I have been doing traditional seating for part of the day and flexible seating for most of the day, but this coming year my class will be much bigger, so I am going full on flexible seating. I have a few different seating options, but without spending a lot of money, I wanted to make crate seats to have as another option. I began this project knowing somewhat how to make them, but I was excited to find Lindsay's blog on the how to: http://sweetnsauerfirsties.com/2019/05/30/diy-storage-crate-seats/
She kept it simple and easy to follow!
I also watched Miss Chruma's video on how to add a dry erase board or flip to use as a lap desk.
Her video is https://youtu.be/XxrmUS3raEE
Both of these were soooo helpful in getting started, so check them out. Let's get started!
The supplies needed are:
*crates (I got mine at Walmart for around $5 each)
*plywood (15 5/8" X 12 5/8") - I got the 3/4" thick size and Home Depot cut them for me
*panel board (1/8" thick board- cut the same size pieces as the plywood)
*foam cushions or foam mattress (I bought the 1" foam at Walmart but used 2 for each crate to make them more comfortable)
*fabric (I got mine at Joann's for 50% off!)
*ribbon (1 1/2"- 2"w for handles)
*duct tape (optional)
*E6000 glue or liquid nails
*hammer
*staple gun
I bought 3 yards of fabric for 4 crates, but you don't need that much. I used a little more than 1/2 yard for each one. Using the 1" foam, you probably only need about 1/2 yard, but since I used 2" of foam, I cut the fabric in a little bit bigger pieces (about 28" X 24").
. Then, I used a hammer to make sure all of the staples were all the way in. Next, I attached a piece of ribbon on the sides to make handles. This is optional, but it is easier to pull them out of the crate.
After everything was stapled, I added duct tape over the ends of the fabric. I don't think this has to be done, but I decided to do it this way. I put the E6000 glue in all of the corners and in the center of the wood. (This is powerful stuff if you haven't used it before! I works so well!)
I put the panel board on the back and pressed down on it, and it dried pretty quickly.
This will be a great addition to my classroom. I can't wait to see them using them! I will probably make more just as a lap desk option. It was a simple project, pretty inexpensive, and fun making them! I saved the rest of the gingham fabric for a small curtain for my door to the courtyard. It's so nice when it all starts to come together! Plus, I love projects during the summer time.
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