This farmhouse inspired mini crate shelf is a testament to slowing down and learning new techniques, learning to enjoy the process, and gaining patience for DIY. My normal go-to when doing any paint project is to hand it off to Thom. He loves the process. He loves the prep. And, he’s great at it. How will I ever learn to do it myself if I’m always handing it off? Right? So I’m putting this out there; I will learn to enjoy the process from start to finish. This mini crate shelf was a good stepping stone.
••Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Oriental Trading and contains affiliate links which means if you click and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.Â
I found that breaking the steps down into manageable chunks made the painting process less stressful.
Farmhouse Inspired Mini Crate Shelf
When I think of “farmhouse” I think: rustic chic, whitewashed painted objects, old wood, and galvanized everything. I loved practicing whitewashing on the Farmhouse Style Succulent Message Board I put together earlier this month and I thought the technique would be fun to recreate with these mini wooden crates from Oriental Trading.
I also love look of crates put together to form bookshelves and how cute would these crates look put together as a mini crate shelf? Turns out, they look very, very cute.
Supplies:
- Mini crates
- Sanding block (or paper)
- Tack cloth
- Paint brush
- Foam brush
- Gray Paint (I used this Tattered Angels paint)
- White paint (I just used some touch-up paint I had leftover from my craft room makeover)
- Water
- Torn-up t-shirt material
- Wood glue
- Plastic clamps
- Wall hanging hardware
Method:
- Sand mini crates to take off splinters. These crates are rough and you won’t be able to smooth them completely. That’s okay! Just get off the splinters.
- Use tack cloth to wipe away the dust created from sanding.
- Cut in the corners with the dark paint and a small paint brush.
- Continue painting the mini crate using foam brush.
- Repeat process for all crates.
- Let dry.
- To whitewash: Mix 2 parts water to 1 part white paint. Stir to combine
- With a torn t-shirt piece, wipe on white paint mixture to the entire surface of the painted crate.
- Use a clean t-shirt piece to wipe off excess white paint. Repeat process, if desired, to get the look you desire.
- Repeat process for every crate.
- Let dry.
- When completely dry, lay out crates how you want the to look. I like mine off-center and a combination of vertical and horizontal.
- Brush wood glue on adjoining sections of the mini crates using the paint brush.
- Clamp together with plastic clamps. Be sure to clamp near the edge and align them straight. Wipe away excess glue that oozes out.
- Repeat for all sections that connect.
- Let dry completely.
- Add hanging hardware.
- Style your farmhouse inspired mini crate shelf!
Styling the Farmhouse Inspired Mini Crate Shelf
Love how this turned out but when I was done, I had no clue what to put in so I called on some friends for help. Jeanetta said: All things galvanized. Clothespins. Rusty S*&$. Hahahahaha.
I’m so glad I have creative friends!
I made a video of the process:
Don’t forget to pin this for later!
