It is a basically a given that I can never have enough shelving/storage or enough lighting in almost any room of my house. Especially my craft room! As I was thinking of some ideas for how to increase one or the other I realized “why not do both at once?” So here is my attempt at combining lighting and practical shelving.
I love the look and ease of using crates as shelves and already had a small crate just sitting in my closet so thought I would finally try it. And seriously – it is the easiest shelving ever.
- Materials
- Small wood crate (any craft store should carry it, mine is from Michael’s) //
- 5/16 drill bit //
- Drill //
- Lamp kit (or just a cord and light socket) //
- Screwdriver //
- Nail //
- Ruler //
- Pen/pencil //
1. Measure the length of the smaller side of the wood crate and use a pen to mark in the center at the bottom. This is where the light will go through.
2. Use your 5/16 drill bit to drill a hole right where you marked the center.
3. Take the cord through the middle slit in the back of the crate near the bottom and pull it through the hole a little ways (according to the below picture).
4. Next you will secure the wires to the screws on the socket. To do this, first remove the socket sleeve and then you will want to take your screwdriver and loosen the screws up. Next, place the socket on top of the crate and take the ribbed wire and wrap it around the silver screw. Take the other wire and wrap it around the bronze screwdriver. For both of them you want to wrap it around clockwise. If you need additional instructions, I found this resource helpful.
5. Next, take the screwdriver and tighten the screws. MAKE SURE THE CORD IS NOT PLUGGED IN. 
6. Take the socket cover and place it on top.
7. Once the socket is all connected, take the light bulb and screw it on.
8. To hang, just hammer in one nail and slide the crate on.
Note that I painted the socket gray using spray paint but you can keep it bronze or paint it a fun bright color. You can also stain the crate but lately I’ve been into lighter wood so I kept it natural.
Fill in your new shelving space with little trinkets and supplies! Make sure to even out both sides so that the shelf/crate stays stable. I didn’t have a great way to hide the wire but I ended up placing a framed map directly below it and it covered almost all of the wire. And when I plugged it in and flipped the switch, the bulb worked perfectly!
3. Once your shape is cut, use the knife to slice a small sliver at the top. This is where the photo/card will go into so test the depth with a photo to make sure it is sufficient.
5. Use painter’s tape to tape off any sections that you don’t want covered with the spray paint.
6. Spray paint the clay. I only needed to do one coat. Once the spray paint is dry, take the painter’s tape off and place your photos in the holders!
My super talented sister-in-law is always sending cards. Seriously, she is the card queen. Every birthday or event she immediately sends you a thank you card for- she is so thoughtful. One time I was in Utah and went to my niece’s birthday party and two days later when I got home, I had a thank you card waiting for me. It was incredible. And these holders are perfect for showing off her endless adorable cards!
They are also great for holding all types of invitations in! And this amazing Alice in Wonderland postcard Machelle sent me!
