Ask And You Shall Receive-Free Wine Crate

I have seen a lot of decorating and organizing using wine crates, in fact many out there have made their own wine crates with pallet wood or scraps, and they all look so beautiful, so I was on a quest to find one for myself.

 

I don't really have the tools to cut wood at the moment and I don't have enough scrap wood to make an entire crate, soooo.....I did what any other thrifty chick would do and I drove over to my local liquor store and simply asked if they had any extra crates they were going to throw out. And to my SURPRISE, they said YES!

I was only able to snag one (I really wanted three) but beggars can't be choosers, right???  :)

So now I'm on cloud nine with my FREE wine crate, and to top it off it was made of raw wood!!! There was no painting or staining I had to deal with so it was like a blank canvas ready for me to make my own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a few days of brain storming and viewing several pictures of wine crates on line for inspiration I decided that what I wanted most was for it to be stained a medium to dark tone stain. This was exciting for me because I had never worked with stain before so I now had a reason to buy some and try something new. (yay!)

 

So off to the store I went.

 

I learned a lot about stain on my shopping trip too....there is plain traditional stain in various colors that require you to use polyurethane if you want to seal your project and protect it, then there is stain that comes in a tube that you rub on, there is stain that comes in an aerosol can that comes out foamy like hair mousse (weird I know LOL), and then there was the PERFECT product for me.....traditional stain WITH polyurethane all in one.

 

...........One step???? I'll take it!!! 

(Minwax did not pay me to say any of this...I wanted to show you the product I used)

 

 I  chose the color "Antique Walnut" in a satin stain. I didn't want the matte look nor did I want high shine so I chose satin for a medium sheen.

 

 

So first things first and I lightly sanded the entire piece to take off any dirt or surface oils. Then I wiped it all clean with a cotton towel and began staining. I started with the bottom and worked my way around the sides using one of those cheap natural bristle paint brushes. I applied the stain in long strokes in one direction. That is the key. GO IN ONE DIRECTION otherwise you will see patches of brush strokes and where you started and stopped.

 

 

 

 Here is the bottom after one coat of stain.

In this picture you can see a close up of the side and slight sheen of the stain as it is drying.

 

Here is the inside floor of the crate. Nice and smooth and you can see the wood grain through the stain too.

 

 

 

 

 

And voila! Here is the final product. I have some minor drip marks but it was my first time working with stain so I am very please with how it turned out. The stain gives such a rich color.

 

 

The nice thing about a project like this is that by staining a wine crate your stain does not have to be perfect. An old wine crate should show some signs of wear and have variations in the stain, so it is VERY forgiving if you make a few boo boos which is why I HIGHLY recommend doing a project like this if you are a first time "stainer".

 

Not bad for a FREE wine crate!

 

I {LOVE} IT an can't wait to show you how I will incorporate it into my fall decorating.

 

Have a wonderful day!

 

Jennifer

 

 

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