Repurposed Shipping Crate Ottoman

Repurposing shipping crates….Oh, the possibilities!

They come in all shapes and sizes and you can get them for free!
If you are lucky, you will find one loaded with cool hardware already attached!

That being said, I have my own shipping crate story to tell you…

This story involves one of those “No, you’re not serious!” moments with my husband.  If you like to repurpose things, I am sure you have experienced a moment like this with one of your loved ones.

Well, it happened like this…

My husband Dave, our youngest son Owen and I were driving down a residential street near our home. As we were driving along, I suddenly spotted two wooden shipping crates that someone had set out on the curb to give away.

I screamed “Stop!!! I want those!”  

Then came the, “No, you’re not serious?!” from my husband and my son.

However, both of the guys heeded my whim by pulling the car over and loading up the crates.

This post is about what Tori and I did with one of those crates, pictured below.

Step 1:

First, I stained the crate using some Rustoleum Transformations Decorative Glaze in Java Brown that I already had on hand. I chose this glaze for the simple reason that it darkens the wood and adds a protective coating in one application. More importantly, this glaze is very easy to use. You just paint it on, wipe it off and let it dry.

Granted, I really should have used a larger brush.

The problem is that I decided to go out and stain the crate at 1:00am and the tiny brush in the picture above was all I could find at that hour.

Due to how long it took me to stain, I highly suggest a larger brush.

Step 2:

Next, Tori and I installed casters that we recycled from another project on the bottom of the crate.

Then, we disassembled my old ottoman so we could use the foam padding on top of our new ottoman crate (I don’t have pics for a lot this part of the process). We cut the padding down to fit perfectly on top of the crate.

Step 3:

Due to the fact that we were trying to complete this project using as many repurposed items as possible, Tori and I disassembled my old ottoman so we could reuse the foam cushion.

Unfortunately, I don’t have pictures of this part of the process.

Step 4:

Finally, we attached the burlap fabric over the cushion to the crate using upholstery tacks and a small hammer.

Overall, all the materials we used were repurposed with the exception of the upholstery tacks that you can find here and the 1 ¼ yards of burlap.

In all honesty, the finished product serves as a functional stylish piece with extra storage. Most of all, it was a great mother/daughter time spent together being creative. I’d say this repurposed shipping crate ottoman project was a win, win for creating something and spending quality time together.

Tori & Michele