16 Ways to Get Wooden Crates for Free

If you’re searching for ways to get wooden crates for free, we’ve got some ideas for you. Wooden crates can be helpful for using in home decor.

They can also be handy if you’re a crafter, for organization and for storage purposes. Keep reading to find out how you can potentially get free wooden crates. 

How to Get Wooden Crates for Free

Wooden crates that are used to ship products from one location to another come in all shapes and sizes. 

You can find large wooden crates that hold furniture, and smaller wooden crates that hold alcohol bottles.

Interestingly, there are many types of stores that get wooden crates in with product shipments. Manufacturers like to ship products to stores in wooden crates because they’re so sturdy.

They’re also convenient for stacking to make for safer shipment by truck, board or plane. 

Wooden crates are different from plastic milk crates, as milk crates are mostly used for shipping milk. You can sometimes get free milk crates as well. And they’re also good to use for storage and more. 

However, wooden crates are used to ship a variety of items. Check with these types of stores near you to see if they have wooden crates they’ll give you. 

1. Liquor Stores

Liquor stores are very popular for using wooden crates. Wine bottles and other liquor bottles store nicely in wooden crates.

They remain stable during the shipping process and fit compactly and securely in the boxes. Check behind liquor stores to see if they’ve discarded any crates.

Better yet, talk directly to store staff to see what their process is for disposing of the crates. 

2. Hardware Stores

Hardware stores also get shipments of items to sell delivered in wooden crates. Canned and glass items are often shipped to them in crates.

Check local “mom and pop” hardware stores as well as the chain hardware stores such as Ace Hardware.  

3. Grocery Stores

Many items, especially glass items, are shipped to grocery stores in wooden crates. In addition, grocery stores that sell alcohol get wine and other items shipped in wooden crates too.

Check with chain grocery stores such as Walmart, and also check with local independently owned grocery stores and local chain grocery stores. 

4. Garden Centers

Garden centers often get wooden crates in with shipments as well. Although plants aren’t often shipped in crates, home decor items are.

Check with national chain garden centers and local garden centers to see if they have wooden crates they would be willing to give you. 

5. Furniture Stores

Furniture stores often receive small and large crates with shipments of furniture items, decor items and more. 

Check with chain stores such as Ashley Furniture, Slumberland and Ikea. Or visit local non-chain furniture stores and ask about getting free wooden crates. 

6. Clothing Stores

Clothing stores sometimes get deliveries in wooden crates. Check with all clothing stores near you, including any national retailers. 

You’ll want to get in touch with someone in the stock department or in shipping and receiving. Or simply ask to speak to a manager. 

7. Pet Stores

Pet stores also sometimes get items shipped to them in wooden crates. Think of all of the pet toys, pet food and other items that pet stores sell. 

Wooden crates are great for shipping those items safely and securely. Some ideas of stores to check with include PetSmart, PETCO and Pet Supplies Plus. 

Talk with both national chain retailers and with local pet stores. 

8. Arts and Crafts Stores

Arts and crafts stores such as Michaels often sell wooden crates. That being said, they often get them in through shipping of items they sell as well.

Because craft stores sell so many glass and fragile items, those items frequently get delivered in wooden crates. Larger items get delivered in wooden crates as well.

Check with management at your local craft store for more details on getting wooden crates from them. 

Arts and crafts stores may have wooden crates in all shapes and sizes. 

9. Gift Stores

Gift stores tend to sell a lot of glassware, ceramic ware and other fragile items. For that reason, you could find success getting free wooden crates at gift stores. 

Check out stores such as Sephora and Bath and Body Works and ask if they have wooden crates they’d be willing to give you.  

Or visit local, non-chain gift stores. Non-chain gift stores have to get product delivered just the same as larger chain stores. 

10. Fleet and Farm Stores

Fleet and farm stores may have wooden crates available for free as well. Most major cities boast at least one chain of fleet and farm stores. 

Check your local directory to find fleet and farm stores near you. Then check with management about the availability of free wooden crates. 

Think Fleet Farm, Farm and Fleet, Tractor Supply, Rural King and others.

There are other places you may be able to find free wooden crates as well. See below for more ideas. 

Other Places to Get Free Wooden Crates

If you’ve exhausted the resources listed above to get free wooden crates, there’s a possibility you may be able to find free wooden crates by checking out the sources below. 

The other options listed here may not be as popular as some of the options listed above. However, you may have just as much luck finding wooden crates for free by checking out one or more of the sources listed below. 

11. Recycling Centers

People often bring wooden crates to recycling centers, just like they bring wooden pallets to recycling centers. 

Wooden crates come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and many companies and individuals receive them when ordering online products. 

Check with recycling centers to see if you can take any wooden crates off of their hands. Another option? Check out the free recycling website, Freecycle. 

12. Craigslist

Craigslist and sites like it can be great places to find wooden crates for free. Check out the “free” section on Craigslist first.

If you don’t have any luck there, check the “antiques” section, look in the “household” section or do a homepage search to check all sections. 

Be sure to check out other sites that are similar to Craigslist as well. The best online yard sale sites function much the way Craigslist does. 

Don’t forget to check on your area’s Facebook Buy Nothing page as well. 

13. Home Improvement Stores

Home improvement stores can be another great resource for free wooden crates. These types of stores get both large and small crates in with product shipments. 

Smaller crates can hold smaller, heavier items such as tools or home decor items. Larger crates can hold items such as furniture. 

Check with chains such as Lowe’s and Home Depot. Or check regional chain stores like Menards. Most major metropolitan areas have some type of home improvement chain. 

14. Construction Sites

Have you ever thought about checking on construction sites to find free wooden crates? Construction sites get shipments of product in a variety of sizes of wooden crates. 

Look for construction sites near you, whether it be commercial construction sites or residential construction sites. 

Safety is an important consideration when visiting construction sites. For that reason, you’ll want to be cautious of where you’re walking on the construction site. 

Be cautious of staying out of the way of heavy machinery and other hazards. 

15. Wineries and Vineyards

Wineries and vineyards get shipments of bottles, whether empty bottles or full bottles of wine. 

Since many alcohol shipments are shipped in wooden crates, wineries and vineyards can be great places to ask for wooden crates. 

Check with management right at opening hours if you can, to avoid impeding on business during the busy times. 

Or call right at opening instead of stopping by. Explain what you’re searching for and ask if they’d like you to take some of the crates off of their hands. 

16. Membership Clubs

Lastly, consider checking with membership clubs to see if they have wooden crates they’d be willing to give you. 

Membership clubs such as Sam’s Club, Costco and BJ’s Wholesale Club get a variety of the items they sell shipped in wooden crates. 

And like every other store, they need those crates taken off of their hands. Talk with management when you call.

Note that it would probably help if you had a membership at the clubs you’re calling. If you don’t already have a membership to a warehouse club, check out our article on how to get a Costco membership for free.

We also have articles on how to get a BJ’s membership for free and how to get a Sam’s Club membership for free.  

Summary

Getting free wooden crates is just one of many ways you can save money on the items you want. But if you’re searching for actual free money, we’ve got you covered with our article on free money hacks.  

Use all of the tips on our website to save money on items you buy every day–or to get them for free.