Farmhouse Centerpiece | Easy Wooden Crate Craft with Mason Jars

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The sun is spilling in through the windows. The heater is finally off. The cold ground is starting to thaw and flowers are thinking about making an appearance.

We’re getting the raised garden beds ready. You don’t have to bundle up on 17 layers before you leave the house….ah Spring! It’s such a lovely time of year, isn’t it?

It’s this time of year that really makes me want to add little touches of flowers all over our house to bring the Springtime alive. Decorating your home for the seasons may seem like a hassle, but it doesn’t have to be with simple DIYs like this.

Today’s DIY tutorial will show you how to make a versatile farmhouse centerpiece to put some pretty Spring flowers on display in your home in some fun painted mason jars (learn how to paint mason jars in this tutorial)!

What I Used to Make a Farmhouse Centerpiece

I found the inspiration for my project in this unfinished wooden crate at Goodwill for $2 (but don’t worry because you can grab the same one at Michael’s for only $6).

The crate had a sticker on the side that easily peeled off. I let it sit around for a few weeks before deciding to turn it into a farmhouse centerpiece to bring in some fun colors and flowers for Spring!

How To Make This Easy Farmhouse Centerpiece

This farmer’s market farmhouse centerpiece contains affiliate links, but nothing that I wouldn’t wholeheartedly recommend anyway! Read my full disclosure here.

Step 1. Stain your wooden crate.

You just need a light coat of stain all over your crate. Don’t worry about getting it perfect because you are going paint over it. …. I know, I know. I sound crazy, but just trust me!

Step 2. Cut your letter stickers using your cutting machine.

I chose the words “farmer’s market”. The Cameo makes it so simple to create quick stencils using adhesive shelf liner for painting projects like this.

As I mentioned above, if you don’t have a cutting machine – no worries! You can head to the craft store and find some stickers that fit on your crate.

Step 3. Apply your stickers.

Be sure to press the sticker on well because we’re going to be painting over them. (UPDATE: Since I made this crate, I’ve now figured out a way to prevent paint from bleeding under stencils – check it out here!)

Step 4. Paint the entire crate.

I did three coats of chalk paint. Take extra care around the sticker letters, and don’t glop (is that even a real word? I totally use glop) lots of paint on the section because it will likely bleed under the stickers. 

We also used this same chalk paint on this vintage bread box makeover, and it turned out great!

Step 5. Remove stickers once dry.

You’re safe to remove the stickers once the chalk paint is dry to the touch. If you’re having a hard time pulling the stickers up, try using tweezers to grab them!

Step 6. Distress your wooden crate.

I used 220 grit sandpaper to do light sanding everywhere. With the wood stain underneath the paint, it’s a really fun result when you start sanding and that dark stain pops through.

When distressing with sandpaper, I usually focus more on the edges to make it look vintage and worn.

Step 7. Seal with a finishing wax.

I used Minwax finishing wax, which is clear.

If you want to make the crate look even more vintage, you can try a dark wax which will slightly tan everything a bit as you seal. I wanted to keep mine bright and white to go with the colorful Spring decor!

Step 8. Fill your crate.

I chose to fill my farmhouse centerpiece with the painted mason jars we made earlier this week (check out this tutorial for how to paint mason jars) and faux flowers.

Styling a Rustic Farmhouse Crate Centerpiece

See! I told you that decorating your home for the seasons didn’t have to be a hassle. Adding vibrant Spring colors and flowers will really help brighten your home as we move into the Spring season.

What other ways are you preparing for Spring?

This simple farmhouse centerpiece can really be used for any season, though! I’m sure it will be one of the traveling pieces of decor in our home.

Do you have home decor items in your house that are constantly getting moved around too?

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