CD Crate

• Transform a wooden crate into a CD rack by adding staggered shelves. Turn the crate on its end and place a 6-inch-by-9-inch shelf on either side of the inside of your crate. Make your shelves with thin plywood and attach them to the wooden crate with L brackets. Stagger the placement of the shelves so that one is 7-inches from the top and the other is 7 inches from the bottom.
  
  A wooden crate you'll find at your craft store typically measures 16.5-inches-tall-by-12-inches-wide-by-9-inches-deep. CDs measure 5-inches-by-5.5-inches, so you can have two racks of CDs on one side of your crate and two racks on the other. The shelving has room to stand or stack your CDs in a number of configurations. Staggering the shelves creates design interest and allows you to easily reach the back row of CDs.
  
  

Mural

• Turn your CD rack sideways and paint a mural on the wooden side that faces the room. Prime and paint the wood a background color that coordinates or contrasts with the wall behind it and that fits with your mural design. Select a design that translates well onto a narrow vertical surface like a cityscape or a landscape designed for depth perception. You can also place two CD racks back to back and paint your mural onto both for a wider layout and more CD storage. Project your mural design onto the wood and trace it with a light pencil. Fill in the lines with acrylic craft paint to complete the picture.
  
  

Little Boxes

• Make three to five square wooden boxes designed to hold 10 to 15 CDs. You can make your boxes from any kind of scrap wood and paint them, or select beautifully grained hardwoods and stain them. Attach the boxes to each other at the corners with wood screws, creating a zigzag pattern. For example, attach the first two boxes together at the bottom corner of one and the top corner of the other so that the second is lower than the first. Attach the bottom corner of the third box to the top corner of the second box. Continue attaching the boxes together at the corners, one lower and the next one higher. Hang the CD rack on the wall vertically or horizontally.