The accompanying illustrations show how a simple crate used in shipping potatoes or onions, can be readily converted into a tabouret or flower stand.

A crate such as shown in Fig. 258 can be secured from any grocer or from a vegetable dealer. The sides and ends of the crate, which are comprised of slats arranged as shown, are fastened at their corners by a long nail, passing through holes in the ends of the slats.

To construct a tabouret, the nails in each corner are withdrawn and the slats, being separated, are then taken and slipped on the nails, and arranged as shown, Fig. 259, the long slats forming a cross and the short slats arranged horizontally. After the slats have been assembled, the point of the nail can be riveted, holding the slats together, and producing an article of rigid construction, as shown in the photograph.

Fig. 258 - Common onion crate and the rearrangement of the slats.

Fig. 259 - Artistic possibilities in an onion crate.

The same can be stained or painted at a small cost. While the slats are fairly well planed, the appearance of the article can be improved by planing the slats a trifle more before assembling them.