Average But Inspired

Inspiring creativity with crafts, DIY, and home decor projects.

by

Turn a Crate into a Rolling Firewood Caddy

Wooden crates are everywhere: the craft store, home improvement stores, and even big box stores!  They’re super accessible, and because of that, perfect for a wide variety of DIY projects.  Today I’ll show you how to turn a crate into a rolling firewood caddy!  Love this! It's so easy to make a rolling firewood caddy with a wood crate. Learn how to customize a crate for looks and function. It's a great piece of fireplace decor!

DIY rolling firewood caddy made from an unfinished crate available at Michaels.

I am in love with my little firewood caddy.  It has opened up my entire fireplace (I used to have a fireplace screen covering the firebox), and added a personal touch to my living room.

DIY rolling firewood caddy made from an unfinished crate available at Michaels.

It was also really, really easy to put together.  Score!

This post contains affiliate links.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

I started with a plain wooden crate.  (Although I linked to one online, if you get a 40% off coupon for Michaels, you can get them much cheaper there.)   

Unfinished crate.
Next, I sanded the crate’s rough spots and then primed the entire thing with a brown spray primer that looks red in this photo.  I swear it’s not red.
Once the primer dried, I painted the crate with the Americana Decor chalky finish paint that I had leftover from my grain sack coffee table makeover.  I intentionally made the paint look streaky so that some of the brown primer would show through, as I wanted the crate to have an antique look to it.

After the paint dried, I lightly sanded in areas to give a further distressed look.

Next, I decided to add some text on the front of my crate.  I wanted it to look like a vintage crate I picked up at a flea market or something.  Since this was going in my fireplace, I decided to make up a fake timber company bearing my last name.

(Sidenote: I bet I would have been an awesome lumberjack if I had taken that career path.  I look really good in flannel.)

I downloaded some free rustic-looking fonts and a pine tree image, typed out my text using the Word Art function in Word, reversed the text, and printed it out on freezer paper so that I could do an image transfer.  I followed a freezer paper image transfer tutorial, and it worked really well.

Once the text dried, I added some brackets to the exterior sides of the crate.  I think this helped make it look even more “vintage,” which is just what I wanted.
Then I screwed four casters to the bottom of the crate.  Since the crate would be holding firewood, I wanted to be able to easily move it.  I am too weak to lift it up when it’s filled with wood!  The casters did the trick perfectly.
It looked pretty cute just like this, but I wanted to be able to mask the ugly staining on the back wall of my firebox, so I needed to add some more height.
DIY rolling firewood caddy made from an unfinished crate available at Michaels.
I fixed this problem by adding a galvanized metal pail into my crate.
It was the perfect addition!
DIY rolling firewood caddy made from an unfinished crate available at Michaels.
I had so much fun turning my plain crate into a functional and decorative accessory for my home!
 
What have you made with a wooden crate?
 
– Bre

I Bet You'll Like These Posts, Too!

Share this post:

PinterestLinkedin

Comments

  7. Tara Hatch says

    Love this, Bre! Love the vintage look that you created with the stain and chalky paint, looks great! I have never heard of the freezer paper image transfer, I am going to have to try this.

    Reply

  9. Erica Sooter says

    I absolutely adore your wording – Timber & Supply Co. and that little tree logo is just perfection! This is so clever, clever. I hate having firewood just stacked on the ground or whatever so this is the perfect solution as those cold winter months come around!

    Reply

  10. The Seana Method says

    These are all fabulous. What an affordable solution to a WIDE variety of storage needs. I think just about any play room or door room would benefit from having one on wheels, right? Very creative solution for the firewood. Any my maiden name is Greer:)

    Reply

  11. The Rozy Home says

    I’m so glad you did this! I am displaying at a home show this weekend and using wood crates. I was trying to decide the best way to get lettering on my boxes – this will do it! Yay!

    Reply

  13. maggiemaysgifts says

    Wow!! I LOVE how this turned out…from the vintage paint job to the text transfer to the wheels! This is awesome!
    If you guys ever do another challenge like this and need another participant (wink wink), I would love to play along. I love challenges!! 🙂
    Either way, awesome job!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

My Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring Review: Luxury Vinyl Plank Pros and Cons

Last month we installed Tranquility 5mm Copper Ridge Oak luxury vinyl plank flooring from Lumber Liquidators in our living room and basement.  We replaced white carpeting in the living room and some composite flooring in the basement that had been damaged when our furnace leaked.  Because vinyl plank is increasingly becoming a popular flooring choice, […]

DIY Accent Wall: How to Paint a Grid Accent Wall

In my old house, you saw a beautiful staircase and arched doorways when you walked in the front door.  In my new house, you see a large wall and a 1970’s-style funky staircase with ugly carpeting.  Not exactly the best first impression.  (This is the photo from the real estate listing.  Yes, multiple people asked […]

How to Antique a Mirror From the Front with Paint

My new house was built in the 1970’s and is overflowing with mirrored surfaces! I’ve already eliminated one reflective surface by wallpapering the mirrored bookcases next to the fireplace, but for my built-in china cabinet makeover I decided to antique the plate glass mirror that was part of the cabinet, instead of totally covering it.  […]

How to Update Mirrored Built-ins with Paint and Peel and Stick Wallpaper

You guys!  I thought I was excited about the limewash stone fireplace makeover I completed last month, but I think I’m even more excited about how I updated the flanking mirrored built-ins with paint and peel and stick wallpaper.   This makeover totally transformed the look and feel of my living room in my new home! […]