A lot of the DIY projects and crafts we’re usually sharing with you don’t require any special skills or special materials and tools. For most of them all you need is a creative mind and the desire to create something unique and to get your hands dirty. On that note, today we’re showing you some really cool projects that can be made using wooden crates.

All you need to make a coffee table like this one is four wooden crates. Place one vertically on its side and then add another perpendicular to the first crate. Repeat with the other two and you’ll get this square-shaped structure with a hole at its center. You can leave that as it is and choose to place a planter at the center for example or you can add a top to get a flat surface.

Two wooden crates are enough to make a storage bench for your entryway. In addition to the crates you’re also going to need two boards long enough to cover the crates with a bit of extra space in between. If you want to be able to easily move the bench around then also add casters to its base.

With more wooden crates you can make even bigger and more complex things, like a bookcase for example. You can use as many crates as you need to, based on how big you want the bookcase to be. You can stack them in any way you want to. This is a low and horizontal type of bookcase made out of eight crates.

You can also do something cool from a single crate. In fact, a wooden crate would make a perfect side table. You could just place it next to the sofa and call it a table but it might be nice to also transform it a little bit. Add a shelf to maximize its storage capacity and install casters so you can easily roll the table where you need it to be.

Lately alternative Christmas trees have become quite popular which makes us really happy because it means we get to share you all sorts of awesome projects and ideas, like this one featured on itsprettynice for example. It’s a Christmas tree made from wooden crates. Although it may not be suggestive enough as it is, you can add string lights and ornaments to really make it look like a tree.

Another really cool idea comes from missknown. This time the wooden crate was transformed into a record player stand. Yes we do realize that very few people actually have record players anymore but this project is still very cool and inspiring. You can easily adjust it and turn the table into a regular side table instead or into a little storage unit for a few books.

Turning wooden crates into tables is super easy, as it was also proven by this cool project shared on funkyjunkinteriors. This side table (which you can also think of as a cart) was made from two crates. A wooden board was added at the bottom to make it easier to store items on that shelf without them falling off the edge. The casters and metal hardware are a really nice touch.

Another really simple transformation was featured on grillo-designs. This time a wooden crate was turned into a bookshelf. The little rope pieces act a sort of guardrail which prevents the books and other things from falling off the edge. Also, the rope adds a subtle coastal twist to the design and looks great overall.

The entryway is one area where repurposed wooden crates can be super useful. You can use a bunch of them to create an organization system for this area, with storage cubbies for shoes and various other things. It’s a cheap and interesting way of creating something custom and original for the entryway without spending a lot of money on supplies. Check out themerrythought for details about the project.

Cute little crate bookcases like the one featured on burkatron are perfect for those awkward little grooves and nooks that certain floor plans have and for small spaces in general. Making a little bookcase like this is easy. You just have to secure a few crates together and that’s all really. Add a comfy chair next to them and this can be your new reading corner.

The wooden crates can also be used as accessories for a piece of furniture. A perfect example here is a project that we found on thekimsixfix. This is a large wooden bench, big enough to accommodate two wooden crates inside. You might be lucky enough to already have a similar piece of furniture that you can just add the crates to. If not, check out the tutorial and see how you can build it all from scratch.

Another option is to skip the whole repurposing part and just use a crate as a crate. You can make a few small alterations to it just to make it more easy to use. For example, add casters so you can easily roll the crate around. This project featured on dreamgreendiy gives you all the info you need to ensure the success of this simple project.

There’s also a really nice tutorial on hometalk that you can follow if you want to built a bench out of wooden crates. You need three crates, two wooden boards and six furniture legs. The crates were painted a bright red color in this case which gives it a quirky and eye-catching look. Feel free to choose your own favorite color instead or to leave them unfinished for a more authentic, rustic-industrial look.

The project featured on frugalfun4boys is quite different from the others we shared so far. That’s because the crate in this case was not used to make a piece of furniture but something totally different: a garage for little toy cars. What was needed is a wooden crate, a poster board and lots of paper towel rolls.

Another quirky idea comes from home-frosting. This time a wooden crate was transformed into a cute bed for a cute little called named Daisy. It was a pretty simple project on a very small budget. The bed has a comfy pillow and small casters for mobility. It even has the dog’s name painted on it. You could easily do something similar for your own dog or even for your cat.

Now what about the actual crates? So far all the projects just assumed you’d be able to repurpose wine crates but what if you can’t find any or you want a custom crate with a specific design and specific proportions? In that case you can just go ahead and build the crate from scratch. Be sure to check out marialouisedesign to find out how.

Although it doesn’t really sound like a shelving unit made out of several repurposed crates wouldn’t look very clean and stylish, that’s not the case at all. If all the crates match and have exactly the same size, shape and finish then the unit looks really nice, with perfectly clean lines and a simple but beautiful design. Check out these crate shelves featured on hauteandhealthyliving in case you need more convincing.

There are also cases when a crate makes perfect sense as a storage solution but the usual crate designs and proportions don’t really fit the requirements. In that case, building a crate is the answer. A great example is offered on instructables where you can find the tutorial on how to make a storage crate for music records.

Restoring an old wooden crate is not difficult at all and when you’re done you’re left with a perfectly useful and practical storage box which you can put up in the attic, on the porch, in the entryway or anywhere else it fits. This one is big enough to offer two storage compartments. Check out instructables to find out how the restoration process went so you can apply the same steps.

There are many other uses for wooden crates besides shelving units. One idea is to add them to a desk to create an alternative to regular drawer storage. That’s particularly useful if the desk has open shelves and modules rather than closed storage sections. Of course, you can even build the desk yourself and that way you can make sure the crates would fit inside perfectly. Check out instructables if you need some guidance with that.

Put a top on a wooden crate and you can then use it as a cute little accent table. You can design the top as a sort of lid or put handles on it as shown on simplicityinthesouth so you can lift it and still have access to the interior section of the crate. This way it can serve both as a table and as a storage container. You can also install casters on the base so you can easily move the table around which can be useful in a lot of cases.

Wooden crates can also be turned into actual working drawers as part of a custom-made cabinet. The one featured on virginiasweetpea has four crate drawers and is very versatile. You can make something similar for your tool storage needs in the garage or you can put it in the pantry or the kitchen to store fruits and veggies in.

Smaller crates are great too and can be used to make all sorts of cool and useful things, like this beautiful tiered garden shelf for instance. It’s small and lightweight so you can easily move it around and it’s big enough to hold a few basic items that you usually need when working in the garden, like gloves, planters, a few tools and so on. This one is made using CD crates and wooden dowels. Check out thecwaftyblog if you want to find out more about it.

Another idea is to use wooden crates as regular storage containers and to incorporate them into the design of a custom-made bench. This can be something you can put in your mudroom or entryway or you can keep the bench out on your porch or anywhere else you think it would make sense. This one has two wooden crates and a simple and really nice design. If you want to find out more about it, there’s a tutorial on thekimsixfix that you can check out.

A wooden crate with casters on the base would make a wonderful toy storage box. You can have it customized and decorated to look nice and pretty and since you’ll probably have a difficult time finding an actual crate that has the right size and shape it would be easier to just built it yourself from scratch. It’s simple, satisfying and quite fun and you can find a tutorial for it on addicted2diy. If you’re not a fan of the color and the star pattern you can always come up with your own original design.