DIY Love Crate

Since my Faux mantle is still so new I have been having a lot of fun with it.  My last photos of it showed a small luggage stand with a few vintage suitcases.  Although I love that look the colors were to neutral so it didn't stay long.  I brought back the crate I was using with the logs in it but decided the crate was too big so I thought I'd make my own.  I was going to weather the wood using my new favorite technique but with the mirror above the mantle being weathered wood I thought maybe I'll paint it.

I was also thinking of making a sign for Valentines.  I have seen "all you need is love" signs all over the Internet and I am obsessed with them and must make one.  After I made the crate it occurred to me it would be perfect to combine the two.  If I get tired of it I can just turn the crate around or pop the boards out and use it as sign later.

The crate is 18.5" wide, 9" deep, 11.5" tall.

My supplies were:

4-1x6 pine boards cut to 18.5"(front/back)

2-1x8 pine boards cut to 11"(sides)

2-1x2 pine cut to 8.5" (feet)

1-8.5 X 18" piece of luan for bottom. 

or you could use a 1x8 for the bottom if you want but I had a scrap of luan so I used that. 

Then I glued and nailed it all together.  Easy peazy. I left a gap between the front boards to give it that crate look.  I think some fun handles or maybe rope handles would look great on the sides.

 

The paint I used was Old fashioned milk paint in Salem Red.  For the words I just printed off what I wanted and used the transfer method I talked about here.  Basically just scribble pencil on the back of the paper then trace the words onto your board and the pencil will transfer onto the board.  Then you just fill in with craft paint using a small artist brush.

This part took the longest.  Note to self don't drink coffee (or wine) before you try painting tiny letters.  It looks a bit rough but I planned to sand a lot of it off so I just sanded more on the bad spots.

Here's it is half sanded lookin a little better.

Yeah baby.  I love me some distressing.

My hubby cut me a few more "logs" with his chainsaw because the ones I had before were too skinny.  Can you believe these came from a branch that fell on our roof during last weeks snow & ice storm.  It was a huge branch I couldn't lift it.  

I screwed them to a board so they would stay upright.  There is quite a bit of "Nature" on them as my father in law would say.  I like it.  I lined the crate with a garbage bag so it wouldn't get ruined by the sap and water.

I am working on the mantle display but it's just not right yet.  Hopefully it will be done before Valentines but if not oh well. All I need is my love crate. (Hardy har har oh yes I did)

playing at the following parties: