Fruit crates are sometimes overlooked when it comes to home decor. Or rather, they used to be. Decorating your home with wooden crates has become an increasingly trendy and glamorous practice over the years! Why? Well, first and foremost, because they're incredibly affordable and easy to find decorative items. Just wander through market stalls and you'll find countless boxes and fruit crates that would otherwise be thrown away.
But the great success of these simple boxes also comes from their versatility! With a little imagination and creativity, they can be transformed into true design objects or even furnishing accessories for the entire home. Not sure where to start? No worries: in this little guide, we've collected five creative ideas for decorating your home with wooden crates.
How to decorate with wooden crates: have fun with decoupage!
You've surely heard of decoupage, an increasingly popular hobby with ancient and noble origins. The French word "découpage" derives from the French "découper," which translates into Italian as "to cut out." In Italy, it is also known as "arte povera," a decorative technique introduced by Venetian furniture makers in the 18th century. But the origins of this practice are much older: it is said to have arrived in Europe from China as early as the 16th century, and between the 17th and 18th centuries, it became a truly artistic technique, highly appreciated in France and England.
Today, decoupage is a decorative style often associated with creative recycling, a mix of DIY, bricolage, and the recovery of objects otherwise destined for the waste stream. For this reason, decorated wooden crates have become key players in this green practice, combining creativity and environmental protection. Waste materials are transformed into splendid DIY ideas for decorating your home.
Decorating with fruit crates is the height of fun because there are no limits to the possible uses for these crates. But where can you find them? You can ask a greengrocer for them, or you can find small wooden crates at the market and recycle them with your imagination. If you're wondering where to buy them, browse our catalog and you'll find a selection of wooden crates for decoration, ready to be used in a variety of ways!
How to create original shelves with wooden crates
Fruit crates are so versatile they can even be transformed into highly original shelves! Wall-mounted shelves can replace traditional wall-mounted units, or alternate with real shelves to create a wall unit with even more dynamic shapes and style.
If you're handy with DIY, carefully evaluate the empty spaces on your wall and start designing your wooden crate shelves. The next step will obviously be deciding how to decorate them: you can leave them natural, with the imperfections of the wood exposed, or choose colored crates for a more colorful touch. With fruit crate shelves, you can create a truly stunning display, especially if you love recycled furniture and the charm of industrial style.
A spice rack or outdoor planter made from wooden crates
The beauty of wooden crates is that they can also be used to create modular cabinets that you can arrange as you wish. This is a significant advantage, and one you can leverage to create a charming rustic spice rack for your kitchen.
In fact, this is just one of the possible uses for crates: as you can see in this photo, wooden boxes can also be used to decorate a garden wall and create a colorful outdoor planter. Wooden boxes offer so many creative ideas for your home; it's up to you to use them according to your imagination!
Decorating your garden with wooden crates: rustic and creative planters!
Speaking of outdoors: wooden crates are also perfect as splendid rustic planters to enhance your garden! If you're not lucky enough to have a green space, you can always indulge in your decorations, even on a small balcony, terrace, or porch.
These wooden crate planters were made by Veronica Perra, a creative recycling enthusiast. We recommend following her on Instagram because her creations are truly delightful! Our blog also offers a series of creative ideas for decorating your garden with wooden crates and pallets, another huge trend in recent years. Planters made from fruit crates are an eclectic mix of shabby chic, rustic elegance, and industrial charm. A classy detail for your outdoor spaces!
Decorate your home with wooden crates: transform them into coffee tables, bookcases, and shoe racks!
Look at this delightful wine rack: it's a creation by our friend Fania_heartmade, as is the coffee table you see below. Her living room looks like a small modern art museum, because with wooden crates, you can also make small cabinets to make your home even more trendy!
Making bookcases with wooden crates, for example, is incredibly simple and requires just a little skill. Decorating with pallets and wooden crates allows you to furnish your home with low-cost and decidedly original solutions.
If you love rustic style, you can decorate wooden boxes and make charming shoe racks for the entryway or unique bedside tables for the bedroom. A piece of furniture made from wooden crates is a creative, practically free, and eye-catching piece of furniture!
Decorate wooden crates and transform them into elegant containers
Finally, you can decorate wooden crates and transform them into beautiful containers that can be used throughout the home and are perfect for decorating with style! Since we're talking about decoupage and creative DIY, we recommend arming yourself with sandpaper, paint, and...imagination! As a first step, start by sanding the boxes to remove any impurities or dangerous protruding wooden strips.
As for color, here's the fun part: you can choose to paint the crates a solid color if you want to transform them into storage for toys, magazines, or books, or you can create little masterpieces like these ones from Fania_heartmade. Colored wooden crates are a cost-effective way to decorate your home and make it even more colorful and imaginative!
Looking for more creative ideas for your home? We've collected more trendy ideas for using fruit crates on our Pinterest board! Have fun with creative recycling, and if you liked this guide, send us photos of your arrangements!
