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Make your own wooden Christmas crate with logs, greenery & lights for your porch, table or anywhere! Easy to follow instructions, easy to find supplies!
One Christmas The Home Depot challenged Dean and I to come up with a holiday DIY project that incorporated some Martha Stewart LED string lights combined with other items found at The Home Depot. Of course we were up for the challenge and created this DIY wooden crate with logs, greenery and lights!
We pondered for a while initially thinking of making something for out on the porch. Then we read the box. Duh. We were sent indoor lights. So we started thinking of indoor projects.
I really wanted to create something that could be used again and again each season. What I didn’t want was something that would be created for a blog post and then not used again. I figured you, as readers, would want us to create something useful too. You know, so you could make it for your own home! Then I remembered seeing these wooden crates at Home Depot in the summer.
Unfortunately our local stores were sold out. But we were not going to be deterred from our plan. Instead of a finished crate, Dean built one from raw lumber! Sadly it gets dark here very early in the winter, so we didn’t get any pics of the building process. But I will share all that I can with you!
DIY Wooden Crate with Logs, Greenery and Lights
Supplies
- wooden crate*
- Varathane Ultimate Wood Stain in Sun Bleached
- Minwax Stain in Dark Walnut
- foam brushes
- lint free rag
- cup pull handles (optional)
- Martha Stewart LED String Lights x2
- birch logs
- burlap
- real and faux greenery assortment
Instructions
1. If you have to build a crate you can follow our rough instructions:
*Essentially Dean cut six pieces of 1″ by 3″ into 16″ lengths for the sides and two 1″ by 10″ pieces to approximately 10″ tall for the ends (with appropriate holes drilled for the cup pull handles) and a 1″ by 10″ piece to 16″ long for the bottom. He used his Ryobi Brad Nailer to attach it all together.
2. Before staining your crate, first give it a light sanding to remove any really rough edges. Then cover completely in Varathane Sun Bleached stain using a foam brush. Wipe of excess with a rag. Let dry completely. Then apply a coat of Minwax Dark Walnut over the Sun Bleached stain. Wipe off excess and let dry completely.
For a step-by-step tutorial on how to stain wood, check out this post.
3. Attach handles to the crate if using.
4. Place a layer of burlap into the crate. This will help everything to stay steady and hide any of the ugly greenery ends and light battery boxes from view through the gaps in the crate.
5. Stand birch logs on end in center of crate. Use additional burlap between and around logs to help with placement and balance.
6. Begin to fill in the space behind, between and around logs with greenery. I used a mixture of faux greenery and then tucked in a few sprigs of real cedar from our yard to give some variety and a natural scent – without an overload of sap!
7. Tuck the string lights in and around the logs and greenery. Then turn on and hide the battery packs in the crate.
8. Adjust any logs you need to adjust and then you’re done!
How to Make a Wooden Crate with Logs, Greenery and Lights
Materials
- wooden crate*
- Varathane Ultimate Wood Stain in Sun Bleached
- Minwax Stain in Dark Walnut
- foam brushes
- lint free rag
- cup pull handles (optional)
- Martha Stewart LED String Lights x2
- birch logs
- burlap
- real and faux greenery assortment
Instructions
- *If you have to build a crate you can follow our rough instructions: Essentially Dean cut six pieces of 1″ by 3″ into 16″ lengths for the sides and two 1″ by 10″ pieces to approximately 10″ tall for the ends (with appropriate holes drilled for the cup pull handles) and a 1″ by 10″ piece to 16″ long for the bottom. He used his Ryobi Brad Nailer to attach it all together.
- Before staining your crate, first give it a light sanding to remove any really rough edges. Then cover completely in Varathane Sun Bleached stain using a foam brush. Wipe of excess with a rag. Let dry completely. Then apply a coat of Minwax Dark Walnut over the Sun Bleached stain. Wipe off excess and let dry completely.
- Attach handles to the crate if using.
- Place a layer of burlap into the crate. This will help everything to stay steady and hide any of the ugly greenery ends and light battery boxes from view through the gaps in the crate.
- Stand birch logs on end in center of crate. Use additional burlap between and around logs to help with placement and balance.
- Begin to fill in the space behind, between and around logs with greenery. I used a mixture of faux greenery and then tucked in a few sprigs of real cedar from our yard to give some variety and a natural scent – without an overload of sap!
- Tuck the string lights in and around the logs and greenery. Then turn on and hide the battery packs in the crate.
- Adjust any logs you need to adjust and then you’re done!
Where to Display Your Christmas Crate
This works great as a centerpiece…
Or for the porch. Or to put in front of the fireplace like I originally envisioned.
Have you decorated for Christmas yet? Might you have any room for a little wooden crate with logs, greenery and lights at your house this season?
Living Room Source List:
- Wall Color – Sherwin Williams Bungalow Beige
- Flooring – Sandy Hills Hickory “Handscraped” Laminate from Lumber Liquidators
- Area Rug – Moroccan Trellis in Tan from Rugs USA
- Large Square Coffee Table – DIY Brickmaker’s Coffee Table found here
- Electric Fireplace – Canadian Tire
- Stockings – Ikea
