Furnishing your home following your own style, so as to give it character and expression through the elements chosen, is one of the most fun, relaxing and at the same time challenging activities that you can do. Sure, it takes effort and a lot of creativity, but it will definitely be worth it.
For those who choose the path of creative inspiration, do-it-yourself and, why not, even savings, there are truly many opportunities that without necessarily having to be architects or designers, with a little commitment it is possible to realize in short while.
Of ideas for creative recyclingon the web there are many, some more complex to put into practice, others less. In this article, however, we will not talk about creative reuse in general, but we will focus on how to recycle and create fantastic objects from scratch starting from old empty wine crates .
These elements are in fact able to furnish our homes in an original way and also with a certain elegance, taking on new life in the form of new functional and aesthetically attractive objects.
You are a lover of the shabby chic style .
One more reason to keep reading!
Among the creative recycling ideas for empty wooden wine crates, we will also provide you step-by-step instructions to make fantastic containers to use as laundry baskets, bicycle baskets, sewing boxes or boxes for delicate tea bags and herbal teas. and romantics. Empty wooden wine crates: basic treatments and materials for creative reuse It is
premised that for a creative reuse of old empty wooden wine crates it is not necessary to intervene with major reworkings, and yet it is possible to indulge in many different ways.
Even if there are those who decide to reuse them as they are, we always recommend carrying out at least one ” basic treatment“. Equipped with sandpaper and a protective spray for wood – this more than anything else if you will use the box also outdoors – proceed to smooth the surface, so as to remove any splinters present.
In case your ideas of creative recycling are oriented to the creation of a wall unit or a cabinet, then you will also need nails and hammer, as well as accessory elements, for example small wheels for a possible table or pipes, brackets and different supports to hang your empty wooden wine crates on the wall in a classic or more alternative way (for example the use of metal pipes, such as those in black iron, could create a perfect wall unit for an industrial or vintage style furniture) .
Finally, if you are going to change the aesthetic appearance of the wine boxes, you will need an acrylic paint suitable for wood, the kind that are usually also used to paint the walls. Creative reuse: some options for old wine crates Wine
crates can be single or generally in packs of three. In both cases, there is also an additional support inside which is useful for locking the bottles and thus preventing them from breaking during movement.
In case you have been given a case containing only one bottle, you can easily transform it into a fantastic box for tea bags and herbal teas , also using the internal wooden support to create a separation between the different types of infusion.
If you want to add more dividers, just buy another small wooden plate or more simply cardboard that you can keep like this or decide to cover with paper of a similar shade to that of the rest of the container.
The same steps can be followed to make fantastic containers for spice bottles, rather than pretty and very useful jewelry boxes , as well as travel laundry boxes that will keep your garments protected from contact with the rest of the suitcase.
The empty wooden wine boxes, single or in packs of three, can be glued together so as to recycle with style and create original cabinets, useful both for the living area and for the sleeping area. You can also have fun alternating some boxes closed by the lid with others open, thus making your furniture lighter and more dynamic.
In the bathroom and in the kitchen, since these are humid environments and subject to thermal changes, it is advisable to insert the boxes transformed with creative reuse only if treated with the appropriate spray and natural. If you can’t resist the temptation to add colored containers here too, consider carefully the type of paint to choose based on the conditions of the rooms.
To complete the creative reuse of your crates, you can color them by choosing from many different options: paint in pastel shadesfor a modern style; take advantage of an oil-based finish specific for wood (in this case it will then be necessary to wait 24 hours for the complete drying and absorption of the paint); cover the case with the decoupage technique or paint it with a pickled effect, so as to reproduce a perfect shabby chic style element.
Solid colors, shades of color, geometric shapes and much more: once you have decided the context where to place your transformed empty wooden wine boxes, let yourself be inspired and choose the most suitable colors to paint the object entirely or partially (even if only the bottom or sides) and add this refined touch of style to your apartment. Recycle and create: the transformation into shabby chic
As promised, we want to share with you step-by-step instructions to recycle and create from scratch, thanks to the wine crates, the perfect shabby chic style storage compartments , usable for example as a vase holder, to hang on the wall as bulletin board and much more.
The shabby chic style , as most of you know, is presented as an elegant reproduction of the worn and worn effect. To create any object in this way, it will almost always be necessary to resort to the decape technique which consists in coloring and deliberately ruining the surface. So let’s see how to do it when the object in question and our case of wine is empty.
Let’s start with the necessaire for what we have in mind (some of these materials and accessories are optional as it all depends on the result you want to achieve): in addition, of course, to the empty wooden wine crates protagonists of the change, complete with lid and special internal dividers (one in the case of single crates), you will need sandpaper, an impregnating agent and a water-based paint, a brush, wrapping paper, cardboard, natural wax for furniture and bituminous wax (perfect for creating an antiqued), double-sided tape and a pair of scissors.
Once the surface has been sandedwith sandpaper, pass the water-based impregnating agent over the entire external surface. To speed up time, if it is not possible to let it dry (30 minutes), wipe the entire surface with a cloth that will become darker and the veins will be accentuated.
At the end of this step, proceed by spreading the chosen colored paint and repeat the drying process. At this point the case will already partially show the worn effect.
While waiting for the outside to dry better, for the inside it is advisable to isolate the bottom part with a sheet of wrapping paper : once cut according to the size of the case, take two pieces of double-sided tape and attach them to the base, then apply the card.
Once the bottom is covered, it’s time to insert the dividers and, for this step, all you have to do is arrange them at the desired height. Using cardboard and paper it is possible to create additional internal dividers, perhaps to be added horizontally to create several smaller boxes.
At this point it is possible to close the box and return to focus on the outside, where the paint will be dry and you can proceed to create an antique effect on the edges of the case (especially on the corners) by passing the sandpaper again: the colored paint will be removed in part, so as to show the dark one below. The same step can be repeated, here and there, also on the rest of the surface.
The last step is the passage of thenatural wax for furniture with a cloth along the whole treated external part and in the same way, to complete the work, some antiqued details at the edges with bitumen wax .
Let it dry and the creative reuse of your wooden box is complete.
Tables, chairs, showcases, wall units, shoe racks and many other elements to furnish the home in a refined, alternative and economical way can be made by putting a little effort and creativity to recycle and create using the empty wooden wine boxes that you will surely have. around the house. Get inspired and… go to work!
