Table from Scraps

Outdoor buffet made from a street find and scrap parts.

I've always been a fan of trash to treasure.  As much fun as it can be to shop for clients in high-end showrooms, what makes my heart go pitter pat is finding something unwanted and turning it into something stylish and useful.  Recently, some new neighbors moved in and promptly discarded this fantastic crate:

I immediately recognized that it could be great as something---I just wasn't sure what.  My first thought was planter.  My first step was to cover it in marine polyureathane, a necessity no matter that the end product:

I liked the idea of planter, but i didn't really need one.  But I started toying with the idea of a raised planter...but how to raise it easily, cheaply, and quickly.  When I started playing with options, I realized that the crate would be a great table--the high sides meant that I can stack paper plates and plastic cups for parties without worrying about wind or clumsy guests.  Thinking about guests and buffets made me think of tray tables---I happened to have some extra ones and realized that they would make terrific X-shaped bases (especially after a hit of color from spray paint left over from another project):

Salvaged crates, spray paint, and tray tables make an outdoor buffet.

A few accessories, and voila:  a goodlooking and hardworking addition to our party patio.