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Upcycling the Milk Crate Table

ByJane & Sonja

Upcycle your vintage-looking wire milk crates into a DIY milk crate table. An old crate can be transformed into a beautiful piece of outdoor decor.

Upcycle your vintage-looking wire milk crates into a DIY milk crate table. An old crate can be transformed into a beautiful piece of outdoor decor.

The finished wire milk crate table with a drinking cup, lantern and driftwood in a jar placed on top.

I have a big balcony and it takes a lot of furniture to fill it up. So I’m always looking to repurpose things and turn them into outdoor furniture.  Last year I had gone to my trusty basement and found some vintage metal milk crates.  I used the smaller one and made a stool with it.  As for the two bigger ones, I turned them into an outdoor table. 

The wire milk crate table before the upcycle.

This is what the milk crate table originally started out like. You can see the full tutorial here. 

Wire milk crate with rust.

​My milk crate table was beautiful and I was very happy with it.  But I made the mistake of leaving it outdoors all winter long. The rain and dust did quite a number on it and so I must upcycle this old milk crate table.

Top of the milk crate table made of plywood.

​I removed the twine and gave it a good sanding. 

Sanding the plywood top of the table.

Then I  painted it white using this product I picked up at Lidl. 

Painting the plywood top white.

It’s colored varnish.  How cool is that? It gives me color and protection at the same time. Again I am not being compensated for this product in any way, but I think it is great. If you have a Lidl near you keep your eyes opened.

paint can of white paint with instructions written in Greek.

After three coats of paint/varnish, I put it back on top of the crate and wrapped it with the twine. 

The finished wire milk crate table with a drinking cup, lantern and driftwood in a jar placed on top.
Close up of the white top of the table with a drinking cup, lantern and driftwood in a jar placed on top.
Close up of the white top of the table with a drinking cup, lantern and driftwood in a jar placed on top.

​

Close up of the twine which binds the two crates together.
Close up of table top items, including a blue lantern, a drinking cup and driftwood in a jar.

This has to be the easiest upcycle I’ve ever done. In fact, the threading of the twine took longer than the actual painting. 

A wire milk crate table.

How was that for upcycling the milk crate table? It’s all ready with a fresh new look and a new lantern to give it some color.  Have you started preparing your outdoor spaces? 

If you’d like to see all my outdoor projects click here and go to Summer.

Picture
The finished wire milk crate table with a drinking cup, lantern and driftwood in a jar placed on top. Overlay says upcycled milk crate outdoor table."

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Hello, we're Jane & Sonja, sisters, moms and lifelong crafters.

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82 Comments

    1. Michelle, you are so right, I haden’t even thought of it that way but with the blue accessories on top it does look very beachy. And this is appropriate since I live close to the beach.

  2. Looks good. Did you have to treat the milk crates to keep them from rusting?
    I like your jar full of driftwood. Last week we took a ferry from the end of Long Island where there is a large beach area facing the Atlantic. While we were waiting in line to board our car, a man was scouring the area for pieces of driftwood. He came back with an arm full and pieces stuck in his pockets. Interesting – we figured he was an artist or something. I was wondering what I would do with small pieces of driftwood, if I bought some back. Now I know, I could have put it in a cute wide mouth jar and displayed it! I didn’t pick any up but I will next time. 🙂

    1. Krista all I did was spray paint them with a rustoleam type paint. But if you look closer, I didn’t treat the center metals because I wanted that aged look to be present. Respect for the rust!! Driftwood has so many decorative uses. I have a bunch of them wrapped in twine and sitting on top of some old books. They give a light airy look to any bookcase. And I too am like that artist lol. When I go for walks at the beach my pockets are stuffed by the time I get home. I also love it out there by Long Island and have spent many summers. I think my comment will never end.

    1. It is Julia. I love to look at old things and try to come up with a purpose for them.

  5. Amazing! Mary, you are so phenomenal with these projects.How in the world are you able to look at something and see a beautiful new creation…and then change it?! i love your projects and so appreciate you sharing with #UpsyDaisyLinkup!

    1. I’ll tell you a secret, I did not have this ability to see potential in junk before starting this blog. It is only because I’m exposed to so much creativity in blogs that I feel my mind and imagination expanding. Am I debunking the myth that says the older we get the more brain cells we lose?

  7. Mary I loved it before, now I love it even more! I want this on my patio! It’s so unique, rustic and cool and chic at the same time! Love Love Love!!!

    1. I was thinking of you when I did this. I really like your style and you are inspiring me … a lot!!

  8. I think this is a pretty awesome idea, Mary! It’s neat looking and very useful too. 🙂
    Thank you for joining TOHOT with this smart thinking!

    1. Robin you’re not the first to say this, and I guess I didn’t see it before. I just wanted to protect the wood but now I see that it is in fact nautical.

  10. These are so cool Mary. I love the transformation and those vintage crates are so incredibley cool. I have never seen any like that. I’m jelous 😉
    Hugs, Jenny

  12. Mary, the new look you gave the milk crate table looks great and now will stand up in the weather. I haven’t been preparing my outdoors but maybe next year I can do more to make the outside of our home look more beautiful, until then I’ll just drool over all the cool outdoor pieces you make. 🙂

    1. In the summertime, we spend the evenings out on the balcony because the house is too hot. So I move a bed out there too…lol.

  13. Χρόνια έχω να δω τέτοιο καλάθι Μαίρη μου!! Πολύ ωραία η αλλαγή και μου αρέσει που πήρες κάτι vintage και το έκανες χρήσιμο και πάλι!!
    Καλό Σαββατοκύριακο!

    1. Αυτη ειναι η αγαπημένη μου απασχόληση Ελεανα. Πάνα ψάχνω και βρίσκω παλιά και άχρηστα. Μου δίνει μεγαλη ικανοποιηση.

  14. This is so neat, Mary! Love the cute upcycle idea. I’d have never even thought to turn those crates into a table. It turned out so pretty!

    1. And they are really old Celeste. I left some of the rust on for vintage authenticity! 😉

    1. And incredibly sturdy too Linda. I figure they’ve already lasted 50 years they can go a few more.

  16. This looks wonderful. I love the details of the twine and the wire that gives it an industrial look. I wonder if they sell a similar product near my house with the combination of paint and varnish. That opens up a whole new world of possiblities.

    1. I love this company. I’m going to reach out to them and see if I can get more of this stuff. And the nice thing is its not heavy or shiny.

  17. Your milk crate table looks very industrial chic! We have a lot of milk crates from our move ( i bought them to move books) but they are plastic and not nearly as cool looking.

    1. These crates have openings for milk bottles. hey are very old and must have been in my basement for years. The’re not any good at carrying things only bottles.

  18. Mary, This is EXACTLY what I was thinking of doing… I mean not ‘exactly’… but yes! Using a couple of those sturdier crates. I LOVE the way you wrapped the edges… Thanks for sharing! Now hoping the weather holds off since the flea market is tomorrow! xx

    1. Ih ope I was able to give you a bit of inspiration Charlotte. Good luck on your flea market hunt!

  20. Mary, I’m amazed what you do with things you already have on hand. Love how the table top is attached! Very cute and oh, so creative 🙂 Great job. Thanks for sharing your posts with us at Snickerdoodle Sunday! Pinned to share 🙂

  25. What a clever idea! Love the crate so much…surely would love to run across one around here. Haven’t visited in a while…I simply must correct this! Miss you!! XO Susie from The Chelsea Project

    1. Susie, we are all so busy I know it’s hard to visit. There aren’t enoug hours in the day. Thanks for dropping by!

  26. Mary, I love your milk crates! And the table turned out so cute too. How exciting to live in Greece! I visited there once. Which town do you live in?

    1. Hi Florence, Between my stool and table I think I’m all set with my balcony decor. I live in a small town near Patras in Peloponnese. Where did you go in Greece?

      1. We spent a lot of time in Athens. Also went to Mykonos, & Crete…I can’t remember all the places. I went with my Mother & we just went on our own…no tour or tour guide…only a guidebook. We had a wonderful time. This was in the 70’s..which is why I can’t remember anymore!

  27. I love a quick and easy craft and you delivered big time on this one! We love it when you share multiple links with us at Celebrate Your Story and appreciate you joining us each week.

    1. Sandra I love to visit your party and to share as much as I can. I hope you have a fantastic memorial day weekend.

    1. The white really brightens it up a lot. And t his summer I’m doing the balcony in shades of blue so the table looks great next to the blue. This stuff is great, they have it periodically at Lidl. (They should pay me for mentioning them so much , right?)

  29. I love this idea. Milk crates make great furniture, just ask any college student. I loved it so much, you’re my choice for featured blog on the Over the Moon Link Party. Come back Sunday evening to grab your badge.

    1. Thank you Sandy. I tried to preserve the farmhouse feel of the piece and not make it look so modern or industrial. Thank you so much for the feature. I will see you Sunday. Have a great weekend.

  30. This would be great for my front porch challenge I am doing!re desiging everything. Very easy to do. Need to add this to my list of potential side tables DIY.
    Thanks
    Maria

  32. You know I love the old milk crates, but even more I love the way you’ve repurposed them! I think that those who lived in the 1950s would be amazed! LOL And to think, they only used them for milk bottles.
    Wow! What a great find, stain and varnish in one product? Great time saver, and it really looks great!

    1. I can just imagine the folks from the ’50s looking at my home and shaking their heads. Or maybe they would be proud. Back then people were not as consumeristic as they are now and things were not disposable.

  33. How cool! I love old milk crates, but I’ve really only seen them used as storage, so I love this is as a new, creative way to reuse them.

    1. Kayla I keep on hearing that but it would be so hard to store things in this. It has such small compartements. And the metal is all warped on the inside. Part of it’s charm but still not functional. When I first saw these my instinct said “table”.

  35. I find any recycling of milk crates, old metal or new plastic, interesting. I’m also interested in the “varnish paint”.

    1. This was such a fun project for me I really enjoyed the rust.The paint was found at the Lidl stores here in Europe. Thanks for stopping by, I wanted to know if you have a blog so that I can also visit.

  36. Thanks for hosting the party this week and LOVE this neat table made out of milk crates. I’ll pin it. Enjoy the weekend and be well. Nancy A @ obloggernewbie.blogspot.com

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