DIY Storage Crate Seating

Craft a double duty seat to store your student's stuff in minutes!

September 11, 2016

Julie Loven,

I can never have enough storage. I like having the ability to put things away in a tidy place that makes sense. When I was a student, I never had enough storage — either in my bedroom at home or especially in my dorm room. My dorm stuff seemed to multiply as the semesters progressed. The idea today is to create double-duty storage and seating that can be used in a dorm room or in a study area using storage crates. This piece works well in small spaces and also is perfect in playrooms.

The crates are great because you can put everything from clothes and shoes to books, and they're durable and provide an excellent place to store "stuff." The seats also are a great place to sit and put on shoes (that may be stored in the crate) or for friends to sit on when they come over.

Overall, to make costs between $5-$6 eacj, and you may customize them to match your decor. It takes about five minutes to assemble — yep 5 minutes — so why not?

You'll need one $3 storage crate, one piece of $1 plywood to fit on the inside rim, about 1/2 yard of $1-$2 fabric, cushioning material and a staple gun. It is very possible that you’ll have some or all of these materials at home.

I made two crates using different cushioning. First I folded over an old pair of fleece pillow cases. They were really comfy and provided excellent cushioning. For the other crate I used an old piece of foam that I trimmed to fit the board. Use what you have, it isn't a rule that you must use a cushion either.

Lay the fabric upside down on a flat surface. Place the cushioning in the middle of the fabric and the wood on top of the cushioning. Fold the edges of the fabric over the back of the board, this will be the bottom side of the crate top you are creating. Pull the fabric taut but not so tight that it won't give a little and then staple the edges to the board.

Manipulate the edges of the fabric a little to make the ends smooth. Start by stapling the long sides first and finish on the ends. I also had some fabric left over and trimmed the edges so they'd be even.