Milk Crate Book Storage and Reading Bench

Enjoy an easy DIY book storage solution with this milk crate book storage and reading bench. This post was originally published September 1, 2013. 

We have a large collection of children’s books in our home. My daughter‘s favorite books are constantly changing and it’s challenging to find a place for them without taking over our entire house. The milk crate book storage and reading bench has encouraged my daughter to sit down with books during the day and is also where we read a bedtime story each night. 

I used milk crates to create a reading area with bench in my last preschool classroom and I’m excited to now have a similar book storage and reading bench in my daughter’s playroom.

This easy DIY project cost me nothing to create in my classroom and then again in my daughter’s playroom.

Milk Crate Book Storage and Reading Bench Tutorial

Supplies:

• six plastic rectangle milk crates like these 3 Pack Black Heavy Duty Rectangular Stackable Dairy Milk Crates (affiliate link)
• crib mattress, I used my daughter’s old mattress but an inexpensive crib or toddler mattress would be perfect : similar –  Dream On Me Spring Crib and Toddler Bed Mattress (affiliate link)

Arrange five milk crates on the floor with the openings facing outward. Place the sixth milk crate in the middle to support the bench. If the bench is in a classroom, the space under the mattress is perfect for storing holiday or themed books when not in use to make rotating books a quick process.

Place the crib mattress on top and arrange your favorite books in the crates below. I used four soft pillows to create a back to the bench in my daughter’s playroom. The back to the bench in my classroom was made with a large flat rectangle box covered in fabric. The no sew project used hot glue to attach the fabric to the cardboard box.

Select a favorite book and have some fun on your new milk crate book storage and reading bench! 

Do you have any creative ideas for book storage and a reading bench?