Paint a wooden crate

Use unexpected patterns and bright colours to update a couple of retro wooden crates.

Resene upcycling for good with Sarah Herring - Project 22

Finished project

You will need

Detail brush
Painter’s tape for masking and scissors to cut tape
Pencil, ruler and eraser
Resene testpots in Resene Sea Green, Resene ASAP, Resene Hopbush and Resene Palm Green
Sandpaper (only if your crates have a rough surface) Testpot brushes

Paint a wooden crate
Before

Paint a wooden crate
Finished project

Finished project
Finished - close-up

Paint a wooden crate
Finished - back

Instructions

Step one: If your wooden crates have a rough surface, give them a light sand by hand to prepare them for painting. Then, select your paint colour combination. Sarah chose four bright colours that looked fun together: Resene Sea Green, Resene ASAP, Resene Hopbush and Resene Palm Green.

Step two: Next, you need to think up some unique patterns for each side of the crates. Sarah decided to paint each side with a completely different design, using combinations of my selected colours. On some sides Sarah masked out stripes, on another she did a diamond pattern, circles and so on. Use a pencil and ruler or stencils to measure out your chosen designs, and mask them all ready for painting.

Step three: Applying one colour at a time (so you don't have to keep washing brushes and going back to a colour over and over again), paint your designs using a testpot brush. Apply two coats of each colour, making sure you let each coat dry thoroughly in between.

Step 1
Step 1

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Step 3

Step four: Once each colour has dried, remove your masking tape. You might like to touch up any missed spots using a small detail brush.

Step five: If your designs are curved or can't easily be measured and masked out, you might like to paint them freehand. There are ways to mask out curved shapes, but it is quite time consuming. Sarah decided to paint her circles by hand, using a glass as a stencil and drawing the outline with pencil. The trick to painting crisp circles freehand is to load enough paint onto the brush that you get a clean line when you drag the brush around the curve. Practice on paper first if you are nervous!

Step six: Once all your painted designs are dry, the last thing to do is to go back and erase any pencil lines that are left on the crates.

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Step 4

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Step 5

Step seven: Enjoy your newly colourful crates anywhere in your home. They make great kitchen counter storage, planters, or even shelves if you fix them up onto a wall. When you get tired of looking at one pattern, simply turn them around!

Upcycling for Good

You can find a huge range of treasures, from ornaments and picture frames, to furniture and toys at your local Salvation Army store that you can easily upcycle with a little Resene paint and some imagination.

"Our Family Stores are full of treasures generously donated by members of the public. We value these donations and try our hardest to re-purpose and sell as much as possible. We’re all about re-using and recycling, so teaming up with Resene on Upcycling for Good was a perfect match. Resene’s products and tips are a natural fit with our pre-loved furniture and accessories, which are usually great quality but could sometimes do with a lick of paint to ensure they fly off the shelves.

Each year, nationally, our stores save 16,000 tonnes from landfill. This initiative increases the value of the donated product, improves the range of goods for our customers, and furthers The Salvation Army’s mission and Resene’s community activity.” Gareth Marshall, The Salvation Army's National Family Store Manager.

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Resene Paints Ltd – www.resene.com