Tuesday, March 11, 2014

DIY Craft: Small Center Piece Crate


DSCF1829 (800x788)

I wanted to share with you how to make this amazing little crate.  It’s really very simple and you can use it for a lot of different things.  I’m going to use mine for a centerpiece, but you could also put a handle made of ribbon on it and use it for an Easter basket.  It will also hold your favorite CD’s and many other things.  Paint it any color you like.  It’s made from paint sticks, paper rush, glue and nails.  That’s all the supplies you need to make this except for the tools. 
What you will need:
15 ----- 12” long paint sticks
Paper rush
40 small nails
Tropical Blue Acrylic Craft Paint
glue
wire clipper
hand saw

1.  Begin by building the four panels:

DSCF1806 (800x387)
Take three of your paint sticks and cut them in half.

DSCF1807 (800x639)
You will end up with six sticks 3”long.

DSCF1808 (800x725)
Take two of the sticks, one with the handle of the stick at the top and one without the handle to be the bottom of your panel.  Place a dot of glue at each edge.

DSCF1809 (800x740)
Place two sticks with handle cutouts on each side.  Put a dot of glue at each top and bottom edge.

DSCF1811 (800x586)
Next put two more straight sticks on top.  Even up the edges to make it square.

DSCF1810 (314x800)
Build four, these will make your crate.


DSCF1814 (800x556)
Once your glue is dry, tack the four corners of each panel with the small nails.


DSCF1812 (800x597)

DSCF1813 (800x774)

Put in paper rush:

DSCF1814 (800x556)
Make marks with a pencil at 1 7/8”, at 3”, and again at 4 1/8” along the top and bottom sticks of  your panel.  These marks are for keeping the paper rush straight.

DSCF1815 (800x477)
Run the paper rush between the opening of the front side and back side of the top and bottom sticks.


DSCF1817 (800x525)
Line up the paper rush with the pencil marks and tack with a small nail, top and bottom.  Then with a wire clipper, clip the paper rush even with the edge of the paint sticks.

DSCF1818 (325x800)
Do this to all four of your panels.  Before moving on to the next step, be sure to clip all sharp ends of the small nails that came through the layers of sticks with your wire clippers.

2.  Put your four panels together:

DSCF1820 (800x597)
Put a generous amount of glue on both edges of the top and bottom sticks of the panels.


DSCF1821 (800x597)
Stand them up and add the other two panels, then tape to help keep them tight until the glue dries.

3.  Weave:

DSCF1822 (800x597)
Once the glue dries, begin at the bottom edge placing the end of the paper rush between the side sticks at the corner.

DSCF1824 (800x797)
Run the paper rush over the top of the paint stick and then under and over the paper rush that runs vertically and then again over the paint sticks at the corner.  Go all the way around the crate until you reach where you began.  Clip the paper rush and put through the opening at the corner where you began.  Glue.  Run as many strands of paper rush as you desire around your crate.  I used four as you can see.  My experience with this paper rush is as you add more it gets tighter and could end up warping the wood. 

Put in the bottom:

DSCF1825 (755x800)
Cut six paint sticks to approximately 5 1/4”  long.  You can do this with three sticks.  Run a line of glue along the top edge of the bottom inside paint stick, then lay the sticks along the inside edge of the bottom paint sticks.  You may have to gently raise the bottom strand of paper rush to get the stick exactly where it’s suppose to be.  Just push the strand back down when you get the stick in place.
You have a small crate!

Paint:

DSCF1826 (716x800)
Paint with whatever color you desire with a watered down acrylic craft paint.
Now you can decorate your crate or leave it as it is.  It will be pretty and practical whatever you do.
If you build this crate I’d love to see it.  I’d like to see some of the ways you decorate it.

Happy Crafting!