Repurpose Old Crates To DIY Magnificently Unique Planter Shelves

Planter shelves are used to organize potted plants in a stylish, vertical display. When placed either indoors or outdoors, they add a decorative element to the area and help save space. It's also easier to care for plants when they're stacked on planter shelves because they're easier to reach and are all together. Planter shelves can be bought from most hardware stores, but a recent TikTok post from @thee.d shows how to DIY one from plastic milk crates. The creator takes three half crates and fixes them on thin wooden slats that serve as the shelf structure. The finished product is a sturdy mini-shelf that can be customized to fit your space.

The finished product looks exactly like what it is — milk crates attached to wood planks. However, this isn't ideal as a decorative piece, especially if you are planning to use it indoors. We suggest matching the crate colors to the wood structure they're assembled on and making sure they match the space you're placing the shelf in. This will help you maintain a cohesive aesthetic because using color is the easiest way to make your home look unified.

The TikTok features black crates, which are probably the most common color, but think outside the box (or crate) and find something that matches your decor more. Lunacrates has a plastic crate in a unique lime cream color for $13 at Walmart. They also offer 3-packs in various color combinations like dark green, banana yellow, mustard yellow, gray, dark blue, and black at Walmart for $35. Alternatively, you can often find crates for cheap by asking around at restaurants and stores to see if they have any spare. If you can't find the colors you want, you can paint them. Spray paints like DANG, which is used for graffiti and murals, or Rust-Oleum will do the trick, as seen in this post by designer and artist Lindsay Stephenson (via Instagram). 

The other customizable aspect is the appearance of the wood pieces. Instead of leaving them unfinished, why not prep and then paint them to match the crates? Another thing you can add to your DIY shelf, though less about style and more about functionality, is a handle at the top or two at the sides. Handles will turn it into a portable furniture piece and make it easy to move.