Inspiring upcycle: rustic wooden crate furniture

Vintage advertising is something that will always catch my eye. There's so much to learn about history from the colors and fonts, to the materials and language they used. You can almost imagine what it would've been like to live in that time. This is why I get so excited at the opportunity to take something like an old shipping crate, restore and upcycle it, and ensure that story can continue. Here's the story on my project... and maybe some inspiration for your next upcycle project!

The first step in any restoration or upcycle is cleaning and inspecting the piece. Here I have a crate that is in pretty good shape for being about 100 years old. Cleaning with a gentle beeswax and orange oil both removes the years of dirt (this was a barn find) and brings out the color and shine in the wood.

The print on the outside, and the dovetail corner are the key to this crate's story so I need to preserve those and ensure they're featured in my design. To do that, I'm choosing a simple Shaker style base. The straight lines extend the box design so they don't distract or take away from the original shape. And once they are painted in antique black they will be the perfect accent to bring out the black lettering that is still visible on every side of this crate.

To preserve the entire piece, a few coats of clear varnish will ensure just the right amount of protection. Perfect as a blanket box, indoor planter, magazine holder...  Now this piece is ready to be treasured again, for (100 more) years to come.

Gather up and prep all the materials, measuring and dry fitting along the way!

Cut the pieces that will become the base. 

Dry fit the base one more time before assembly!

The finished piece, with base assembled and painted.

That's it; on to the next project! Want to know what it is? Follow me on twitter for sneak peeks and updates! If you're just looking for DIY inspiration, stayed tuned @ dawntoussaint.com for more on my DIY projects through the year! If you're looking to get some of the items you've seen here, on twitter, or on my boards, check out my etsy shop!