Have you ever wanted to learn how to make your own crate seats? Are you like me and think, “man this is too hard.” Well if you think that, you’re wrong! It is super easy to make your own crate seats and I’ll teach you how. Making your own things can be challenging, frustrating, and overwhelming. It can also be very rewarding to look at something you’ve made and know that you created this thing with your own hands.
This was not my first time making crate seats. I did it once before and they lasted 4 years! But guess what… I made mistakes. A lot. In this post I’ll teach you how I remade my crate seats and what worked for me. Maybe you’ll decide that a different way works for you or maybe you’ll find easier ways of doing things than I did. That’s the beauty of creating something, it can be whatever you imagine it to be! So are you ready for a quick and easy project?! Let’s get started!
Things You’ll Need
*1 or 2in thick foam (I find that the 2in foam is more comfortable) Here you’ll find the foam I used.
*Plastic Milk Crates (you can find these on sale)
*Fabric of your choice (Hobby Lobby or Joanns)
*Plywood (I used 3/4in thick wood) Home Depot will cut the wood to your desired size.
*Staple Gun
*Ribbon if you would like handles
How to Make Them
1. After you’ve gathered all your materials, You will need to cut the foam to fit on top of the wood. Now there are fancy tools for cutting foam…. I did not do that. I used scissors. It took more time and was a bit of a challenge but it worked out well! Make sure to line the foam up against the wood and cut along the edge of the wood.
2. When all the foam is cut to the size of the wood, you will then cut the fabric and begin stapling. In the picture you’ll see the fabric on the bottom, then foam, then the wood on top. You’ll want to pull the fabric tight but not too tight. When stapling, you’ll want to look at the top to ensure the fabric looks how you want. Staple along each side to get your desired look. Be sure to check how out it looks frequently while stapling.
3. Stapling the corners takes more care. First you’ll staple one edge of the wood. Then you’ll bunch the edge of the fabric and staple. Again, make sure you check the top to ensure that is how you want the edge to look when you’re finished.
4. When finished stapling you can add a handle if you want. I used 2in thick ribbon but you can use whatever ribbon size you think works for your seats. Below you’ll find a picture of how I stapled the ribbon to seat.
Here is an example of the finished product. I absolutely love these because they are functional and the students love them. They last forever and hold up really well… even with destructive first graders! Ha! Like I said when I started, doing it yourself can be frustrating but super rewarding. I hope you enjoy creating your own crate seats and have fun doing it! Please comment below with how the process went for you and new things you learned. If you loved reading this tutorial, please subscribe for more teaching, tips, and tricks… and also exclusive FREEBIES! If you would like to learn more about this and other things happening in my classroom follow me @sweetnsauerfirsties on Instagram.
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