Sunday, July 6, 2014

Classroom Overhaul -- Step 4: Make Milk Crate Seats

One of the challenges of having worked in education for 20+ years is that I have a LOT of stuff.  I have tubs of materials stored above my cabinets (which are also stuffed full). The result is that my classroom looks cluttered (even though I know exactly where everything is).  
A big goal for the summer is to sort through those tubs and purge! I'm planning on reducing the amount of tubs and storing my most essential materials in seat crates.  My students will use them as seats during reading groups.

You've seen the images of seat crates on Pinterest! So cute!  Mine turned out great!  
Step 1: Go shopping!  

  • Fabric:  The fabric was 50% off at Joanne Fabrics, and I bought a yard of each (which was too much). I spent about $10 on fabric and ribbon.
  • Foam: We selected a 2" high density foam that was also 50% off at Joanne. We chose the high density foam because we thought it would last longer and be more comfortable for my students than lower density foam.  I bought an entire sheet because I have some other projects for which I'll be using the leftover foam. I spent about $15 on the entire sheet of foam. (My dogs really liked the foam!)

  • Plastic Crates: I bought 5 turquoise plastic crates from Target. They were $3.99 each, so I spent about $20 (with tax).
  • Plywood: We had 5/8" scrap plywood so that was free.
  • Tools: We used a staple gun, scissors, circular saw, measuring tape and other measuring tools -- all of which we already had.
  • Total Cost: about $45 for 5 seat crates.
Step 2: Measure and cut the wood to fit on the interior rim of the crate.


Step 3: Measure and cut the foam so it is the same size as the wood. I traced the outline of the wood onto the foam.


Step 4: Measure and cut the fabric.  We used 2" foam, so we measured the fabric to be 4" wider (all the way around) than the foam/wood seat.  On the first one, we actually measured and cut the fabric pretty precisely. On the others, we just put the seat in the middle of the fabric and cut it so there was a 4" border of material.

Step 5: Staple the fabric onto the foam/wood seat.  
  • First, we folded the fabric so it would be extra strong.

  • For the corners, we folded them into triangular shapes (like we were wrapping a gift).


 Step 6: Staple on the ribbon. I wanted to have a handle to make it easier to pull the seats up. This was optional because I can easily stick my fingers though the crate to pop the seat up.



All Done! The entire project took about an hour and a half!



12 comments:

  1. Great project! They look awesome and I love that they can also hold storage. I was thinking maybe a Bible and spiral notebook with box for writing/coloring stuff. Do you use them for storage also?

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    1. I use them for storage all the time! They're pretty sturdy!

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  2. What were the dimensions of the crates that you purchased?

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    1. I had been hoping to get back into my school to check the dimensions for you, but it's going to be a few more weeks. I don't think the dimensions are much of a concern as long as you carefully measure the wood and foam to match up.

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  3. Mary, were these seats tall enough for your students? I am thinking about making them for my first graders but am afraid that my bagel table is too high..

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    1. They were tall enough, though I also lowered by my table. It was short for me but worked for them!

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  4. I thought the crates from Target weren't sturdy enough? Are yours the Sterlite brand?

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  5. I'll have to double check when I get back into my school, but I'm pretty sure they were NOT Target brand, and probably were Sterlite or something. I had my husband sit on them on the store to be sure they'd hold up, and I've used them as step stools before.

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    1. HI, was this 2 x 18 x 54 inch foam or 2 x 24 x 54 inch foam? Thanks

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  6. I made these for my classroom. They turned out great! Mybstudents take the seat out and flip it over to use it as a desk. Thanks for sharing! I plan on making more soon!

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  7. Hello,
    I really enjoyed your post on these seating ideas. I will be going into my first year of teaching, and I will be teaching 6th grade at a middle school. I would really love to incorporate as much reading as possible in my classroom. Do you think that these types of crates you made for seating would be too small for them, or do you think that a sixth grader would be too heavy for these seats? I would really like as much advice if you have another idea for seating nook areas for them. Thank you, -Carolina

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  8. Awesome and looks great! I was wondering, what is the size of your board. I have the exact crates but hesitant that once I get the board cut, it won't be the right size. Can you send that to me please? Thanks!

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