Apple Crate Nightstands

My apologies if that last post was too boring and informative.  Even I got bored reading it.  I thought I was going to be blogging about crafts and theme parties, but this could easily become an home improvement blog.  Home repairs are the bulk of my life right now.  However, I won't bore you with the details of last week's projects which included mouse proofing and roof repairs.  I can't imagine anyone would want to read about that.  Instead, I thought I'd share pics of a project I did using old apple crates.

The crates I used are actually from my grandfather's apple farm in Michigan and are probably 30-40 years old.  So they have family history and sentimental value.  I'm sure you could find something similar on Craigslist, at a flea market, or at craft stores like Hobby Lobby or Michael's.

The lamps are from Hobby Lobby.  I think they match perfectly.

I've had these crates for years.  They've followed me everywhere from my college dorm room, to three different apartments, and now to my first home.  They've always been great for storage, but when we moved into our current house I thought I'd give them a new use and a makeover. 

I wanted nightstands for our guest room and thought these would be perfect.  I simply added table legs from Home Depot and spray painted everything white.  Very easy.  Although, I wouldn't recommend leaning against them or stacking anything heavy on top.  Pretty sure I didn't screw the legs on right.  They're a little wobbly.  At least they look cute.  I also should've sanded them before spray painting, and used paint instead of spray paint.  It would look much whiter and smoother.  But in this case, I think the shabby chic look fits the room.  Plus, it took way less time than doing it the "right" way.  I tend to skip steps and rush through projects because I'm anxious to see the end result.  I also don't enjoy things that require precision or painstaking detail (which makes the shabby chic look perfect for me).  For your purposes though, I recommend sanding, priming, and painting.  Oh, and making sure the legs don't wobble.

I've done a couple other little decorating projects in our guest room.  I'll post those later this week.