Here is a mini guide on how to make storage boxes from fruit crates. A nice and useful object perfect for keeping everything in its place.
Used to transport fruit and vegetables, the wooden boxes are objects that can be easily recovered from the market near the house, but also from the trusted gardener. Versatile in their use, if modified and “equipped” with practical wheels, they lend themselves to various creative uses and can become excellent containers for handling plants, toys and much more. Here with a little imagination, and with a very minimal expense, how to easily reinvent them. Follow the directions well.
Required (from left to right):
- a sturdy fruit box
- 4 rotating rubber wheels
- 16 (4 for each wheel) self-tapping or parker screws
- masking tape
- a couple of sheets of textured parcel paper
- a hammer
- a marker
- a Phillips screwdriver
- a can of white acrylic enamel (but can be chosen in any color)
- a pair of work gloves
Prepare a work surface with wrapping paper by fixing the sheets well to the floor and wall with adhesive tape. Place the box on top, previously cleaned with a slightly damp cloth, carefully avoiding wetting it – the woods with which fruit boxes are often made are very soft essences (such as fir) and too much water could stain or damage them – so wear gloves and after having shaken the can well, start spraying the color on the box, starting from the external side bands and always keeping the can at a distance of about 15/20 cm.
Paint the outside well, then continue with the inside and the bottom. For this kind of work it is possible to use either a can of spray acrylic enamel or synthetic enamel to be used with a brush, in this second case the work may take longer. It is better to avoid water-based paints as the wood of these objects is very porous and not very suitable for water-based enamel which would not bite. Proceed to a double application of color, both inside and outside, allowing at least a couple of hours to pass between the first application and the second.
Complete the operation and let everything dry for at least half a day.
Install the wheels by applying them to the bottom of the box, each with 4 screws. Mark the 4 selected points with the black marker and position the wheel by inserting one screw at a time. Firmly screw the metal support by drilling the bottom of the box with a screwdriver (if the bottom of the box is particularly hard, use the hammer to first make a small hole with the screw itself, this will facilitate the entry of the self-tapping screw). Screw the wheel fixing it to the bottom until the screw is perfectly inserted in the housing. The 4 wheels must be positioned in axis with each other.
Once the wheels are applied, the cassette / trolley will be ready to be used as you wish.
Versatile and practical, this object really lends itself to many uses. The box can be used on the balcony or terrace to contain flowering or aromatic plants and at home it will be very useful for keeping the games of the little ones in order, but also books, magazines and newspapers of all kinds.
Practical to transport, thanks to the wheels it can be moved very easily from one room to another, even if full and heavy. The wheels will make it easier to move and you can also move it between inside and outside if necessary.
Claudia Schiera
