Nine Uses and a Craft Project for Milk Crates
1. Furniture
No one uses milk crates like the college student can! Should you be missing a desired piece of furniture, like a coffee table or an entertainment center, bring on the milk crates. As a cheaper option than traditional furniture, milk crates can also be stacked into the desired shape and size. Toss a pretty piece of fabric or a blanket over your new furniture, and it even looks pretty.
2. Storage
This idea is a no-brainer. Because milk crates are shaped like boxes, stack like boxes, and are sturdier than boxes, they make excellent storage containers. Records fit exceptionally well into milk crates, and comic books come close. Anything you store in a milk crate can also get moved as-is, should you move into a new home.
Milk crates create storage space wherever you put them. For example, a giant shoe collection can be housed by putting milk crates along the bottom of your closet. Shoes fit in the crates and can also be put on top of the milk crates.
3. Pet Caves
Pets thrive when given new toys and cubbyholes to explore. For a cat or a small dog, you can use a milk crate to make an instant cave for your pet. Turn the crate on its side, put a blanket on the bottom, and partially cover the entrance with something like a towel. Your pet will have a great time hiding from you, and this is a much more economical solution to that expensive pet furniture you always wanted but could never rationalize buying.
4. Travel and Quiet Time Boxes
Kids love milk crates, and the idea of having their own box to fill with whatever they choose is appealing. Before a long car trip, let your child pick his favorite coloring books, crayons, travel games, stuffed toy, and so on to keep him amused on the way. Put his favorite snacks in sealed containers, a couple of juice boxes, and a blanket in the milk crate. Your child shouldn’t have to ask you for anything except potty stops and a playmate, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much stuff will fit in one of those crates.
This idea works really well for places in which your child will have to be quiet for long stretches of time. Should your babysitter cancel, grab the quiet time box and take your child to that dentist appointment or to the hospital to visit Grandma. Once you establish the routine that the bringing the box means quiet time, you should be able to take your child just about anywhere without a fuss. The trick is to having the box ready when you need it. If you keep the box packed, the playthings in the box will seem like special toys and treats to your child, and you’ll have the convenience of being able to leave in a hurry. Just don’t forget to switch some of the items from time to time to prevent boredom.
5. Stepstool
OSHA disapproves of using milk crates as stepstools in the workplace. Standing on a milk crate can lead to fall and injury.
That being said, anyone who’s ever owned a milk crate knows they come in handy for those quick “I just need to reach a little higher” moments.
6. Funky Shelves
Instead of stacking milk crates on the floor to create storage space in closets, proudly display them on your walls. Use two drywall anchors with two long screws about a foot apart from each other. Hook the milk crate over the screws through the holes on the bottom of the milk crate. Adjust for levelness by simply sliding the milk crate into the right position.
For a truly funky look, use brightly colored crates or drape fabric over the tops of the crates. Stagger them on your wall to create geometric patterns.
7. Filing Cabinet
Any of us who’ve ever lost an important paper or receipt have kicked ourselves repeatedly for not owning a file cabinet. But maybe filing cabinets are too expensive or you know you don’t have enough stuff to fill one.
Now you too can have your own “filing cabinet” a la milk crate. Keep it by your desk, your computer, or in the back of your closet. Use manila file folders with tabs if you want to get truly organized, but no one will blame you if you just toss you important papers into it and have to dig through every time you need one. At least now you know where they all are.
Go though your “filing cabinet” about once a year to get rid of anything you don’t need and make space for next year’s paperwork. When you accumulate three milk crates worth of papers, you’ve graduated to having enough stuff and are ready for the real thing.
8. Personal In-Box, or 3-D To-Do List
Sticky Notes only work for so long before I lose track of what I need to do and what should go first. Now I have a milk crate full of papers, folders, craft projects, and cleaning lists. The important stuff goes on top, and when I get to it, there’s always more to do on the bottom of the stack. This helps me prioritize because I can literally see what needs to be done. With a 3-D to-do list, it’s really hard to slack off when I know I should be doing something, because it’s right there taking up space in my in-box.
9. Donation Box
Want to get rid of some of the extra stuff in your home, but can’t seem to get organized enough for a big purge? Make a donation box out of a milk crate, and keep it somewhere you will see it often enough to actually use it. Every time you encounter an object you no longer want or use, place it in the donation box. For example, you reach into your closet to get dressed for work and pull out a sweater that doesn’t fit anymore. Instead of hanging it back up and forgetting about it, put it in the donation box. You’ll be surprised at how quickly the milk crate fills up with very little effort. When it’s full, take it to the Salvation Army or bag it and call Purple Heart to do a pick-up.
10. Craft Project
As functional as they are, milk crates also have the potential to be things of beauty. Cut pictures out of magazines about the sizes of the holes in the crate. (Or, cut the pictures bigger for another neat effect.) Glue the pictures onto squares of cardboard that fit snugly against the sides of the milk crate, and glue the cardboard along the outer edge. When you have finished the sides and bottom, you may cover the cardboard with fabric to make the inside soft and pretty.
These make a great project or gift for teenage girls, who usually love making collages from magazines anyway.
However you decide to use that milk crate, don’t even think about throwing it away. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure, and someone always knows exactly how they plan to use their next milk crate. Should you have an unwanted milk crate, put it by the curb or next to your dumpster so someone else may recycle it into their own living room.
