DIY Dutch Tulip Crate

Today, we’re sharing our DIY Dutch Tulip Crate which has been one of our favorite projects to date!

Our DIY Dutch Tulip Crate Gift Inspiration…

Every year, I rack my brain to think of an Easter gift my Mom will love.

She’s such a great lady, a ridiculously hard worker and gives selflessly to others on a daily basis.

All while looking like she just stepped out of a J Crew catalog ?

She’s so giving, she still puts together an Easter basket for all of us including the dogs. I can’t even imagine what her buggy in Target must look like.

Anytime I ask her what she wants as a gift, she almost always answers…I want you girls to be close, to stay together, to enjoy each other and be happy

Is that a total mom answer or what?

Some of my favorite stories recount her time living in Germany and her travels to the tulip fields in Holland as a child.

I’ve heard most of these stories a million times. But there’s always something about the way she recounts her time there with tenderness that made me realize I could help recreate a little bit of that magic with a Dutch tulip crate.

Here’s a look at how you can make a DIY Dutch Tulip Crate too…

You can use reclaimed, salvaged or new wood for this project. This DIY Tulip Crate is 27 inches long and 16 ½ inches wide.

DIY Dutch Tulip Crate Materials List:

• 2 boards – 27 inches long by 2 ½ inches wide for the front
• 2 boards – 15 inches long by 2 ½ inches wide for the sides
• 3 boards –16 ½ inches long by 2 ½ inches wide for the base
• 4 pieces – 4 inches long by 1 ½ inches wide for the inside of the crate
• 1 piece – 26 ½ inches – 27 inches long by 16 ½ inches wide of hardware cloth (*I chose not to go all the way to the edge of each board so I’m leaving a little bit of margin in case you decide you want to)
• Ruler and level
• Saw
• Pneumatic nail gun or hammer
• Staples and wood nails to secure in place
• Desired stain color, stain brush, gloves and a tarp to protect your work surface
• Stencils, chalk, black craft paint and detail craft brush for application
• 220 or 320 grit sandpaper
• Clear paste wax or polyurethane
• Lint free cloth or brush for application of wax or polyurethane

DIY Dutch Tulip Crate Process:

Use a saw to cut all the wood pieces you need first. It will be so much easier to assemble.

Looking back, it would have also been a lot easier to stain each piece of wood at this point too but as you’ll see I waited until the end.

Since you’re building a rectangle it’s helpful to lay out the shape/pieces on a flat work surface.

We used:

• 27 inch pieces for the front and back
• 15 inch pieces for the sides
• 16 ½ inch pieces for the base

You’ll also need 4 pieces that are 4 inches long by 1 ½ inches wide to go inside the frame.

Secure all pieces in place with wood nails. We use a pneumatic nail gun but if you don’t have one seriously don’t sweat it.

Old school hammer and nails will work just fine.

Next using caution and care, secure your piece of cut hardware cloth and to the bottom of the DIY Dutch Tulip Crate with staples.

Be sure to use caution, care and common sense as the edges of the wire cloth will be sharp.

Once you have the hardware cloth secured and in place, you need to secure the pieces of the base to the rectangular frame.

Make sure the 3 base pieces are equal distance apart. Then nail each base piece in place.

Staining a DIY Dutch Tulip Crate:

At this point, if you’re using reclaimed or salvage wood, you’re good to go and can start lettering the sides if you choose.

However, if you’re using new wood, you’ll need to stain the wood to give it that vintage inspired look.

As I shared above it would have been much easier to stain the pieces of the DIY Dutch Tulip Crate before I started the assembling process.

This stain color is a custom mix of pecan, mahogany, steel wool/vinegar, rain water and sunshine.

Using Letter Stencils:

After the stain has completely dried, start stenciling or free handing the letters on the front of the crate.

You can find these stencils at your local home improvement or craft supply store.

Outlining your letters with a piece of chalk is easier to erase if you have any oops moments.

Then fill in each letter with black (or whatever color you choose) craft paint.

Once the paint is dry, lightly sand with 220 or 320 grit sandpaper.

Finally, seal with paste wax or polyurethane.

Simple Decorating Ideas:

My Mom uses this DIY Dutch Tulip Crate mostly inside as a decorative piece, which is why I chose wax.

That said, if you plan to use something like this outside, you’ll need to choose a sealant that is waterproof and weather resistant for outdoor elements.

Honestly, it’s such a neutral piece you can use it all over the house, a covered porch or sunroom.

It’s also a great piece to use throughout the year! Especially, in the spring and summer.

Let us know if you decide to create a DIY Dutch Tulip Crate too. They’re so versatile!

A Few Other Spring Inspired Posts You Might Enjoy:

• How to Decoupage Easter Eggs 
• A Last-Minute Easter Basket Centerpiece 
• Spring Home Tour & Easter Blog Hop 
• Simple Bunny Inspired Tablescape 

Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo