I had four black crates from Target that didn’t have the same use for me after I moved, and wasn’t sure what to do with them. I soon realized when stacked sideways, they were the perfect height for being a desk. I went into Lowe’s and found a 1’X6′ wood plank for about $12 that would sit nicely on top of them…being big enough to place my laptop and set up various desk necessities, but small enough to fit comfortably behind my sofa in the limited space there. I bought a small $8 can of dark wood stain to match the dining set I had, and only had to apply 2 coats. Since it can be a mess to work with stain if not careful, I placed a plastic sheet under the plank before applying it in even strokes with a brush and wiping the excess stain off in between coats…it definitely needed the full 48hrs to completely dry when I was finished since I wasn’t using a sealer.

I liked the industrial look of the crates, but I’m sure the possibilities are endless to making it work with various items on hand, like wooden crates, cement blocks, or even large planters. The point is to upcycle whatever is on hand, and then add a cheap topper. I was lucky that the crates came with an interlocking mechanism, otherwise I would have had to of found a way to secure them…but what I did have to add were 1/4″ blocks beneath the front of the lower crates for added stability. The plank itself is heavy enough to stay secure under normal use without additional binding, and it’s been great for working on my laptop and storing extra supplies like pens, paper, or envelopes. I also like how it makes the room look slightly bigger by breaking up the open concept with separate, designated areas in the room.