Moses Dairy Milk Crate

 Milk Crates Galore!

 A while back my uncle Jerry built some milk crates for my Aunt Edie's front porch. I painted the milk crates a trendy turquoise blue with the words Moses Dairy in honor of my Grandpa Moses. (Insert photo)

Instructions for Moses Dairy Milk Crate: Stain the front of the crate. Let it dry completely. Cut out your letters in vinyl and apply them to the front of the crate. Burnish them really good so the edges don't lift while painting over them. Paint the turquoise paint over the letters and let it dry. Paint a second coat if necessary. This crate has 2 coats.After the paint dries peel off the letters, sand and distress the crate. Then using the Minwax stain marker, darken the sanded edges of the rest of the crate. After the stain dries give it a clear coat. Stain used was Minwax Early American. Paint is Swim by Valspar, Satin Finish. Paint was purchased at Lowes.

The milk crates were a big huge hit with the ladies in Edie's exercise class, they all wanted one! Especially after they found out that a mason jar fits perfectly in each slot. And it seems that everyone has a grandpa, a dad, or someone that used to have a dairy farm (especially in Utah). So Jerry went to work making milk crates. I tried a few different painting techniques on the crates.

This is my favorite technique for painting the milk crates. Paint the crate with 2 coats of basecoat. Cut out the letters with your vinyl letter cutter. Peel the letters off the vinyl and discard them. Then cut around each row of words. Using transfer tape apply the vinyl to the crate. With a small paint brush paint inside the letters, 2 good coats of black paint. When the paint is dry peel off the vinyl. Sand and distress the crate. Now, this is what gives it the cool aged look. Using a stain sponge (I got mine at Ace Hardware) Coat the entire crate with Early American Minwax Stain. After you get the whole thing covered start wiping the stain off with a rag. I use pieces of an old white bath towel. A tshirt works great also. After it dries then give it a clear coat to protect it.

The technique used for the cream milk crate is the same as the crate above. Paint used was Antique White by Behr from Home Depot.

Check out our Etsy store to purchase your own Milk Crate. Down Vintage Lane Etsy Store