Wood Lath Crate Shelves

This is the trickiest part if you don't have a nailer: glue and nail the lath across the back of the two 1x4 end pieces, spacing the slats evenly. Even spacing is the whole game on a piece this plain — an uneven gap is the only flaw the eye will find.

Add the lath across the ends to close the crate, and it's built. Sand off any splinters and paint — two coats of a satin color make cheap lath look deliberate. These stack and hang nicely once dry.