August Thrifty Style Team Storage Crates

Hello hello hello, it's time for the August Thrifty Style Team projects, and you're invited to click the links at the bottom to find out how the other ladies are being thrifty for August.

Yikes, that means Fall is right around the corner and I would prefer summer to last a couple months longer.  Not that I don't like Autumn, it's my fav, but we didn't really get much of a Spring,  June was a wash, literally, with lots of rain, July flew by and now here we are at the middle of August.

Besides, I'm just getting into the groove of summer projects, and I realize there is so much on the list that won't be getting done.  Boo, and I don't mean that in a Fall ghost sort of way.

However I did have to add a few things to the indoor list because there is this puppy that came to live with us.

And he likes to chew.

And we like to wear shoes.

*This post contains affiliate links.

I knew it was time to get the shoes out of sight out of mind (or out of mouth as the case may be) before we had to replace a pair that cost more than we wanted to spend.

At the lumberyard picking up supplies for another project, I spied these large wood crates on sale for just under five bucks each.  If you don't have a local Menards, you can order some on Amazon reasonably priced [HERE}.

I have needed something for awhile now to use under a mudroom bench for shoes, and I was recently inspired by these little Ikea crates that Donna from Funky Junk made over with Old Sign Stencils.

That size Ikea crate would be too small for the menfolk's size 11's, so when I saw the sale sign for the big ones at the lumberyard I bought two.

Thrifty at half price.....and the lumber yard is only 20 minutes away, Ikea is an hour away.

The thing I like about stencils is how fast it is to change up an item by adding graphics. So when I don't have the luxury of talking my time on a project to do custom lettering, the fast turnaround using Old Sign Stencils gets the project done pronto.

About five years ago I gave this old headboard an upgrade, and added it to the mudroom bench, and below that seat was where shoes are just tossed underneath to get them out of the way, but that also means free range shoes are a prime grabbing opportunity for a dog who likes the taste of canvas and mostly synthetic leather.

The black leather is no longer on the bench, it's painted now, and I don't keep pillows on this bench for the same reason the shoes needed to be contained - chewing pup.

I wanted the crates to be a similar color to the bench and headboard so it sort of looked like a bed frame for a very very short person, and I achieved that by painting the front where the stencil goes first,  then staining over the whole thing.

I did not paint the sides of the crates, they are stained in dark walnut.  I used Fusion Mineral Paint in Picket fence on the front background, and the lettering is Coal Black.

Rubbing stain over the painted fronts ages them without muting the black lettering.

While at the lumberyard we also picked up the little corner pieces and the wheels to add some character, and to mimic the ones Donna made.

There are no handles on my crates currently, but if I come across some old ones in our hardware stash I will probably put them on, but only for looks as they are not really needed.

The wheels are the cheapest ones, they only roll one way - out to put the shoes in and push back in place - and the corner brackets are of the .35¢ variety.

Each of the crates uses the same stencil, just different parts of it, and laid out differently so they are not identical.

All the shoes that were previously under the bench and fair game for the teething puppy, can now be happily stowed in the crates.

The puppy has gotten old enough now that he knows when he's got something in his mouth that he shouldn't have, and he gets that guilty look as we say drop it.  He also knows the word "toy" and if we say it he will grab one of his own chews and ditch the shoe.

So what I'm really saying by the fact he still gets hold of shoes even with the crates, is that it's been easier to teach the dog not to chew a shoe than it has to get people to pick up theirs.

Here are the links to the rest of the Thrifty Style Team, swing in and pay them a visit.

DIY Rose Wedding Bouquet  by Redhead Can Decorate

7 Thrifty Fall Decor Ideas    by 2 Bees in a Pod

DIY Trophy Bookends  by Salvage Sister and Mister

Snap Bag Simple Tutorial for Makeup Brushes and More  by Hearth and Vine

Plain Wood Crates, Stained & Lettered  by Bliss Ranch

Repurposed Drawers for Storage and Display  by DIY Beautify

Shabby Chic Farmhouse Hutch Makeover  by The How to Home

French Lavender Linen Spray  by I Should be Mopping the Floor

Cheap No Sew Curtain for the RV   by Chatfield Court

DIY Boxwood Wreath  by Creekline House

Updated Painted Metal Lanterns  by Cottage at the Crossroads

Thrifty String Art Made With Embroidery Hoops  by Meegan Makes

Thrifty Kitchen Idea & Taking A Risk by Duke Manor Farm

Quick Post Links:

Old Sign Stencils

Fusion Mineral Paint 

Funky Junk Interiors 

Old Alberts Cottage Headboard Bench.

Visit other Bliss Ranch Thrifty Style Team projects ....

Two Sided Rail Way Sign

 Easy Spray Etched Metal Door Makeover

First Aid Cabinet
Giant Mixer Beater
Maple Syrup Tote

The Barber Shop

Updated Lamps 

Blue to Orange Stool Makeover 

Vintage Wood Tool Turned Shelf 

Trash To Treasure Sliding Wood Barn Doors 

Glass Light Globes 

Wood Bow Ties

Thrifting Places & People 

Updated Door Mat 

Vintage Table Top Lap Desk 

End Table Bottom Shelf Updates 

Route 66 Beer Tote 

Painted Little Cedar Wood Box  

Rebar & Barbed Wire Birdhouse