Old Wood Box Decorating Ideas

Vintage wooden crates can be used in your home decor in so many ways. Here are some easy and fun ways to enjoy their timeworn charm!

vintage wood crates

Before everything we consumed was packaged in cardboard or plastic, goods were shipped and sold in wooden crates. The crates usually displayed the contents of the box with a stamped or paper label. Vintage wooden crates in all shapes and sizes are a mainstay at estate sales and other secondhand shopping haunts. I love using them in my home decor! Today I'm going to share Easy and Fun Ways to Decorate with Vintage Wooden Crates (plus give tips for making them look their best).

This post is part of a new blog hop dreamed up by my friend Cindy at County Road 407. A group of creative bloggers are sharing their love of vintage items and how they use them in their homes. You're going to get so many fun ideas on this "A Lifestyle of Love" hop! If you're visiting from Let's Add Sprinkles I'm sure you enjoyed Katie's garden-filled baskets!

For this round we're all sharing how we use crates and/or baskets in our homes. I decided to focus on vintage wooden crates and show you a variety of ways I decorate with them for function and beauty!

Easy and Fun Ways to Decorate with Vintage Wooden Crates

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Before You Start Decorating, Get your Old Wooden Crates Clean and Sealed

Old wooden crates have often been shoved to the scary places of the house or garage. I usually find them in the basements of estate sales or in the garage, filled with greasy bolts or dirty lawn tools. When they come home with me, the first task is to get them cleaned of whatever was living in them, or stored in them!

First, if your old crate has a vintage label, make sure it stays on by adhering any frayed edges with THIS. You can also brush a layer over the top to seal.

Then I give them a good scrub with a general purpose cleaner like THIS. If they're greasy, I use THIS which does the job quickly. Then I let them dry in the sunshine. Once thoroughly dry, I smooth out any rough edges (I like THIS sander for smaller hands). Finally, I brush 1-2 coats of THIS to make sure they're sealed and can easily be dusted. It also punches up the vibrancy of the graphics and brings out the patina of the old wood.

Once the refreshing is done, the old crates are ready to have some fun!

old wooden fruit crate

The Easiest Way to Decorate with a Wooden Crate Box is to Add Foliage

Big or small, adding some flowers or greenery is the easiest way to enjoy vintage wooden crates. A couple sunflowers and some faux succulents are all that's needed for these smaller crates to add a cute decorative touch to any spot.

To give the cheese boxes a little hardware bling, I glued on some old screen handles and some small hinges. Metal always gives old wood a bit more interest:)

vintage sunflower crate

vintage cheesebox

And check out this cute seasonal version: "Quick and Easy Christmas Crate".

Wood Crates and Boxes are Great Risers to Add Height

Small to medium wooden crates and boxes come in handy to add height in your decorating. As you are building a vignette, setting an accessory on a classic wood-toned square box is often just what it needs to fill out your space. Whenever I come across old recipe boxes or other small to medium-sized boxes, I scoop them up, because I know they come in handy!

vintage strawberry juice set

Larger Wood Crates and Wooden Boxes Make Perfect Accent Tables

Vintage apple boxes and other larger fruit boxes can be the perfect perch for your coffee or a glass of lemonade! If they've got a cute label on the end, even better! Sometimes there will even be a divider in the middle which can act as a shelf when you stand it on end.

This old crate I recently picked up was plain jane. Once it was sealed with a coat of poly, I treated it to a Grainsack Stripe stencil and a Farm Blend Feed stencil. {You can find them HERE} It's the perfect small-space side table now!

grainsack stencil

vintage wooden crate

For more grainsack/feedsack-inspired DIY projects, see "How to Make Your Own Feedsack-Inspired DIY Projects"

Old Wood Fruit Crates can be a Fun Centerpiece

If your old wooden crate has great graphics all around, give it center stage as a centerpiece! Add 3 items with various textures and some foliage and you're good to go! I picked up this cute pomegranate crate this spring while curbside junking {"Curbside Junking Vintage Finds, Best Ever"}. I love the bright, primary-colored graphics and turned it into a summertime centerpiece for the kitchen island!

vintage fruit crate

Old Wooden Crates and Boxes make Perfect Wall Shelves

Hung on a wall or simply set on a piece of furniture, old wooden crates make perfect shelves. For sturdy hanging, definitely get them anchored into a stud. You can use just one or create a whole grouping of different sized crates for an amazing 3D display.

I like to add them to my mantle display so I have extra shelf space for accessories. I just dug this old explosives crate out of my dad's garage. It's amazing dovetail corners and graphics were not being appreciated by the local squirrels;)

old wooden crate

vintage mantel decor

Repurpose Old Crates into Tote Caddy's

DIY repurposed old wood crate tote caddys.

If old crates are a little big for your decor, repurpose them into fun tote caddy's. Great for organization and decorating. Get the full how to on my post, "Repurposed Old Wood Crate Tote Caddy DIY".

And Don't Forget to Use Old Crates and Wood Boxes for Storage, Too

Function and vintage beauty can combine when you use old wooden crates for everyday storage. My spices are alphabetized in an old tack box and a couple old painted cheeseboxes in a kitchen cupboard. Brown grocery bags fit perfectly in an old Armour box in the pantry. And plastic bags can easily be grabbed out of an open-sided funky-shaped crate with an awesome orange label.

vintage tack box

vintage Armour box

vintage wooden crate

Repurposing vintage wooden crates for function and decor fits into many different styles of decorating, but especially farmhouse and cottage! Their classic shape and timeworn character can be used in so many ways. Scoop them up whenever you are on the hunt!

I hope you enjoyed seeing how I use old crates around our home! For more basket and/or crate ideas, definitely give our hostess with the most-est Cindy, at County Road 407 a visit! She has great vintage farmhouse style and always puts a smile on my face with her fun humor:)

Are you starting to think, "Where can I find wooden crates?" I'd start looking HERE.

Hope you enjoyed Easy and Fun Ways to Decorate with Vintage Wooden Crates. Thanks for visiting!

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vintage wooden crates

Lifestyle of Love: Baskets & Crates

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