Milk crates are sturdy and practically indestructible-the perfect furniture making material. Tables, chairs, even beds can be made from this recycled resource. Every college student in America has used them at one time or another to store books and the like. So DIY to make your own furniture!! Need some design inspiration? I gathered a few nifty projects from the inter-webs to get you started. Wanna move beyond bookshelves? Check out Milk Crate Digest, a blog for milk crate lovers!
Milk Crate Chandelier from MADE
Milk Crate Recliner
Milk Crate Shelving by Shane Lindsay
Milk Crate Stools by
The thing about authentic milk crates is: they are generally considered to be the “property” of the dairy or supplier whose product they hold. So, having them is…like stealing.
And that’s what makes them so appealing! There’s an element of naughtiness about owning them don’t you think?
actually, dairy companies now will not take the crates back once they are delivered! I get 5 cases of milk a week, and 5 plastic milk crates every week go in my back yard. I use them for my chicken coop, build walls for my tools, compost bins…..the list never ends. I also reuse wooden pallets for my chicken coop and built my shed out of them, a pig pen, a goat run, another compost bin…..all for free!
Wow! Way to be resourceful! Crates are an excellent building block. Sounds like you’ve found lots of cool ways to reuse, recycle. Would love to see some pics!
Free crates for everyone!
Gail´s last [type] ..Must Read Book- Nick Kent’s Apathy For The Devil
Yea Gail! Let’s start a milk crate revolution! Homeless shelters, schools, government buildings- all made with milk crates! :-> Chef D, there are a whole bunch of hipsters in Brooklyn that would love to have your crates!
food for thought: milk crates are super versatile, but for every milk crate you “borrow”, “steal”, etc. from a dairy companies, that is 1 more crate they will have to make out of our friend: plastic. 4lbs of plastic go into 1 milk crate. they dont use recycled plastic either. while its ideal to think you’re recycling, you’re also causing large amounts of plastic production.
Good point! Something to think about.