What is it about soda crates or vintage wooden crates that we all love so much? I have a wide circle of vintage-loving friends, and I think we can all agree that a chippy paint old coca cola crate is truly something to be treasured. No matter the beverages these crates once held, the colors of the advertisement, or the size of the compartments within, vintage crates are just begging to be used in home decor.
I also love finding them at antiques stores just to simply learn about soda brands that I never heard of before! There are so many regional sodas, such as Green River in Chicago or Cheerwine in the Carolinas.
But, believe it or not, but in my entire upcycling blogging career, I’ve only upcycled a single vintage soda crate!
It was a soda crate for Royal Crown Cola, or R.C. Cola. I upcycled it into an ornament stand to display my vintage Christmas ornaments!
It seemed perfect for this upcycling idea because not only was it red in color, but I decided that the “R.C.” could also stand for Retro Christmas!
Now, I’ve also made faux crates from dresser (or kitchen) drawers from Habitat ReStore.
Let’s face it, vintage crates can be expensive!
But, anyway, I digress. Because here’s the thing – there are TONS of upcycling ideas out there for that Coca Cola crate or Pepsi crate that you’ve been holding onto.
Or even an old crate that didn’t originally hold soda bottles, like this one I turned into a cat toy organizer!
And to inspire you to either dig out and dust off your collection of vintage wooden crates, I’ve gathered some ideas for you. Whether you use them as-is for vintage home decor, or turn them into repurposed projects, I’m sure you’ll find some inspiration below.
Upcycling and Repurposing Ideas for Soda Crates
Some great ideas here, right? I can’t decide which one is my favorite. I’m really drawn to the necktie storage (we all know I have a weakness for ties…) and the succulent planter.
Even plain crates (like this old tool crate) can be repurposed. I thought it would be perfect for some winter decor.
Hmmm…which one is your favorite (if you can pick just one!)?
And if you love the look of crates, check out this wooden tool caddy I upcycled using a shipping crate stencil!
Craft on!
S
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Sarah Ramberg is the owner of Sadie Seasongoods, a website that celebrates all things secondhand. From upcycling ideas and thrifted decor to vintage-centric travel itineraries, Sadie Seasongoods is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves thrifting and approachable repurposing ideas. Sarah is also the author of “Crafting with Flannel” and has been featured in numerous media outlets and magazines.
Love all of the wonderful ideas you shared! We love soda crates too but this brings them to a whole new level. Thanks so much for sharing it with “Let’s Talk Vintage!” this week! ~Jill
Thanks, Jill!
Hey Sarah,
I was “parked” by you today on Grandma Ideas, and I have enjoyed reading a couple of your posts.
What fun and creative ideas for reusing coke crates. I could see using a lot of these ideas. I especially like the lights in the crate, the dresser, and the Advent calendar. Cute, cute, cute stuff!
Thanks for sharing so many wonderful suggestions.
Hope your day goes well today~
Melanie
Thank you, Melanie! I appreciate that so much!
Oh my goodness, I love all these ideas! The succulent garden, pet food holder, ottoman…so many other greats. I can’t even pick which one I want to make first. Thanks so much for sharing at Inspiration Thursday!
I LOVE these!!! One can never have enough crates!!!
Thank you, Christine!! And I agree! 🙂
You have such a great eye for ideas Sarah! Congrats on the new blogging role and I hope this means you’re not too important to share with me at Five Star Frugal? 😉 Love, Mimi xxx
http://atrayofbliss.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/five-star-frugal-16with-pearls-and-candy.html
Thanks, Mimi! And not at all, I’ll be there next week. 🙂
Thanks for sharing Sarah…love your work…always. Mimi xxx
I love old crates and just picked up an orange one to use for Fall and Halloween. I have a couple hanging in my craft room showing off some of my treasures. Love this fun round up! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Thank you, Jann!
What fabulous ideas! I love the footstool idea and the spice rack! I like the marquee light idea too! They are all unique and fun.
These are all so creative! I especially love the succulent planter one! Very fun roundup, Sarah! Thank you! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Thanks, Christine!
What a great collection of ideas for vintage soda crates Sarah! Thanks so much for sharing these ideas at Dream. Create. Inspire. Link. Take care, Tara
Thank you, Tara!
I love vintage pop crates! We see them sometimes at flea markets and I always imagine things I could do with them. Next time I should just bite the bullet and bring one home.
I know, so many possibilities!
Oh geez. I like them all too! I know that you’ll create something fabulous and can’t wait to see it.
Thanks, Erlene!
I love this sort of thing. I think my two faves are the marquee lights and the coca cola dresser. Way fun!
Thanks, Michelle!
Awesome post! I would love invite you to my new link party The Beautifully Creative Inspired. The party launched today and will continue every Fridays at 9AM eastern time on 5 BLOGS! It runs until Wednesday night 😀 Hope you can party with us!
Thanks for the invite, Shanice!
I love this idea!!! I need to find me some of these great crates!! I am featuring this on MMM this week starting Sunday night!!
Cathy
Thank you!!! Looking forward to linking up, Cathy!
I love these old soda bottle crates! There are so many things to use them for! Thank you for sharing and linking up with us over at the Welcome Home Wednesday Link Party!
I was tickled pink to see this in the line up at Celebrate Your Story and I vote for the succulent planter and the rustic holiday planter. When our oldest son graduated in 1990 (yikes) we bought pop from the pop shop in town. The bottles came in a wooden crate like these. Unbeknownst to us when we asked him to take the crate back for a refund he stashed it in the woods behind the house. As of two years ago it was still there and I will be traipsing out back to see if it is still there.
LOL I love that!!!
Loving the ornament idea, I see a ton of these and always wonder what could I do with them. But seeing as how they are cheaper then plastic ornament storage boxes, now I won’t be able to pass them up!
Thanks so much for sharing this with us at the DI & DI Link Party.