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!

diy wooden crate with logs, greenery and lights

 

Martha Stewart LED String 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.

Home Depot Crate

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

Home Made Lovely Wooden Crate with Greenery and Lights Centerpiece

Supplies

wooden crate, logs and greenery supplies

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.

tuck in burlap

5. Stand birch logs on end in center of crate. Use additional burlap between and around logs to help with placement and balance.

add logs to crate

extra burlap

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.

add lights and greenery

add lights

8. Adjust any logs you need to adjust and then you’re done!

adjust logs

AKA Design Wooden Crate with Greenery and Lights

How to Make a Wooden Crate with Logs, Greenery and Lights

Yield: 1
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Active Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $20-$40
Make your own wooden Christmas crate with logs, greenery & lights for your porch, table or anywhere! Easy to follow instructions, easy to find supplies!

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

  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.
  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!

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Where to Display Your Christmas Crate

This works great as a centerpiece…

Home Made Lovely Wooden Crate with Greenery and Lights Centerpiece

Or for the porch. Or to put in front of the fireplace like I originally envisioned.

Home Made Lovely Wooden Crate with Greenery and Lights

Christmas Crate with Greenery, Logs and Lights

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?


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shannon photo and sig oct 2022