Miss Stuttler's Teaching Tidbits: Crate Seats

If you're looking for more storage space in your classroom and functional/cute seating...look no further! I have seen these unique seats on Pinterest for quite some time! When I saw that my new classroom includes a small group table...I finally had time for a "DIY project" and I decided to give in to this new seating option.

Supplies List

Crates (I made 6 using crates I already owned)- Wal-Mart usually has these for Back-to-school for a reasonably good price. I found these last year for about $4 each.
Staple gun and staples
Hot glue gun and glue (optional)
Craft ribbon
Clear shower curtain liner
Scissors
Foam batting (also found at Wal-Mart for around $5...may be able to find cheaper at a craft store)
Material to cover seats (I used 6 fat quarters from the material section at Wal-Mart)
Squares of wood from hardware store- Each should be 3/4" thick and measured around 13 9/16 x 12 9/16 (Lowe's will cut these for you)
Sharpie
Box cutter (optional)

Okay, once you have gathered all of your materials, you are ready to get to work!

Set out the foam batting under the piece of wood and trace around it

Cut the foam batting on your guide lines

Using a hot glue gun, glue the corners of the foam batting to the wood (this will help keep the cushion in place)

Put one piece of your material on a flat surface with the cushion side of the seat facing down

Using a staple gun, carefully fold over the material. Then, thoroughly staple the material to the wood.

This next step is optional, but I would recommend it for longer lasting seats. Cut your shower curtain liner to fit around the block of wood. and staple, staple, staple it! If you think you have stapled enough, staple a few more!

The last step is stapling a piece of ribbon to the wood. I cut about a foot of ribbon and looped it, then stapled to the wood. This will allow kids to easily lift the top for access to crate storage.