The Best Uses for Milk Crates (That Aren’t Crating Milk)

A man holding a plastic blue milk crate.
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Milk crates are sturdy, versatile, boxes that can fill just about any role. Here’s how to turn your cheap milk crates into organizers, storage containers, furniture, and more.

By the way, these projects will work for plastic or wooden milk crates. If you want to save some money, go for the plastic crates. But if you’re worried about style, go ahead and get some wooden crates.

Stackable Storage Bins for Loose Junk

Two milk crates full of kids toys.
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Do you have a bunch of crap lying around? Unorganized books, cables, balls of yarn, or DVDs? Maybe its time to throw all that stuff in some milk crates. Milk crates make for fantastic stackable storage bins, and you can keep them just about anywhere in your house.

Of course, small items will slip through your milk crate’s holes (especially if you’re using plastic crates). You can close off those holes by lining the crate with an old shirt or some fabric (hot glue or tape should fix it to the crate). Or, if you’re feeling really thrifty, you can use old grocery bags to hold loose items in crates.

Closet and Under-Bed Organizers

A shelf full of milk crates
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Need some extra storage in your closet or under your bed? Milk crates are great for organizing clothes, towels, and bedding. You can even add labels to your milk crates to keep everything tidy and easy to identify.

You can take things a step further by placing milk crates (open-side out) on your existing closet shelves. The tops of the milk crates can be used as an extra shelf, and the insides can be used as divided organizers.

Car Trunk Organizers

A woman with a messy trunk. She needs some milk crates!
Myroslava Malovana/Shutterstock

Your trunk may be a jumbled up rat’s nest today, but it could be an organized milk crate haven tomorrow. Milk crates are great for securing loose items in your trunk, like safety equipment, tools, towels, and junk. It’s also nice to have a few empty milk crates in your trunk, just in case you need to move some small items or temperamental groceries.

Again, small items can slip through a milk crate’s holes. You may want to close off the holes by lining the crate with an old shirt or some fabric. And if you’re worried that the milk crates will slide around in your trunk, you can secure them to each other with zip ties.

Stools, Benches, and Shelves

A living room decorated with milk crate furniture
Photographee.eu/Shutterstock

This is where things start to get a little weird. A few cable ties can transform a stack of milk crates into stools, chairs, benches, or shelves. You could even make a milk crate bedframe (if you’re feeling brave).

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