American Crafter Round 2-Vintage Seasonal Storage Crates

Today I am SO SO SO excited to interrupt our October MaDnESs to share with you my project for round 2 of the American Crafter competition! This rounds theme was House of Order!

If you're stopping over from Naptime Crafters Welcome to Love Sweet Love!! And if you're popping in from anywhere else in blogland I'm so HAPPY you've stopped by to see what's going on here in my little corner of the blogosphere! Aaaaand if you like my little vintage storage crates I would super duper love it if you could take a moment and go HERE to vote for them!! :) PLUS, if you're looking for some order for your home, you are not going to want to miss the other 9 projects; those ladies have got it going on!!

You can check out the quick and simple version here, but if you want all the nitty-gritty, behind-the-scene views keep on readin' my friends...


I started out with some beautiful vintage fruit crates from my great grandmother that were passed down to me last year and have been sitting in my garage just waiting for a project like this! I also had a tub stuffed full of hats, gloves, scarves and snow boots that NEEDED some order love for this winter weather that's already hit where I live!



1. I sewed a liner for each basket by just sewing a basic seam on all four sides
2. With the leftover fabric hanging over the corners I decided to cut a slit up the middle and tie them into knots.
3. In coordinating fabric I cut enough fabric for 2 small pockets on 1 side of each crate and 1 larger pocket for the opposite side.
4. I sewed on all the pockets so that we have a place to put all those little winter items we need quickly on the go...chapstick, sunglasses, gum, ear-warmers, etc.
5. I painted mini clothespins (and 2 regular size for the larger crate) using acrylic metallic copper, to hang some twine from the front of each crate.

When that was all done I added 3 little knobs to the front to hang scarves from and all-together it looked like this:


So that we can make sure to KEEP this an orderly system, I dangled some gloves over the twine so the kids know that box is just for gloves! To make the gloves I just hot glued some ric rac around the edge!




To make the label for our snow boots box I:
1. Mod podged some of the leftover fabric from the pockets onto a mini clipboard.
2. Then I drilled 2 small holes into each corner so I could hang it from the twine on the front of the crate.
3. I picked up this wood piece from JoAnns for .79 and spray painted it with black chalkboard paint.
4. Then I made 3 rolled flowers and hot glued them onto the corner.
5. I lined the chalkboard with some twine (using hot glue), clipped 2 painted mini clothespins to the bottom, and wrote out snow boots!

Easy Peeesy!


All filled up and ready to go...




Now I'm also thinkin' that these might just be the perfect solution for year-round storage! Can't you just see that chalkboard label saying 'rain boots' in the spring, and a tiny, pink-polka dotty umbrella hanging off a knob next to a fantastic yellow poncho?! Or some swim goggles and sunscreen tucked into the side storage pockets during the summer, with some fun, flirty, open-toed shoes carelessly tossed into a crate labeled flip-flops?


I can. :)

Thank you so much for coming on over for a visit today, I LOVE having you here! This competition has been so fun to be apart of, but the absolute BEST part is that I have made some new friends because of it and that makes all the sweat, and late nights and tears worth it! Thanks for being my friend!

***edited:Voting over***
Voting will go through Sunday night 8 pm and I'm contestant #3. :)

Linking up to these great parties as well as: