Mini Crate Organizer

Welcome to the May Pinterest Challenge Blog Hop, hosted by My Pinterventures. The purpose of this Pinterest Challenge is to motivate all the participants of this hop {and y’all too} to not just pin, but to make it happen! This month’s challenge is about Father’s Day, which is coming up next month. I chose something simple again – simple but delicious! This candied bacon is a favorite for pretty much anyone that eats it. : )

Since it’s the first challenge of a new year, these are links to the last post of the year’s before. There’s a list in each for the challenges completed that year.

• 2018 Challenges
• 2019 Challenges

When I saw that this month’s challenge had a theme of “organization”, I knew I had a box of mini crates waiting for just the occasion. I’d originally thought I’d make a new organizer for my stamp supplies. Something like this pin from A Wild Strawberry.

Unfortunately, the size of the crates did not fit most of my stamp supplies. Then I looked up “mini crate ideas” on Pinterest & found this pin from Mark Montano. And thus the mini crate organizer was born!

Mini Crate Organizer

I bought this box of 24 mini crates from Dollar Tree at the end of 2019.

As I said before, it was intended for a different project. After finding the inspiration post, I looked around my craft room for something to back the crates with. Then I spotted this laundry drying rack hanging on the wall.

I picked up 2 of them for $5 each on clearance at Wal-Mart. It was holding extra project bags for knitting & crochet, but they quickly came down so I could test my idea. The S-hooks I was using to hold up the bags fit just right in the crate slats!

I was very excited! First, I needed to test how well they held the drawing utensils. They fit standing up…

And laying down…

The only issue I had was that the slots in the bottom of the crates was too large for some pens & pencils.

I needed to cover them with something to keep stuff from falling out. This stack of recycled cardboard squares was the perfect solution. If you buy quilting precuts, save the cardboard! : )

I did a little eyeballing to try to cut a shape to fit…

After a bit of trial & error, I got it cut to fit. Then I used it to trace & cut the rest of the pieces. Perfect!

All I needed to do next was hang up the crates, then fill them up! Then I ran out of S-hooks…

I also realized most of the writing utensils fit best by leaning the forward.

Then I realized I could fit crates on every row with them laying like that…

Now I just need to get some more S-hooks! This rack will hold all but 3 of the 24 mini crates. And yes, this is not all of my writing utensils! : )

TO JOIN NEXT MONTH’S #PINTERESTCHALLENGE, CLICK HERE TO SIGN-UP ⇒ February Pinterest Challenge

For more Pinterest inspired projects from this month’s Pinterest Challenge hosts, check out the links below ↓

My Pinterventures  •  Domestic Deadline  •  Elle Marie Home   Cookies Coffee and Crafts  •  Across the Boulevard  •  Slices of Life  Teadoddles •  Farm Girl Reformed  • Purple Hues and Me Decorate and More with Tip  •  Sew Crafty Crochet  •  Life Beyond Kitchen Mom Home Guide   •  Intelligent Domestications  •  Lulu & Celeste Love My Little Cottage  •  Eye Love Knots  •  My Family Thyme Create with Cynthia •   Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After • Christine Faye Repurposed  •  Coastal Bohemian

   Now, let’s see what the other hosts have created ⇓⇓