Egg cartons, and their fraction-of-an-inch measurements in each direction, almost never fit nicely in any store bought wooden crate. So we designed our own! Here is how much it holds, how much it costs and how it can become the workhorse of your egg selling business. Even if that business is nothing more than hauling your eggs up to the office to sell!
How the Egg Carton Crate Design Was Born
I found it annoying that every wood crate I purchased from the store – including the antique store – did not fit my stamped egg cartons perfectly. Even if the cartons could lie flat, the box might fit two or three cartons with too much extra space, which allowed my eggs to shift and slide around. My husband noticed the growing pile of purchased-but-unused wood crates and offered to build me something custom. I leaped at his offer, and since I was in the process of learning the AutoCAD software SketchUp, I figured others might have the same problem and appreciate someone doing the work to put together professional building plans.
Build Your Own Egg Carton Crate
I’ve got the plans available for the Egg Carton Crate in my website store, where the SVG file format vinyl lettering files are included in your purchase! The project is very beginner friendly, requiring few tools, which anyone who has built a chicken coop is likely to already own!
Tools Required
A saw (chop, circular or hand), drill/driver, tape measure, speed square, pencil, and 5/64 drill bit is all that is needed. Sandpaper, paint, stain and a paintbrush are optional.
Egg Carton Crate Total Cost
My crate cost $52.43 to build out of premium poplar wood, quality screws, and large black metal cup pulls, all purchased from Lowe’s at full retail price. I’m a buy once, cry once kind of person and since I only needed one crate, I did not mind the expense for high quality materials. (The local antique stores had been asking $65 for vintage wood crates so my custom one costing less than this was great!) Using pine would reduce the cost. Upcycling some cute handles and using paint, stain, and screws you already have will create further savings.
Holds 16 Dozen Eggs
You read that right! This crate holds 4 classic dozen egg cartons in each layer row, stacked 4 high. Be sure to mount your handles securely. At around 1.5 pounds per dozen large eggs, you could be carrying 24 pounds by those handles!
The Farm Stand Workhorse
This crate offers one person the ability to quickly and safely transport 16 dozen eggs at once. It is pretty enough to set out as-is at the local farmer’s market for easy selling. It also makes it easy for the kids to sell eggs at every neighborhood garage sale, especially if the vinyl lettering on the side slats does the advertising for you. Family will be thrilled when you show up at gatherings with this crate brim full of hand gathered goodness, no matter what rowdy passenger it had to sit next to in the car!
Room to Express Yourself
The crate has plenty of room to fit almost any design you’d like on the front faces. The 3 side slats allow for large, easy-to-read text so adding your farm name in vinyl is simple. The PDF building plans include exact measurements and directions on how to order custom vinyl if you’d like to have your farm logo professionally cut for the side of your crate!
Not Just for Eating Eggs!
If you’re heading to a poultry show or market with hatching eggs to sell, this crate will keep your nestled dozens secure during the car ride. Elevating one side of the crate will allow you to tilt them all as needed until they are sold.
To market We Go!
It’s no secret that attractive displays help your farm fresh offerings to sell! If you love the hand lettered farmer’s market signboard text, you can find it in our Etsy shop or newsletter subscribers can download it for FREE from our exclusive Member’s Library!
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