LIVE DIY; Turn a Plain Crate Into a Portable Printer Stand

15 Materials
$30
45 Minutes
Easy
Learn how to skip Pottery Barn and save $$! DIY this beautiful décor piece in under an hour.
I've seen these wooden crates at Home Depot and Walmart and finally gave in to the crate craze, determined to find the right DIY project. The crate sat untouched for months until, necessity being the mother of invention, I decided to turn this one into a portable printer stand.
Knowing I wanted shelves for paper and ink cartridges, I measured the width and depth of the crate and had a piece of plywood cut at Home Depot.
 I also bought:
  • casters
  • brackets to install the shelves
  • screws for the casters and brackets


And gathered the rest of the materials from my home:
  • wood stain
  • a stain brush
  • a clean, cotton cloth (an old t-shirt
  • Elmer's Probond glue
  • tape measure
  • pencil
  • ruler
  • drill


then got to work, turning my design into reality.
Step 1: Stain the crate and shelves.


Brush the stain on liberally, letting it sit for a few minutes, then wipe away the excess with the cotton rag.


Tip: The  longer the stain sits on the wood, the deeper the color will be.
Step 2: Next, I used the tape measure to mark 4 1/2 " and 8" down on the inside of both sides of the crate, making three to four marks across.


Step 3:  Then, I used a ruler to connect those dots, forming a straight line.


Step 4: I held the bracket level with the line and marked the holes for the screws, and repeated this for all brackets.  ( I only used two brackets per shelf, but I recommend four per shelf, one on each corner.)


Step 5: Then, I marked the holes for the casters on the bottom of the crate.


Step 6: Next, we predrilled all the holes to keep the wood from splitting when attaching the screws.
Step 7: I used a magnetic screw driver to screw the brackets in place. A drill could have been used, but the wood was pretty soft, so it didn't seem necessary.


Step 8: Then, I applied Elmer's Probond to the part of the bracket the shelf would sit on. (You can skip this step if you're able to screw the shelf to the top of the bracket.)


Step 9: Next, I set the shelves on the brackets.


Tip: Rub a candle on the edges of the shelves to help them slide into the crate.
Step 10: Finally, I attached the casters to the bottom of the crate.
Step 11: And, I had so much fun setting up my new printer stand.
This  crate could also be used as puzzle or game shelves, a computer charging station, a magazine rack...the possibilities are endless!


Be sure to watch the LIVE DIY and also check out my blog, Mrs. Hines' Class where I teach you how to create a home and life you love.


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Sharon E. Hines
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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