DIY Wood Crate Coffee Table with Burnt Wood

When Ford Canada offered me a 2018 F-150 Lariat SuperCrew to do a weekend DIY I jumped at the opportunity. As a homeowner, the to-do list is always growing and the opportunity to finally be able to tackle a bigger project had me eager to start. Plus if you know me you know that I will always jump at the opportunity to make or fix something myself as it is my greatest joy, and this project is actually my favourite DIY to date. 

Between Pinterest and a visit to a friends house, I had the inspiration to make a coffee table out of pine crates but give it some sass by using a blowtorch to enhance the wood grain of the wood planks on top. Although we originally thought we would do a dark stain I decided to use white paint to brighten up the table. I am so happy with the results of our wood crate coffee table and please read on for our step-by-step instructions and how the Ford truck helped us bring a thought to life.

2018 F-150 Lariat SuperCrew

As a current owner of an SUV with a V8 engine, I was skeptical that the 2018 F-150 Lariat SuperCrew would be able to deliver the power we were used to with its 2.7L EcoBoost V6 engine. Even more skeptical was my husband as he headed out to pick it up. An hour later he pulled into our driveway with the biggest smile on his face which was a clear indication that the truck passed the test. 

As I stepped outside to check out our new weekend ride I actually gasped when I opened the doors. The black leather interior was luxe and very spacious. There was no possibility of the kids kicking the back of the front seats and the twin-panel moonroof covered the whole top of the truck. I wish the weather was warmer so we could drive through the country roads at night time to take in some stars but this weekend allowed for no free time. 

After asking the voice-activated navigation system to take us to our local Home Depot we decided to open the windows and try out the 10 speaker B&O audio system.  We threw caution to the wind and put most of the audio to the front with the adults and blasted 90’s hip-hop until we got to our destination. 

The 10-speed automatic transmission did not disappoint and although we only drove it on the EcoBoost and Normal settings (there is also Tow-Haul, Snow-Wet, and Sport setting) it drove like a dream. Little things like the Blind Spot Information System, or BLIS®, gave this anxious driver peace of mind. Whenever another car would come close to our blind spots the side view mirrors would alert us. This also works if you have a trailer attached but we didn’t since the truck bed had ample storage for all our supplies. It even had LED lights in the truck bed to make working in low light conditions possible. Ford really thought of it all. 

Other little things like the running boards that lowered and raised each time a door was opened made the truck ideal even with little kids like ours. Although the truck is large we didn’t have to resort back to opening and closing the doors for the kids and the ample interior space made it a dream to get the kids into their car seats. Seriously a dream. 

Speaking of the truck being big we should seriously discuss parking the beauty. I was scared since we borrowed it that we would have issues but this truck is equipped with four cameras that provide 360-degree views on the centre stack screen. I managed to reverse and park seamlessly in a busy parking lot and even my kids were impressed with my skills. If you are one of the many that have problems parallel parking the 2018 F-150 Lariat SuperCrew parallel parks for you. You read that right. By pushing a button the truck will sense when there is space on your right side for the truck to fit and it will steer it into the spot as you use the gas and brakes. Seriously made me feel like I was winning at adulting. 

If you are not team #parallelpark you can always take advantage of the Reverse Sensing System. It alerts you audibly if there is a car, person, or anything else behind your truck and you can use the centre stack screen to help you ease back into where you want to go.

Since most of our driving is within the city we were impressed with the Auto Start-Stop feature that automatically turns of the car when you come to a stop and are idle. This not only improves the efficiency of the truck saving you money on gas but it also cuts down on emissions. We didn’t even notice it turn off and back on when the brake pedal was released although we were trying to catch it. 

My fave part of the 2018 F-150 Lariat SuperCrew though is the connectivity and tech possibilities. With the FordPass app you can find parking, sort by price and distance from your destination, compare the prices of fuel, and SYNC Connect-equipped vehicles can: receive key vehicle information, locate your parked vehicle, and lock, unlock and start your vehicle remotely. The idea of finding my car in a busy mall parking lot all through an app on my phone makes me giddy.

This truck also has in-vehicle WIFI hotspot capabilities for up to 10 devices and works up to 50 feet outside the vehicle. That means each kid can connect their tablets on long road trips and watch all the Blippi and Paw Patrol they want. The peace and quiet may even allow mom to catch up on some work—one can dream right?

DIY Wood Crate Coffee Table with Burnt Wood Top

This idea of putting together inexpensive wood crates to great a coffee table has been floating around Pinterest for years. Some tutorials are as easy as screwing four strategically placed boxes together and calling it a day while others seemed to call for all the bells and whistles. I chose the route that ensured it was really well supported and attached together without going overboard, I think.

Items you will need include:

Pine Crates. I used 6 large rectangular crates from Home Depot.
Wood Planks to make the top of the table
Wood Glue
Screws
4 L Brackets and 8 flat regular brackets
A piece of Plywood that is roughly the same size as  your coffee table
5 Wheels
Blowtorch
Sandpaper
Paint or Stain for the crates if you choose to go that route
Clear Coat for the top of the table to protect the table. 

Go purchase all of your materials. We spent a couple hours at our local Home Depot getting our supplies. To give you an idea of how I get my ideas to reality I had these crates set up in my coffee table shape in the organization aisle, again in the lumber section so I could get their help measuring and getting the wood cut, and again in the hardware section of the store so I could get some feedback on screws and glue needed.

Don’t be afraid or shy to ask the employees at the store for help.  I spend hours picking their brains when I am doing a DIY or repair and they always make me feel informed and educated before I leave the store. 

When you get home arrange the boxes how you want the table to be when it is finished. 

Glue in the middle of the planks of the crates and bring them together. I used some general masking tape to keep the boxes tight until I had a chance to screw them together. Also this glue I used dries in 10 minutes which really helped until I had a chance to put L brackets and brackets into place.

Let dry completely and when it does place it on top of plywood to trace the outline of the coffee table. This step ensures that there is a base for the table and gives you something to screw the wheels too. I used some scrap wood I had lying around. Whenever I use a saw and am cutting a less than par piece of lumber I use tape over my lines to keep it from splitting.  Use a saw to cut to the desired length.

Flip the table upside down and put a bead of wood glue on each part of the exposed crate that will be touching the plywood you just cut. 

Place the plywood on the table and at this point also attach the four wheels with screws that will bring the plywood and crates together. I tried to use fairly short screws (you can ask the staff at Home Depot what length you need depending on the size of boxes you get. 

If during the process you use screws that are too long you can use a Dremel tool with the correct attachment to cut off the excess. 

Flip your table over so that it is the right way up and at this point, I would sand any especially rough patches gently prior to staining or painting. If you are going to stain this I would take it outside but since I used some leftover paint from when we did our bedroom over the summer I did it in my living room one evening while the kids slept. Let dry completely between coats as well. A couple of my friends did a shelf out of crates and let me know that the paint and primer spray paint will also work although it will be a more rustic look. 

At this point, you will need to get your blow torch and turn it on. I suggest working on a scrap piece of wood to practise finding your groove. You will want to enhance the grain on the wood planks you purchased. My husband actually did 5 out of 6 pieces of wood as he has a gentler touch and I charred one slab. I used sandpaper to take off some of the excess darkness from overburning. 

You will want to arrange the pieces of wood on top of the coffee table to see how you want the finished piece to look. Once I had an idea of the final product I started to put wood glue on the crates and putting the burnt wood on it. I also used longer screws to attach the top planks of wood to the crates. Since the crates are not the best quality I used a staggered technique where I screwed from the top down into the thicker sides of the crates. 

Finish it off with a clear coat to the top where it will be getting a lot of wear. I actually did about 3 or 4 coats of clear coat making sure I let them dry in between. I will probably do a few more this weekend. 

For more information on the Ford F-150 Lariat SuperCrew head on over to their website today. Better yet head into a dealership so you can check out what makes this ride luxurious, safe and a great help when it comes to tackling projects like this DIY Wood Crate Coffee Table with Burnt Wood Top.

Aneta Alaei

Aneta is a Toronto-based mom of four that loves a good meal, great company, and learning something new. In her free time, you can find her trying to keep yet another plant alive.

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