Wooden Crate Shoe Storage

I bought three IKEA knagglig crates, the larger size. These come flat packed and are quick to assemble. I originally had been searching for vintage apple crates for this project but decided it would be easier to buy these since I knew they would be sturdy and all of equal size.

I took some spare wood that we had in the garage and cut two lengths of 18 inches to fit the length of the crate. The wood is about 3/4 inch thick and 1 3/4 inch wide which just worked well but this is flexible depending on the size of wood available.

We attached these pieces in the centre of the crate on the first and second slats, just by using nails to secure. This then created an extra shelf to accommodate more shoes.

We then had three crates ready to store shoes!

I painted the crates using an Ivory eggshell paint. This has been really hard wearing and was a fast option. Since I wasn’t planning to distress the paintwork I kept it simple and just applied two coats of this. But there are multiple options depending on the look you want to achieve. I could have stained them a dark wood colour instead or painted them to create a different effect. It all depends on your space and the style you want them to fit in with.

I stacked the three crates on top of each other to create the storage needed. I decided not to attach together as they are securely balanced. But you could consider attaching as a final step and also securing to the wall if you have any safety concerns.

The finished result. I love how it fits perfectly into the space we have and it was such an easy way to make a custom piece in a budget.