Create & Decorate Reimagined

Shabby to Chic in a Weekend
by Jennifer anbd Kittly O'Neil

Soda crates are a flea market favorite and have dozens of uses. We knew this weathered 7-Up crate would make a charming shadowbox, and then we took that idea a step further by turning it into a shadowbox table. The crate only cost $3, but the table looks like a million bucks!

• Flea market soda crate
• Glass tabletop, 1/4” thick, cut to fit inside crate
• Wooden legs, 22” with mounting plates, four
• Basswood stick, 1/2” x 1/2” x 24” (in the dowel aisle)
• Black self-adhesive rubber feet, 1/2” x 1/2”, four
• Foam core board, 1/4” thick, enough to fit inside crate
• Dark green velvet, enough to cover foamcore board
• Plaid Folk Art acrylic paint in Napthol Crimson, 2 oz.
• Amazing Goop all-purpose contact adhesive
• Electric screwdriver, foam paintbushes, handsaw, masking tape, metal yard stick, pencil, scissors, straight pins, X-ACTO craft knife

1. Mask the brass foot of each leg with the masking tape. Paint the wooden legs Napthol Crimson red and let dry.
2. Measure the inside of the crate. Using the metal yardstick and the X-ACTO craft knife, cut the foamcore board to fit inside the crate. Watch your fingers! Cover the foamcore board with the velvet. Secure the velvet to the back by sliding straight pins through the fabric and into the foam core board at an angle. Cut off any excess fabric. Place the velvet-covered foamcore board in the bottom the crate.
3. To make a support for the glass top, stick the piece of basswood inside the crate at the corner. Mark it with the pencil ¼” from the top of the crate. Cut the basswood with the handsaw, then use that piece to measure and cut 3 more identical pieces. Glue the 4 pieces of basswood into the corners of the crate using the Goop adhesive. Attach a self-adhesive rubber foot onto the top of each piece of basswood.
4. When the glue is dry, flip the crate over onto a stack of books, so the foam core insert is resting on the books. Attach the mounting plates to each corner of the crate with the screwdriver. Screw in the red legs. Flip the crate table over onto its new legs.
5. Arrange a collection of items inside the shadowbox. Place the glass tabletop inside the top of the crate so it rests on the 4 rubber feet.