Fall is finally here…  Well, I think it is.  I’m not sure where fall went, though.  It’s suppose to be in the eighties today, but break out the skinny jeans and boots anyway!!!  I have finally finished decorating my front porch on a low budget. There are many ways to decorate for fall for cheap or even free – DIY Crate Tutorial!

This fall, I added some rustic character to my porch by building crates to set my pumpkins in.   I used some pallet boards I had on hand in order to build mine, so I didn’t end up spending any money on them.  Crates are simple to build.  When using pallet boards, the boards are not always straight, so if you are really picky about that I suggest you buy some nice straight boards.  This did aggravate me at first.  However, I didn’t want to spend any money so I got over it fast.

To build your crate these are the supplies you will need:

• Pallet boards
• 1×1 boards
• Wood glue
• Brad nails or screws
• Nail gun or drill

First thing, cut all your boards. If you want the crate bigger or smaller, adjust your cuts accordingly. These are the cuts I did:

• (9) pallet boards @ 21.5”
• (4) pallet boards @ 12.5″
• (4) 1×1 boards @ 11.5″

You will notice that my side pieces are thicker than the other boards.  The pallet I used had smaller and larger boards. I used only the wider boards for the sides.  If all of your boards are the same, you will need to cut 6 pallet boards at 12.5″.  After you have finished cutting the boards, stain or paint them.  I did put one together without staining it first and thought it was harder to get into all the nooks and crannies.

After the paint dries, place the 12.5″ board on the 1×1, lining the edges (shown below) one board at a time.  After you have it lined the edges up, nail together using about 3 or 4 nails.  If you don’t have a nail gun, you can screw everything together.  Just make sure to pre-drill your holes.  When I cut my 1×1, I cut it shorter than the height I wanted the crate to be. I wanted my board to hang over a little.  After you place your first board, put the second one on, leaving a little space in between the boards.  Nail it to the 1×1.  Do the other side the same.

Next, take the sides and line them up on the ends.  Take two of your 21.5” boards and place them on the top.  Line up your edges and nail them down.  Do the top and bottom boards first, then your middle.  This way, it will be square.  When placing your middle board, just make sure you have equal distance between the boards.  I just eyeballed mine.

Turn it over to the other side and do the same thing.

When you get to the bottom, line your outside boards up with your side boards.  Nail together both the sides. Next, add your middle board, spacing it evenly between your other two boards.

Now you are FINISHED!!

These could also be used for storage.  I was thinking about hanging some on the wall of my craft room to put fabric in them.  There are endless ideas for using crates.