Wine, re-purposing, and attractive storage solutions — these are a few of our favorite things. Perhaps that's why we've featured the wine crate on so many occasions. As a flea market staple and a liquor store freebie, they're easy to come by and even easier to put to good (re)use. Check out our top re-purposings...

• We love the juxtaposition of cleanly applied paper and recycled wooden wine crates in these fabulous display cases by Design*Sponge's DIY masters, Derek and Lauren. For complete instructions, click here.

• Anything on wheels has our vote. This simple, genius idea would work especially well for under bed storage or childrens' items. With kids, having easy and sturdy storage units makes such a difference in maintaining a clean home. We can only imagine this idea (the castors!) would make for some fun train-style entertainment as well.

• Storing extra towels and toilet paper in plain sight for house guests is a must, especially if you don't relish the idea of having friends searching for them in your less organized, more personal storage spaces. We love this vintage alternative to the lackluster particle board shelving units usually employed for extra bathroom storage.

• We like Rachel of the Heart of Light blog's simple planter and patio organization system.

• We've seen several variations on the stylish wine crate-turned-pet-feeding station, but this DIY from Design*Sponge, is a favorite.

But perhaps our favorite use is the simplest: wall-mounting or stacking the crates for extra storage rather than relying on the usual, ho-hum bookshelves:
baileys wine crate shelfing.jpg
baileys wine crate shelfing1.jpg
martha stewart wine crate garden shed.jpg
The Selby via AT .jpg

You can find new wine crates (often) for free at your local liquor store. If you're in NW, we've had luck at Circle Liquor and Magruder's in Chevy Chase, Ace Beverage in Foxhall, and Wide World of Wines in Glover Park.

If you prefer the vintage varieties, we've spotted wine and sugar crates a-plenty at the Georgetown Flea Market, Old Lucketts Store, and River House.

(Images: 1,5: Design*Sponge, 2: via Emmas Blogg, 3: Real Simple, 4: Heart of Light, 6,7: Bailey's Home & Garden, 8: Martha Stewart, 9: The Selby via Apartment Therapy Chicago)

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