My First Crate

I have been wanting to build a crate for awhile now and finally the opportunity came when our school was doing an online auction.  They requested a basket to sell/store the "fun in the sun" collection of things and I knew this was my chance to build for a good cause.

I started cutting the boards and side supports at 24" long and 18" long and planned it to be 18"tall (they wanted it BIG).

I used wood glue and my 16 gauge nail gun to put the sides of the crate together.  I followed that by cutting a bottom out of a solid piece of 1/2" plywood using my bench saw and jig saw.  Yes, that is my wood stash in the background.

I glued and nailed on the bottom and now I was ready to stain it.

I decided to use my vinegar and steel wool stain to give the wood a more antiqued look.

When I first finished the stain it was too dark so I added a white wash by just lightly brushing on some white paint.  I used some homemade rope my boys made at a scout activity and drilled holes that I tied the rope through.  I lightly melted the fibers at the end of the rope to reduce any fraying in the future.  I was really pleased and the crate was a hit at the auction.  Get out there and  build yourself a storage box, I can't wait to build one for myself!