Rhoda Design Studio

Saving Teachers Time

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • TpT Shop
  • Start on TPT eBook
  • Blog
    • Resource Library
    • Recommendations
    • Make Extra Money
    • Teaching
    • STEM
    • Teaching Math
    • Activities for Kids
    • About

DIY Dairy Crate Stools

August 10, 2016 by Rhoda Woehlke

Dairy crate stools (or even non-dairy) are all the rage right now! You can purchase them from any of the major vendors like Target & Walmart. And they come in loads of colors!! It’s almost distracting and overwhelming with all the choices. Makes me want to have a rainbow room! Almost.

I was going to buy “ALL THE COLORS”…of my color theme. But I wasn’t happy with how flimsy they were compared to regular dairy crates. Then, I couldn’t justify the price if they weren’t similar quality.

My solution was to talk to the local grocery store owner. I got permission to hijack a few dairy crates out of the pile behind the school. Free. Can’t beat that. They are black. Some have some worn out stickers and goo. Cleaning was necessary.

*this post contains affiliate links, please read my disclosure for more information

How Do You Make Them Cute?

First, things first. I bought some fat quarters in my theme colors as well as two packs of foam at Walmart. Less than $10 total.

[mailerlite_form form_id=2]

Second, I mentioned my project to my husband. Usually, that’s all it takes to get him to start scheming ideas for me and helping 🙂 He had scrap particle board laying around and an idea to make the seat covers. Dairy crates don’t have that handy “lip” inside the crate to hold the seat when it tucks down inside the crate stool. Our solution was to cut the seats a little bigger than the crate opening and then add some wood shims to the underside that would fit inside the crate opening and keep the lid from slipping around.

Supplies:

  • Dairy Crates
  • Foam Cushioning
  • Particle Board or Plywood
  • Fabric (fat quarters are inexpensive and there are loads of choices)
  • Spray Adhesive
  • Staple Gun
  • Wood Scraps or Lumber ripped into 1 x 2. (only if your crate doesn’t have a lip)

DIY Crate Stool for your classroom, kids room, or dorm room. Great way to have a seat and store things as well. Rhoda Design Studio

DIY Crate Stool for your classroom, kids room, or dorm room. Great way to have a seat and store things as well. Rhoda Design Studio

I found this on sale in the store for less than $8 a pack. Online it’s closer to $20 a pack!

 

  1. Cut your lids or seats to your desired size (the size of your crate stools or a little wider). We cut mine for the regular dairy crates 13in x 13in. Sand the edges so there aren’t any sharp wood slivers that will poke through your fabric.DIY Crate Stool for your classroom, kids room, or dorm room. Great way to have a seat and store things as well. Rhoda Design Studio
  2. Cut foam to match the size of your seats. A little overhang is ok.
  3. Spray adhesive on your foam and the board. Wait a minute or two for it to be tacky and then sandwich them together.DIY Crate Stool for your classroom, kids room, or dorm room. Great way to have a seat and store things as well. Rhoda Design Studio
  4. Wrap fabric over the seat and staple on the bottom.
  5. If you have the crate stools that have a lip inside you won’t need the wood shims. If you are placing the seat on top of the crate opening, then you will need to complete the next step to keep it from slipping off.
  6. Cut wood scraps or ripped lumber to make “stops”. Place them on the underside of the seat so they fit just inside the crate. They don’t have to wrap the whole perimeter, you can use small blocks just as well. My husband like to build things “extra durable”!

DIY Crate Stool for your classroom, kids room, or dorm room. Great way to have a seat and store things as well. Rhoda Design Studio

The whole family (including the dog) pitched in to help me make my crates. I’m super happy with the way they turned out and the cost was under $10 for 8 seats!!

DIY Crate Stool for your classroom, kids room, or dorm room. Great way to have a seat and store things as well. Rhoda Design Studio

You can see them in my finished classroom in my post about my classroom reveal.

 

[mailerlite_form form_id=2]

A DIY tutorial on how to make crate stools out of dairy crates. Use in your classroom, dorm room, or kids play room. Rhoda Design Studio

Filed Under: Teaching Tagged With: crate stools

« Classroom Makeover: Classroom Reveal 2016-17
My Goals Lapbook for MAPs and Lexile »

Hello! I'm Rhoda. I'm a teacher, wife, and mom of two.

Spending time being creative and designing lessons makes me happy!
I like getting nerdy on my laptop and learning new things. During the summer I like getting dirty on my Yamaha dirt-bike with the family. It's all about balance.

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
Sell on TpT

Resources and product suggestions contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your costs will be the same but Rhoda Studio will receive a small commission. This helps cover some of the costs for this site. Thank you for your support!​

Copyright © 2023 · Delightful theme by Restored 316

© 2023 Rhoda Design Studio Privacy Policy
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.