18 Uses For Wooden Crates + Creative Storage Solutions

These creative wooden crate DIY decor ideas are pure genius!

If you’re lucky enough to have a set of wooden crates in your garage (or even just the one!), don’t even think of throwing them away. They’re one of the most versatile storage solutions. There are uses for wooden crates to create practical storage in your home.

I sometimes have some crates left over from a delivery. And if you don’t, you can also buy them at hardware stores for fairly cheap.

If we crafters can make something incredible from a flimsy cardboard box, just think what we could do with a sturdy wooden crate!

Get organized with one of these uses for wooden crates

Wooden crate decor can be as simple or as stylish as you choose. Even left plain, wooden crates are fantastic for storing any number of things, in any number of ways. Or, you can cut them up, screw them together, paint them, and transform them into something new.

However much time and equipment you have available, check out these genius uses for wooden crates. There’s sure to be something here that inspires you and helps to create the organized home you’ve always wanted!

1. Create a freestanding storage solution

This wood crate bookshelf has got to be one of the simplest wooden crate ideas on this list (but also one of the most practical!). It takes pride of place in my very own craft room, and I use it to store all sorts of things. Folders, stationery, boxes… If it would otherwise be cluttering up my desk, onto the wooden crates it goes!

I stacked some of the crates vertically and some horizontally. I love the effect it gives. It looks really dynamic, and I love that I was able to make it simply from a few inexpensive crates.

2. Use for end-of-bed storage

I’ve always loved the look of a bench placed across the end of a bed. But, I didn’t want to have to buy new furniture just because – I always want things I buy to be practical and useful. Wooden crates to the rescue!

I stacked a few wooden crates at the end of my bed to create these beautiful wooden crate blanket boxes. They have a similar vibe to an end-of-bed bench, but they’re also so handy for storing spare blankets and throws. They make my winter bedroom feel so cozy.

3. Make an outdoor coffee table

If your garden has a seating area, you’ll need an outdoor coffee table (where else will you set down your cocktail / iced coffee / *insert favorite drink here*?!). All you need to make this beautiful wooden crate coffee table from Feeling Nifty is a few wooden crates, some outdoor wood stain, and caster wheels.

Use a dark brown wood stain for a farmhouse feel, or go for a bright paint color if you want something a bit more modern. It’s so easy to adapt a wooden crate to fit any style of decor!

4. Build some wooden lockers

I love the idea of using a set of lockers to organize your family. Place these wooden crate lockers from Little House Of Four in your entryway, and nobody will ever lose their stuff again.

Just assign a locker to each family member, and they’ll be a great place to store schoolbags, coats, gloves, and anything else that’s always getting mislaid!

5. Make a storage system from scratch

These DIY locker cubbies from Jaime Costiglio are built entirely from wooden crates. Large crates form the main frame of the unit, with smaller crates used as little drawers.

I love how wooden crates make it so easy to build your own furniture – nobody would ever guess this storage unit was homemade! And your storage can be customized perfectly to suit your needs.

6. Cover an entire wall in wooden crates!

If you loved my wooden crate bookshelf, how about this enormous version – it covers almost an entire wall! This wooden crate wall on Front + Main is actually in a coffee shop, but it would look just as beautiful in any large room in your house.

Just stack the crates up (again, a combination of vertical and horizontal orientations looks really fun and dynamic!), and make sure you secure them to the wall. They’re perfect to use for books, house plants, framed photos, or anything else you want to display.

7. Use crates as garage storage

Could this be the year you finally get your garage organized?! Garages are notoriously difficult places to keep tidy (…just mine?), but perhaps all you need are a few wooden crates on shelves, like these from A Beautiful Mess.

Label the front of each box with a Sharpie (or custom labels with your Cricut, like I made for our fridge), and no matter how many random things you discover lurking in your garage, you’ll be able to find them a good home.

8. Create a dual-purpose storage table

If there’s one thing I love more than a practical craft, it’s a practical craft that serves two different purposes! This wood crate storage table from Simplicity In The South not only serves as a beautiful coffee table for your outdoor seating area, it’s also a great storage box!

Big boxes like this are so versatile for storing all sorts of things – kids’ outdoor toys, spare seat cushions, gardening equipment, or anything else you want to keep outdoors.

9. Add storage to your closet with hanging crates

These hanging wooden crates from Table + Hearth are not only a super practical way to add extra storage space to your closet, they also look so, so good. Just paint some wooden crates a color that matches your decor. Then hang them from rope to create heaps of extra space.

Depending on what color you choose, you could make these work in any room of the house!

10. Use a crate bookshelf to divide a room

If you have a large room that needs a bit of zoning, wooden crates are a really simple solution. Build a simple wooden bookcase from wooden crates, like this one from Making Manzanita, and paint it however you like.

Now your room will be divided into much more manageable spaces. You will have gained heaps of versatile storage space too!

11. Use wooden crates to build a custom desk

A stylish desk can have a real impact on your home office or craft room. After all, if you spend hours at a time sitting behind the desk, you’re going to be spending an awful lot of time looking at it!

This wooden crate desk from GAP Interiors is so simple, yet it will make you feel inspired as soon as you sit down. The wooden crates make perfect shelving around the desk. Plus, you can add any size tabletop, so it can be customized to fit your room perfectly.

12. Cut crates in half to make shelves for kids’ books

These wooden crate bookshelves from I Heart Organizing are perfect for storing kids’ books. They’re simply made from wooden crates cut in half, painted bright white, and secured safely to a wall.

As with a lot of kids’ shelving, they allow the books to be stored away tidily, but with the front of the book still visible. This way your kids can independently choose their own books to read. This is just the sort of simple, practical, and beautiful craft I love best!

13. Make an outdoor bar for your garden!

Does your garden need a bit of pizzazz?! Why not build a bar! This wooden crate bar from Torie Jayne is straightforward to make, and it has enough storage space for all the bottles and glasses you could ever need.

And if you’re not a big drinker, use it for picnic supplies or BBQ tools instead! Whatever you go for, you’ll be the hostess with the mostess next time you have friends over.

14. Use crates for bathroom storage

It’s amazing how a simple coat of white paint can transform a basic wooden crate into a really beautiful shelving unit. This wooden crate bathroom storage from The Beauty Dojo is perfect for storing towels, candles, spare toilet paper, or anything else that would otherwise be cluttering your bathroom.

It’s a great way to turn clutter into a beautiful feature of the room. And I never thought I’d be saying that about toilet paper!

15. Add caster wheels for flexible storage

If you add some caster wheels to a small stack of wooden crates, you’ve immediately created a versatile, flexible storage solution. This wooden rolling cart from The Shabby Creek Cottage is so easy to roll around. Fill it with your craft supplies, stationery, or any other equipment. You can roll it over to wherever you need it.

Alternatively, the gaps in the back of a wooden crate mean they’re perfect for storing printers and other electronic equipment. The cables can poke right through!

16. Make an outdoor kitchen!

If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere with great weather, you might have considered adding an outdoor kitchen to your home. Well, it can be surprisingly easy to build one yourself using wooden crates!

These wooden crate cabinets from Homedit are super simple, but as long as you protect them with an outdoor wood seal, you’ve got perfect outdoor kitchen cabinets. How cool would it be to be able to cook your dinner outside every day!

17. Hang individual crates for fun shelving

Even if you don’t want to create a full shelving unit out of wooden crates, you can just use one or two crates to create a fun storage solution. Individual crates mounted on a wall make a simple way to store books, framed photos, or any other knick-knacks. I love these brightly colored crate shelves from Joann – they’d be so easy and fun to decorate.

18. Sneak in some extra bathroom storage

It’s no secret that living in a smaller home comes with its challenges. Our main level bathroom is about the size of a postage stamp. I wish I were exaggerating!

I decided to add an extra shelf above the door to sneak in a few extra inches of storage space. See how EASY this wood crate bathroom shelf was to whip up.

Don’t forget to PIN these creative uses for wooden crates for later: