From crates to bookshelf

Sometimes we have stored away in our own homes -- in our garages -- things we don't realize we can use for other purposes. For example, crates. A friend of mine had four wooden crates in her garage being used as storage boxes. Meanwhile, I was looking to buy a bookshelf. What ended up happening? Magic. She gifted these crates to me and BAM:

You can even paint the crates and give them a whole different look. Jeff and I, however, chose to leave them like that (for now) since they go perfectly with the colors in our home. But really, you can "dress them up" any way you wish.

At first we had them all vertically, angled differently, but we figured the books fit better this way. But again, with time, we can play around with the "design". I've also been thinking about getting a small table and putting it where the bottom crate is and then, I'd have another crate to put more books in....because yes, I plan on buying more paperbacks, LOL.

So my advice? Before spending money on things look around your house. Look in your shed, you garage...anywhere. And then, try a yard sale. You never know -- one person's trash is another person's treasure.