner brackets. (optional) They're technically called "angles" and you can find them in the roofing section. 
  6. Configure & attach. I attached the two horizontal crates to one another with wood glue and some screws underneath. The vertical crate I left unattached so it can also double as a handy carrying crate/nightstand if needs be.
Now just fill up those shelves. We gathered all of our books inside the crates (the tall crate is perfect for those extra-tall books. We displayed a few of our favorite vintage goodies up top. And what reading nook would be complete without a comfy reading spot? Now the kids can add their favorite artwork to the walls and we'll be all set.


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7 comments:

Hilary said...

I love this! I think our home is going to need some of these. Do you think Hobby Lobby or Home Depot would have these crates? Never looked for them so not sure where the best place to start would be.

Km said...

Awesome!!!!! I am especially smitten the antique bingo game! :) I bet you are having so much fun decorating our new home. I can't wait to see every inch of your creative spaces!

Km said...

Awesome!!!!! I am especially smitten the antique bingo game! :) I bet you are having so much fun decorating our new home. I can't wait to see every inch of your creative spaces!

christina said...

Hilary: Yes! I got the crates at Home Depot.com. They don't stock them in stores, but that's fine by me, because that's one less trip I have to make with three fighting and/or screaming children.

Katherine: I LOVE the bingo game, too. It was my mom's as a kid and we used to play it all the time when we visited my grandparents.

Big D and Me said...

These shelves look great - all of the fun colors on the books really pop with these

brown motorcycle leather jacket said...

I believe this can be a great scenery for your kids and you must have pay so many energy to that and that's true emotion to kids!

Anonymous said...

What size crates did you use? Love this idea!!!