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WINE CRATE SHELF

Wine Crate Shelf

Make this for the cost of a sandwich.

MATERIALS USED: 2 wine crates, dark stain, paint, and screws.
COST: $10.00
TOTAL COST TO MAKE A SIMILAR PIECE: From $25.00 to $90.00.
TOTAL TIME: Four hours.

I was inspired to make a wine crate display case for my jewelry out of necessity. I had a show coming up and had to think of something fast. I got some ideas from a few design blogs and knew exactly what I wanted to do.

First, I scoured some Chicago wine stores for wine crates, but they hold onto those things for dear life. It's mainly because they use them as display cases themselves, but I wondered if they'd just sell them to me. They do, but they charge about $40.00 for a throw away crate. No thanks! The only way to get a wine crate for free from a wine shop is to buy an entire case of wine from said shop, but then it isn't really free now is it?

I didn't buy a case of wine, but I did go to about four other liquor stores before finding two lonely old crates that I was sure nobody wanted. They were in pieces on the floor next to the garbage can. I asked a cashier if I could take them and was told I had to pay three dollars apiece. If they were decent, they would've just given them to me after all they were set to be thrown away, but everybody is always trying to make a buck. I paid their fee, got them home, and hammered the pieces into place. The size of each crate was: 20" W x 13" L x 7" D.

I had some stain leftover so I used a rag and stained the exterior. I painted the interior a light green and wallpapered the sides with some handmade paper I purchased from Dick Blick a while back.

I added some hooks to the crates in order to hang my necklaces and affixed lights to the top for a spotlight effect. It worked well. I used that display case for a while before retiring it to my closet, which is where it sat for the past year or so. I decided to repurpose it as I had this blank space in my home and I have a lot of books. I removed all of the old hardware, drilled holes into the shelf and screwed it into my wall and had my shelf, which surprisingly goes with the rest of my dining room.

It took a little over three hours to create the jewelry display case and then another hour or so to put up the shelf. All in all, I consider this project a double success.

 

Jewelry Display Case Blank Wall
Jewelry Display Case at Gen Art Show Blank space.
Wine Crate Shelf  
Wine crate bookshelf.  


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  PROJECTS

Illustrations (2017-2018)

Carpe Diem (2012)

Chevron Tablecloth (2012)

Wine Crate Shelf (2012)

Key Holder (2011)

Side Table Ikea Hack (2011)

Kid's Painted Table (2010)

The Chi Picture Project
(2005 - Present)


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