DIY wood crate rolling table & bench

I’ve had these wood crates for years now holding all sorts of random things from toys to paint supplies. I couldn’t remember where I even got them but then I just saw similar ones at Home Depot for $10.97. What I love about them is that are a good size and constructed pretty well for an inexpensive crate. But I really love the fact that they are a little crude. The are made of real wood with no finish so you see a lot of the imperfections and wood grain. In other words, they have potential.

I thought these would make the perfect end table or put a few together and you can have a nice bench. Add some casters for a little more height and now these simple wood crates become useful, industrial looking furniture. I was really happy with how the rolling table came out so I decided to make a coordinating piece to go with it. I attached 2 crates together and made a rolling bench. Easy, inexpensive, cool pieces which now live in son #2’s bedroom. Here’s the how-to on this easy DIY project:

First, gather your materials:
I’m lucky to have a loyal assistant!

• wood crate(s) – I used the 18″x 12.5″ x 9.5″ size.
• 2 – 1″ x 4″ wood pieces, cut to the width of the bottom of your piece. If you’re using a single crate upright {like my table} the wood support pieces need to be 12.5″ long. If you’re attaching 2 together horizontally for a bench, the wood pieces need to be 36″ long to cover the length of both crates. I had Home Depot cut these pieces for me but I’m dreaming of getting my own saw so I can do all this on my own.
• 4 rolling casters – I used casters with 2″ wheels and these seem to be the right size for both the table and bench.
• sandpaper or electric sander
• paint & paint brush
• approximately 10 nails – 1-7/8″ long
• 16 screws for casters – 1-7/8″ long
• screwdriver and hammer
• wood glue

Instructions:

1. Attach the two support wood pieces with wood glue onto the bottom of your crate – one at the front and one at the back. Let it sit for a bit.

2. Once the glue has set, nail these pieces on. I used 5 nails in each piece of wood – one on each corner and one in the middle. I added these pieces of wood because the casters need a little better support base, plus they give the crate a little more height.

3. Once both wood pieces are attached, lightly sand the entire crate by hand or with an electric sander.

4. Paint the crate as you’d like. I did something a little different and only painted the inside of the crate. I love the look of the unfinished wood but I wanted to add some color too so I thought this solution was fun and gave the piece a little unexpected look.

**I also painted to front edges of the crate and the support wood pieces. I liked how this looked but feel free to paint them how you’d like – or just leave them unfinished.

5. Attach the casters. Using the screws and screwdriver, attach one caster in each outer corner of the support wood pieces. Be careful not to put them over a nail. I didn’t need – or want to use – a drill since I though it might split the wood. The screws went in fine with just a screwdriver.

6. Done! Now you have a cool, kinda industrial looking end table.

If you want to make a rolling storage bench, simply put 2 crates together the long way and attach the wood support pieces across both crates with the wood glue and nails. This will hold the two crates together. I also added a few smaller nails inside the crates where they came together for added support. Paint and add the casters and you have a rolling storage bench! I wouldn’t recommend sitting on it – and use it more for storage.

I ended up using the 2 pieces in my son’s bedroom and they look great and give him a little more storage. I hope you enjoyed this project – there’s so many different ways you can put these wood crates together to make some great, inexpensive pieces.