What to make from old boxes. DIY drawer rack

A wooden box is a real unplowed field for design creativity. The new review collected the most vivid examples using old boxes. Anything is better than just throwing them in a landfill, making them completely unnecessary.

1. Kitchen cabinet

2. Open shelf

3. Mobile table

4. Flower pot

5. Bedside table

6. Open cabinet

7. Shoe rack

8. Shoe rack

9. Poof

10. Cupboard

11. Bathroom shelves

12. Container for small items

13. Table

14. Mobile container

15. Wine rack

16. Bench

17. Bed

Continuing the theme, straight away from improvised means and materials.

• Tables made from boxes
• Wooden table on a carved leg
  • Final stages of finishing

Ready-made factory furniture is not always diverse, and the cost of unusual and quality models sometimes great. Why not try making your own furniture? If you are not sure about own strength, then you can start with a simple coffee table. Making a table with your own hands is not so difficult; you can use not only ordinary wood, but also wooden boxes. The structure can then be treated with varnish or stain. The result is an unusual and durable model.

In order to do beautiful table, you don’t need to buy expensive materials at all, you can make it from ordinary boxes.

Tables made from boxes

How to make a table from wooden boxes left over from vegetables or wine? For production you will need 4 drawers, furniture wheels, mounting metal corners, screws for woodworking, stain of the chosen color, clear varnish and brushes.

Ready-made drawers make the work much easier, since there is no need to assemble individual parts of the table from boards.

In fact, the work consists only of fastening the individual elements together and then installing the wheels.

If the interior of the room is bright, then such a table can be painted acrylic paint red, yellow or other color.

• First, a frame is made for the future coffee table, and the wheels will be attached to it. To make the frame, take a regular board with dimensions of 40*100 mm. The shape of the table will be square, which means the frame should have the same shape. The boards are knocked together, nails and screws are used for fastening. In the middle of the structure you need to attach a fifth board, it will act as a reinforcement;
• Now you can start installing the boxes on the frame of the structure; they will be connected with self-tapping screws. The fastening corners are mounted at the bottom and at the top; it is necessary not only to fasten the boxes to the frame, but also to each other to create a stable and reliable structure. First, it is recommended to connect the boxes together, then install them on the frame;
• The next step is the installation of furniture wheels. You cannot take ones that are too small, as they may not withstand the weight; medium-sized ones made of rubber or special plastic that do not leave scratches on the floor are best suited;
• The final stage of finishing is reduced to grinding the surface. This can be done manually; regular sandpaper is used for cleaning. After cleaning, the entire structure is covered with stain of the selected color and then varnished. Such work will not cause difficulties if the distance between the individual boards is sufficient to inner space could be painted after assembly. If the stain has dried, the structure can be coated with several layers of varnish. But what if the space between the boards is too small? Then inner surface boxes must be painted before installation; at the same time it is recommended to varnish the wood. This will avoid difficulties when everything is already collected and it is difficult to get inside.

If the interior is bright or you need to add a bright spot to it, then such a table can be safely painted with acrylic paint in red, light green, yellow or another color. You can even depict any pattern on the surface, geometric patterns. After the paint has dried, you can attach a glass tabletop to the front surface, which can be solid or consist of 4 parts.

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Wooden table on a carved leg

Drawing of a coffee table.

If there lathe and skills to work with it, then you can start making a beautiful coffee table that will stand on a carved leg and have a round tabletop.

To work, in addition to a lathe, you also need to prepare a milling machine, clamps, grinder. Materials used:

• wooden beam 50*50 mm;
• boards with a thickness of 25 mm, a width of 45 mm, 10-15 mm;
• special wood glue.

First you need to start making the legs for the future table. In this case, the round tabletop will not be large, so one support will be enough. To make the legs, a timber is used, its 2 parts are glued together. Why exactly 2 beams? Using just one will not provide the strength you need for your countertop. The future shape of the leg will be similar to a baluster for a staircase. A lathe is used to process wood. When making a leg, it is advisable to make a thickening at the base; the shape should not be too thin. After the workpiece receives the desired shape, it is necessary to sand its surface.

Now we need to prepare the central leg for attaching the side supports, there will be 4 of them. Eyelets are cut out at the base, each 1 cm deep. You need to cut the side supports only from a solid board; you cannot glue it together, so you should immediately select the thickness and width of the required value. On a milling machine, the workpieces are given a semicircular shape, then they are ground.

In the upper part of the central leg it is necessary to cut special through holes for the cross. It is made of boards with a width of 45 mm and a thickness of 19 mm. The length in this case depends on what parameters the tabletop will have. All ends of the cross will rest against the underframe, creating a reliable foundation. The manufactured cross is placed in the prepared hole and glued.

Now you can make a base for the future carved table. Boards with a thickness of 20 mm and a width of 45 mm are taken. They are cut into equal parts and then assembled into a hexagonal shape. After sanding, carefully glue the workpieces with wood glue and leave to dry. For the underframe, it is recommended to make a decorative edging; just glue rounded wooden planks along the contour. The finished base must be fastened to the crosspiece with self-tapping screws with a length of 65 mm.

The table top will be round, you can use furniture board. It is best to take 2 of these panels with a thickness of 300 mm; they must be carefully glued together, then mark in the form of a circle and carefully cut out the future tabletop. The part is sanded, after which its edges are processed milling machine. To attach the tabletop to the leg, you need to use so-called crackers. They will be screwed to the tabletop with self-tapping screws.

Where does your old furniture go after purchasing new furniture? To the garage? To the dacha? To the “poor relatives”? But, as you know, if the furniture is still quite strong, it deserves a chance to new life- just thanks to your imagination and skillful hands.

Let's assume you have old chest of drawers, desk or kitchen cabinets, which you don’t want to throw away, but there is no point in leaving them in the same place, because their new analogues have already been purchased. What these pieces of furniture have in common is that they have drawers that can be turned into an unusual and practical interior element.

You can make original ones wall shelves and even shelving from the drawers of an old chest of drawers, table or cabinet. On such improvised shelves you can place useful or simply beautiful little things, creating cute islands of decor. Most likely, such creativity will appeal to lovers of vintage solutions, as well as those who want to update their interior with virtually no investment.

Any old drawers will do - made of wood or chipboard, from a chest of drawers, desk or old kitchen:

any size and quantity drawers You can find a worthy use, as you will now see.

Here is the algorithm for your actions:

remove the drawers from old furniture, check them for the integrity of surfaces and connections;

whether to remove the handles or not is a matter of taste, however, many believe that with them the look is more original;

change the appearance of the drawers if you want;

add cross shelves if you want to place small items in several tiers;

screw it to the wall with screws at a convenient height;

small drawers can be made removable - attach 2 fastenings to the back of the frame for hanging light furniture on the wall;

Arrange your little things or decor.

how to use drawers from an old chest of drawers or wardrobe

Small boxes are optimal for interior decoration, while medium and large ones can be used to create extra seats for storing things

option number 1: beautiful - displays for decoration:

Beautiful dishes, small plastic items, any collections and even photographs - all this in boxes mounted on the walls looks very unusual.

option No. 2: convenient - shelves for small items:

Books and CDs, bath and table accessories, shoes and jewelry, handicrafts and stationery, garden and household tools - this is far from full list little things that can be placed in drawers from old furniture hung on the wall.

how to make shelves from drawers more attractive and practical

Change the appearance of the boxes as your imagination dictates and based on their purpose.

back wall decoration:

In this case, the “back wall” is the bottom of the box. How to make it more interesting? Remnants of wallpaper or fabric (for any surfaces), smooth or textured paint (for wood and plywood), chalkboard paint, sheet music or old geographic Maps. In a word, everything that can be found in the house.

internal shelves:

In boxes that will turn into volumetric shelves, it makes sense to make horizontal partitions, i.e. internal shelves. Sometimes they already exist as intended by the manufacturer. If you are going to place small but heavy items, take care to reinforce the bottom (with a wooden plank or bracket).

other ideas for creating shelves from old cabinet drawers

If you have a lot of boxes from old furniture, you can create a creative composition. And shelves made of drawers can be horizontal, as if extending from the wall.

how to combine several boxes:

Back-to-back or spaced apart, at different angles and in combination with traditional shelves, adding wall decor or modular compartments.

horizontal mount:

In small drawers, traditionally mounted to the wall (with the handle forward), you can place even more small items. But they must be hung on reliable brackets used for shelves.

floor shelving from old chest of drawers

You can also build a shelving unit, and even if it won’t be the most spacious, you won’t spend a penny! In addition to checking the reliability of the boxes and possibly updating their appearance, you will need to correctly compose the composition of the modules so that it is stable, and then firmly connect the boxes to each other, and then additionally attach them to the wall.

modular bookshelf from old boxes:

No less interesting solution when from old kitchen furniture There are not only drawers made of wood, but also frames. Rotating elements different sides, create the optimal composition, if possible, without gaps. Attach each element to the wall, and add strong brackets below.

IN last years So-called “life hacks” have come into fashion. From available materials, through simple manipulations, they construct something useful for the home. Wooden boxes are also used, from which it is easy to assemble original, multifunctional furniture. They mainly use food containers: canned food, fruits and vegetables. In bachelor apartments, military boxes that used to store weapons and ammunition will look good. Stylish, “masculine” decor is not specially painted in order to preserve the markings and natural shabby appearance. Of course, such non-standard decoration is not combined with all styles in interior design. Strict classics, uncompromising modern, laconic high-tech are difficult to combine with wooden packaging. The boxes will look cute and appropriate in homes where the concept of Provence, country, ethnic, fusion, Scandinavian, Russian, and rustic style is implemented. If you try hard with decoration, then such decoration can be organically integrated into the design composition of loft and minimalism. Let's talk about ways to use wooden boxes in the interior and how to make furniture elements from them with your own hands.

Wall shelves

Slatted boxes are most often used, but plywood “models” are also available. Both options are useful for decorating a room. Wall system storage is needed in every home. Using hanging shelves, you can save space in a cramped bathroom, living room, kitchen, and even in a pantry or loggia. Fruit or vegetable wooden boxes make an excellent organizer that will help contain things and household items in strict order. After pre-treatment containers, modules are fastened together by screwing self-tapping screws into them side walls. If you need “single” shelves with spaces between them, then the scale of work is reduced. They are painted in the desired color, decorated and attached with the bottom cover to the wall vertically or horizontally. The sides will serve as shelves. In another option, the boxes are placed “naturally”, that is, one of the sides leans against the surface. Such shelves will be more spacious, but are used more often in closets, since the contents will not be displayed. An original solution will be manufacturing wooden frame, in which decorated drawers will be placed as pull-out containers. By the way, in the same way you can organize hanging shelves from baskets. To make the storage system look more beautiful, it is decorated with forged support at the bottom. Metal goes well with wood. Unusual design solution The wall in the hallway will be decorated using different-sized drawers. The center of the composition will be the mirror in wooden frame. Boxes are placed around it different sizes: some are used as key holders, on others they place hats and gloves, and on others - houseplants and small decor. The design is completed by securing the slats with hooks for bags.

Wooden boxes can be decorated as original shelves for storing wine bottles. Inside, they are divided into sections using crossbars, and then varnished, decorated with twine, pieces of burlap, fixed to the wall and laid with a backing of hay. The themed wine storage shelf is ready. In another version, an open cabinet is made from a box. It is placed vertically, the top cover is strengthened with decorative table top from boards. Shelves are installed inside for horizontal placement of bottles, as in wine cellars.

Shelving

Wooden boxes make excellent shelving units. They can be strictly rectangular in shape or have asymmetrical edges, which will add a special flavor to the decor of the room. This storage system is ideal for a home workshop, office or living room. The boxes are secured to each other using self-tapping screws or self-tapping screws, painted and placed against the wall. You can store whatever your heart desires on such racks: books, things, jewelry, food, towels and pillows, household chemicals, small decor. The designs look original, on the shelves of which “necessary” things are placed, alternating with flower pots. Rectangular racks can be assembled from identical boxes, which are arranged in a strict order or vertically and horizontally, but in such a way that a storage system of the correct shape is formed.

Drawers mounted on special legs with spaces between the modules will be an excellent addition to a rustic-style kitchen. They store vegetables (potatoes, onions, carrots), jars of pickles or canned food. It is important that each drawer is secured in its natural position, that is, with the bottom down. Thus, the strength of the cabinet will increase, because the container was originally designed for heavy loads.

The footwear stand

A shoe cabinet is assembled according to the same principle as a rack of drawers. The only thing worth considering: different heights sneakers, shoes, ankle boots and winter boots. For the first two, shelves made of drawers located horizontally are suitable, and for tall shoes they are placed vertically. If you make a homemade cabinet from an old container that is unevenly painted, then such an element will complement the hallway in the Provence style.

Bedside tables and tables

From the drawers you can make cabinets, coffee tables and boxes for storing small items instead of plastic or wicker baskets. In the latter case, choose containers with high sides. It is simply sanded, varnished or painted and equipped with paired handles on the sides for ease of movement. Bedside tables assembled from two boxes connected to each other. They store photographs, watches, phones, magazines and books, and the top cover is used as a shelf for lamps or indoor plants. To create a coffee table you will need:

• Four drawers;
• Plywood sheet;
• Self-tapping screws;
• Wheels (optional).

A pallet is cut out of plywood square shape. The width of its edges should correspond to the sum of the length of one box and the height of the other. If desired, you can add small indents of a couple of centimeters. Wheels are first attached to the pallet, and then the boxes are attached in a spiral, that is, the side of the next one rests against the back wall of the previous one. The empty middle is decorated flower arrangement, a group of candles or a lamp. This coffee table can be used to decorate your living room or backyard in the summer. It is complemented by sun loungers assembled from pallets or poufs from old tires, decorated with rope.

From miniature boxes you can make decorative boxes for jewelry or boxes for flowers on the holiday table.

Ottoman for the hallway

To make an ottoman for the hallway or living room, you will need:

• Box;
• A sheet of durable wood for the top cover;
• Foam rubber;
• Upholstery material;
• Construction stapler;
• Wheels.

The box is sanded and varnished. Wheels are attached to its bottom, and a lid is attached to the top. If you need to use the ottoman also as a storage system, then it is placed on hinges so that the seat can be opened in the future. Then foam rubber is fixed to the lid and covered with fabric using a stapler.

Entertainment complex for cats

From boxes and metal pipes creating an entertainment complex for cats. As you know, tailed animals get bored in apartments. To prevent the animal from damaging furniture and wallpaper, you can occupy it with your own miniature cottage, where cats sleep, play and sharpen their claws. Some boxes are covered with plywood lids with round entry holes, others are left with only the bottoms, which are covered with soft foam rubber and upholstered with fabric, and on others, scratching posts are attached. The modules are connected to each other in any order. Additionally, the “house” is equipped with a ladder system to make it more convenient for the animal to move around the “floors”. Instead of a purchased bed for a cat or dog, cribs are created from a box. The box is thoroughly sanded. It is better not to coat it with varnish, as your pet may not like its smell. Then a pair of upper slats are cut off from one of the sidewalls, which will be the front one. The inside of the box is filled with foam rubber or other soft material and cover it with a blanket. Additionally sleeping area decorated with miniature hand-sewn pillows. Of course, the size of the box and the future crib is selected according to the dimensions of the pet. To make a feeder, you will need a stainless steel bowl, a wooden container and plywood. The top cover is cut out from the last sheet. They do it in the center round hole under the bowl. The plywood is then secured to the box. All that remains is to insert the bowl. You need to choose one with protruding sides, which will hold the container by the lid. The bowl can be easily removed to wash or replace with another. A double feeder is made from a large box using the same technology with paired containers for food and water.

Using boxes in the garden

The boxes make excellent flower beds. They can simply be placed on a backing, creating an original composition in front of the house, or combined into vertical flower bed with several floors. The boxes are placed on top of each other in a chaotic disorder, connected in parallel with self-tapping screws to obtain a stable structure. In pain complex options use four slats, fixed in pairs at an angle to each other. Instead of steps on this “ladder” there are boxes with flowers or herbs. If there is a free wall of an outbuilding or wooden fence, then the modules are fixed on it, in the manner of shelves in which pots with plants are placed. Original version there will be a composition of five boxes, four of which form the sides of the rectangle, and the fifth will become the center, touching the corners with the remaining modules. If containers of different sizes are available, then a multi-tiered flower bed is made from it. A large box is placed at the bottom, and smaller modules are placed on top so that the smallest one becomes the top of the pyramid. The “square-rhombus” alternation will look beautiful in this composition. Garden flower beds-steam locomotives are also made from the boxes, where the modules are equipped with decorative wheels and transformed into trailers, and the front one will become the “head of the train.”