Looking for a purpose for old farm crates collecting dust in your basement? Try this farm crate bookshelf tutorial. It's not rocket science, will free up space in your home, and looks amazing! // alexandracooks.com

I had two goals when this project began: One, to bring order to Ella’s play area. And two, to find a purpose for three old farm crates collecting dust in my basement. By fastening wheels to the crates and fitting them with linen storage baskets, I had hoped to accomplish both. Alas, until I can locate baskets measuring 10x16x13-inches, it seems Ella’s play area will remain a disaster.

On the plus side, my kitchen looks a little brighter thanks to a bucket of ranunculus and a stack of my favorite cookbooks. For the time being, it’s a compromise I can handle.

So, ranunculus. Am I the last person on the planet to learn of these flowers? They are so beautiful! I have my aunt, a talented artist, florist, beekeeper and stand-up paddle boarder to thank for bringing by this arrangement. It’s such a treat to walk into my kitchen these days. I think I’ll have to get more for my Thanksgiving table. Incidentally, if you are interested in encaustic painting (or art in general), check out my aunt’s website: georgianassikas.com.

Happy Thanksgiving Week Everyone!

Looking for a purpose for old farm crates collecting dust in your basement? Try this farm crate bookshelf tutorial. It's not rocket science, will free up space in your home, and looks amazing! // alexandracooks.com

Farm Crate Bookshelf/Flower Pedestal

What you need per crate:

1 piece wood about 1/2-inch thick (measure the side of your crate and make sure the piece of wood is smaller than the side)*
4 wheels
screws for the wheels (I used 1/4-inch screws — just make sure they are smaller in thickness than the wood)
liquid nails
an electric drill makes for fast assembly

*I bought a big sheet of wood and had the people at Lowe’s cut it to fit my crates.

OK, this isn’t rocket science, and there are plenty of ways to craft this movable shelf, but this is what I did: Using my electric drill, I screwed four wheels to the bottom of the cut piece of wood. Once they were attached, I glued the piece of wood to the side of the crate using liquid nails. You could probably screw the piece of wood with the wheels directly to the crate, but I was afraid the wood on my crate would split, so I opted for liquid nails. And that’s it!