Pallet for Home: Tuscan Crate

Tuscan Crate

Thursday, June 30, 2011

This has to be one of my top favorite projects to date!

It all started when…..

During my trip to NY, my MIL gave me a plant she had setting on her porch after I mentioned that I liked it. Funny thing is that she received it as a gift when she mentioned to her friend that she liked it! Whoever said New Yorkers aren’t nice?!?!

Here is my new plant, a Sago Palm.

Last Friday, the Hubs and I had a date night and one of the things that we both love to do is visit the book store. We’re not nerds, we just like to kill time at the book store between eating dinner and waiting for the movie to start. Well, I just had to have this magazine even if it was over-priced! As you can see from my stickies, I am getting a lot of ideas and inspiration…. like this project!

I saw not one but three plants potted in the most gorgeous crates.

Low and behold, my father had this pile sitting on one of his work benches the very same weekend. What luck!!! He had ordered a new piece of equipment and it was shipped in a crate! Yes, this project was meant to be! Wouldn’t you agree?

Okay- so my father opens crates like a two year old opening their presents on Christmas! But that’s okay because I wanted to customize it and make it the perfect size for my new plant.

I started by cutting all the sides and 4 small pieces that will be used to anchor the corners. Check to make sure everything lines up.

I wanted to cut out handles on the sides. With a pencil, I outlined where the handles will be, drilled a hole big enough so that I could get the zig-saw blade in, and cut out the handles.

Next, I routered over the edges of the handle (to take off the hard edge) and sand to a smooth finish.

Glue and nail all the sides together and then lightly sand all over with a fine sand paper. I used a light touch, trying to leave the rough wood on the crate face.

Applied a light golden color stain all over the crate.

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to stencil on the front but I did know that I wanted it to mean something and not just random words that I didn’t know. I found a site that would translate English words in to Italian and I was able to come up with this design. It spells out our last name, our city, and our state in Italian. With the three kids and their friends, sometimes I do feel like I’m running a hotel or B&B.

Using my Cricut machine to cut the design out on vinyl, I stuck the vinyl down on the crate and used it as a stencil. The vinyl didn’t stick very well to the rough wood but using a very dry stencil brush it turned out great. Actually better than what I expected. I also applied the dark color over the corners, along the edges, and then lightly sanded over the stencil to age the finish.