Repurposed Old Wood Crate Tote Caddy DIY

Old wood fruit crates have classic vintage appeal. Whether their labels and graphics are intact or not, the character-filled charm is perfect for country cottage home decor. I picked up a couple of these oldies a while back and wanted to use them in my home, but honestly they take up a lot of square inches. How could I enjoy these old wood crates with their fun graphics, but make them…smaller? This Repurposed Old Wood Crate Tote Caddy DIY is my answer; check out the easy how to!

Directions:

1. Cut wooden crate to width size you desire. We cut the tall crates at 8″ and the short crate at 10″. The table saw worked well for this task.
2. Take apart the part you are not using (the larger piece) carefully. Keep the old, rusty nails if they’re not too far gone. Keep the rest of the wood for some future project.
3. Re-attach the end to the shorter version of the crate. Pre-drill holes and use the old nails, copying the formation of the nails on the front end.
4. Each of these old crates is constructed differently. One of our crate ends was tongue and groove construction, so we had to rebuild the end.
5. Once you get the back end on, put the runner piece back on the bottom the same way (pre-drill and nail).You could use the shortened crates as is, hanging on a wall with shelf brackets, etc. Or you can add handles for a toolbox/tool caddy look.
6. Add old yardsticks as handles and add old hinges and hardware for character. Nail the yardstick handles to the outside of the crates for more handcrafted appeal.
7. Finish off project by brushing on a coat of water based polyurethane to seal and bring out the vintage beauty.
8. Use the Wood Crate Tote Caddy for Organization or Decor

I’m as pleased as punch with how cute these old wooden crates turned out with a bit of repurposing! I went and grabbed some vintage milk bottles and picked some flowers from the yard.

They're going to be fun to use in my decorating all year long! How would you use them?

If you love old wooden crates too, check out more easy & fun ways to use them in your decor HERE.

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