VINTAGE SODA CRATES REPURPOSED

(A tutorial on making a kitchen pantry out of old soda crates)

Okay...this is my very first blog post EVER, so please bear with me because I don't really know what I'm doing.  My idea for this pantry evolved from an earlier project, a piece of furniture I created using vintage soda crates and a couple of old ammo crates.  My husband and I are in the process of remodeling our kitchen and I couldn't find a pantry the size I wanted, so...I decided to build one to meet my specifications!

I love antiques and incorporating them into everyday living.  I will admit that there are a lot of vintage items that need to be "reclaimed" ---returned to a suitable condition for use.  This pantry incorporates a door made from approximately eight salvaged soda crates, in various conditions, carefully taken apart and given new life in my kitchen.

The beginning...

I wanted to build my pantry into the corner of my kitchen, with my refrigerator eventually sitting right next to it, so I start by building a toe kick on the floor using 2x4's.  Our chihuahua Lupe, of course, thought he needed to be in the picture, so you also see his little booty.  A base shelf was added, then the framing was attached directly to the walls after locating studs to secure the 2x4's.

Solid plywood panels were added for a side wall and the back of the pantry...  

Next the left side of the pantry was framed out, adding a center stud for stability and a place to secure the inner side panel and the exterior wooden panel...

A 2x4 brace was added across the top, and the top of the cabinet was cut to size and put in place...

At this point, my husband crawled inside and said my new construction would make a perfect tornado shelter ---for him, lol.  After adding the interior left side panel, the outer paneling was added, finishing off the exterior of the pantry...

Shelving was added, customized to fit the items to be stored...

No longer a tornado shelter and now for the fun part, working on the soda crate door...  After hitting all of the antique stores in and out of town, we came up with a good collection of soda (and water) crates.  The cost of each crate ranged from $12.00 to $25.00, and we actually found an Excelsior Springs water crate (my favorite find!) in Kansas City and brought it back to our hometown...

After carefully removing the fronts of the soda crates, they were laid out, measured and cut to fit the front of the pantry...

A frame was built, and the soda crate fronts were glued onto 3/4" plywood with Liquid Nails...  One of my crates was about an inch short, so I centered it and added 1/2-inch spacers to fill in the gaps.  Those spacers will be covered in one of the next steps...

Next two metal strips were cut to length on the sides.  After pre-drilling holes, small silver wood screws were used to secure the metal to the sides of the crates, attempting to keep original look of the metal strapping on the crates.  A very light coat of polyurethane was then applied to the fronts of the soda crates.

After sanding the frame, the back and frame of the door were stained...

...the pantry was stained, and a light coat of polyurethane was applied to the door and the pantry.

After allowing the stain and polyurethane to thoroughly dry, it was time to add the door and put on the finishing touches. I used two 30-inch piano hinges to secure the door.

Four magnetic hinges were spaced out along the inside frame, and metal plates were applied to the back of the door.  These worked great and gave the door a very secure closure...

Lastly, a handle was added.  I chose a stainless steel handle to go with the appliances we had already purchased and the metal strips on the front of the door.

This project is now complete, and I'm ready to move on to the next one!