Thursday, July 05, 2012

crate seats.

I've been on a DIY kick!  I guess that's what can happen when you're on summer vacation but actually stay in town.  :)

I love the thought of using crate seats at my guided reading table because a) more storage and b) no slouching and laying on the table!!  I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to store in them, but I'll deal with that when the time comes.  Once I start moving everything into my new room I have no doubt I'll need to find a place for something.

I love the box seats Erica has at her table {from Big Lots} but she said they haven't actually held up all that well so I figured it was worth the extra effort to make my own.  Miss Krantz has a great tutorial that I used.  And if I can do it...so can you.

I looked ev-er-y-where to find these stinkin crates.  Where did I eventually find them?  Target.  Of course!  I bought 6.
I got this plywood at Lowe's.  They'll cut the wood for you so I took my measurements in to get the pieces.  MISTAKE.  Take a crate with you to be sure they fit.  I had to borrow the hand saw from our neighbors to take an edge off of all of them.  I would also recommend slightly thicker board as I'm afraid if anyone bounces or sits hard, these might crack.
I got this roll of foam at Hobby Lobby.  The tutorial suggests using 2 pieces of foam but it was thick enough with one that I had some left over when I was done.  Let me tell you in advance...this was more expensive than I planned, about 30 bucks.
After following the steps, I got 6 of these!  I'm not quite sure if polka dots will be my theme or if I'll just keep sticking with bright colors but either way they're super cute.  {3 green & 3 orange.}  Gender neutral and happy, right?  ;)
I'm choosing the winner {winners?!} for my literacy game giveaway tomorrow {Friday} at 10pm Eastern time.
{click the game to comment on the correct post}
Leave a comment saying you follow my blog to enter.  Post about it on YOUR blog for a 2nd entry.  We're close to the 600 followers mark, which means 5 additional winners!  Tell your friends...the more entries, the more winners there will be!  :)

16 comments:

  1. Those are super cute! I just made mine (but in Carolina Panthers theme and polka dots)! If you can't find crates, I got mine for free by seeing if they had any extra in my school cafeteria. Hope this helps :)

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    1. I did the same thing! However, the milk crates from the cafeteria don't have that little lip down inside and I was afraid the cushions would slide off the top. Maybe you can zip tie them down or something...let me know how that works because they're still in my office if it works! ;)

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    2. I'm putting a skinny strip of velcro to keep the tops of the crates attached. I just started a blog about a week ago, so I'll post the project. Also, I'm turning them sideways and zip tying them together to make a bench. They have a twin matress cover at Walmart for like $12 too. :)

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  2. I am definitely going to be trying these out this year. I love your blog so much! That's why I've nominated your blog for an award. Stop by my blog to check it out!

    Jennifer
    Teaching with Grace

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  3. Love your crates. I want to make them now after seeing everyone's, but I am scared that the kids will fall through them. Do you know anyone that used them last year?

    April
    Wolfelicious

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  4. Thanks for the DIY crate seat tips! I love how yours came out. I have my crates sitting in my car so I can make these over the weekend. I will definitely make sure that I take one to Home Depot with me when I get the wood. :)
    Lisa
    Learning Is Something to Treasure

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    Replies
    1. It's super easy. Be sure to post a pic when you're finished...and add that tab to help pull the seat up. I have a feeling that will be a life saver! ;)

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  5. Anonymous7:00 PM

    I follow and love your blog.
    Corey
    poolsideteacher@gmail.com

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  6. I really want to make those for next year too. Yours looks great!
    Chrissy
    First Grade Found Me

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  7. Foam is CRAZY expensive, I was just looking to re-do my 5 gallon buckets. I did find an "egg crate" (ergonomic?) mattress topper thing - you can get a twin for about $9. You can place it dimple side down or cut 2 and place dimple sides together. Next time :) Your crates look great. My buckets slip on my floor when the kids lean... the crates look less "tippy". Keep on crafting.
    jh

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    Replies
    1. You are a genius!! Thanks for that. I have another project I wanted to put a foam seat on and it's way WAY bigger. You, ma'am, just saved me a pretty penny! :)

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  8. LOVE! Those are adorable!

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  9. The Container Store has them on sale right now {$6.99} in lots of fun, bright colors!! :)

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  10. You make it look so easy! :) The kids will love them!

    NotJustChild'sPlay

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  11. Love the crate seats! I made some last year with zebra print and my class loved using them.

    Marissa
    WILD About First Grade!

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  12. You might want to check out quilt batting and do a couple of layers of that. I know our fabric stores put foam on sale two or three times a year, I know it doesn't help for right now but something to watch out for. I love the way the crate seats look I might have to make some for my room.

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Thanks for the comments! {like virtual hugs}

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