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To make a vintage-inspired demijohn and crate, start with one empty, sturdy jug, measure that individual bottle, then build a small wooden frame around it from contractor shims and hot glue. Finish the wood with stain or diluted brown paint for a weathered look. The result is a tabletop or bookshelf decoration, not a full-size shipping crate or a vessel-making project.
Bottle shapes vary, so there is no reliable universal cut list. The most successful build treats the jug as the template and checks the fit repeatedly before permanent gluing. A second documented approach uses craft wood, square rings, a slatted base and corner dowels when you want a more regular, furniture-like frame.
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What this DIY makes—and what it does not
The project is a small display crate fitted to a recycled wine or other jug. Debbie Westbrooks describes the original method in Refresh Restyle’s 2015 tutorial: the crate is deliberately smaller than a traditional crated demijohn and suits a shelf, mantel, console or tabletop. It gives an ordinary bottle a farmhouse or vintage-shop appearance without requiring a full woodworking build.
Use an empty bottle that is clean, stable and free of cracks. The frame is decorative; it is not intended to pressurize, transport or protect the glass like a commercial shipping crate. If you plan to put liquid back in the bottle, follow the bottle maker’s cleaning and refill rules rather than treating the painted or glued display as food-service equipment.
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Materials and tools
| Item | Purpose | Use in the project |
|---|---|---|
| Empty wine or other jug | Individual template and centerpiece | Choose the bottle before cutting any wood; each bottle can have a different size. |
| Wooden contractor shims | Primary frame pieces | Cut them to the bottle’s height and arrange them around the jug. |
| Hot glue gun and glue | Fast assembly | Joins the shims and cross pieces while you hold the frame in position. |
| Wood stain | Aged wood finish | Apply after the structure is assembled and the glue has set. |
| Brown craft paint diluted with water | Alternative aged finish | Brush or wipe on a thin wash when you do not want to use stain. |
| Craft wood, square dowels and stained-glass spray paint | Optional alternate construction | The craft-wood version uses square rings, a slatted base, four corner risers and, optionally, two or three light coats of glass spray paint. |
The shim method’s core list is documented by Refresh Restyle. The craft-wood alternative and its optional bottle-color treatment are described by Sarah Ramberg in Sadie Seasongoods. Neither tutorial identifies a required brand, exact model, universal dimension or current materials budget.
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Measure the bottle before cutting
- Inspect the glass. Reject a jug with chips, cracks, a loose base or a neck that is already unstable. Wash and dry it so dust does not interfere with the glue or finish.
- Record the widest body measurement. Wrap a flexible tape around the bottle’s broadest point. This circumference tells you how much room the crate must provide; do not substitute a nominal bottle size.
- Mark the display height. Decide how much of the jug should rise above the frame and how much should sit inside it. Transfer that height to the shims or slats, leaving enough glass visible to read as a bottle rather than a solid wooden box.
- Account for irregular curves. A tapered shoulder or indented base may need extra clearance. Arrange unglued pieces around the jug and rotate the bottle to check for tight spots.
- Plan the footprint. A square, rectangle or cross-braced arrangement can work. The original tutorial notes that cross shims allow different shapes, so choose the outline that keeps the bottle centered and stable on your intended shelf.
Make a dry test at every stage. Hot glue sets quickly, and correcting a frame after several pieces are attached is harder than trimming one shim first.
Method 1: build the crate from contractor shims
1. Prepare and cut the shims
Lay the shims beside the bottle and mark the desired crate height. Cut the pieces to matching lengths where they form the main sides. Keep offcuts for short braces or cross pieces; their varied thickness can add to the reclaimed look, but the contact points still need to sit flat.
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2. Form the first sides around the jug
Place the bottle on a protected work surface. Position shims around it without glue, checking that the neck and shoulders remain clear and that the base is not pinched. When the spacing looks right, glue adjoining shims at their contact points. Work in small sections so you can keep the frame aligned with the bottle rather than building a rigid rectangle that no longer fits.
3. Add the remaining walls and cross pieces
Continue around the bottle, alternating sides if that helps keep pressure even. Add cross shims where the design needs a square, rectangular or braced outline. The cross pieces are structural decoration: they visually signal a crate while helping prevent the side panels from spreading. Hold each joint until the glue grabs, then check that the bottle still lifts out freely.
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Remove the jug and place the empty crate on the shelf where it will live. Press lightly on opposite corners. If it rocks, trim a high contact point or add a discreet brace rather than forcing the glass to make the frame level. Reinsert the bottle only after the crate sits flat.
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5. Create the weathered finish
Brush on wood stain and wipe away excess, or make a thin brown-paint wash with water and build the color gradually. Let the finish dry according to the product’s directions before placing the bottle inside. A thin, uneven coat generally preserves the handmade, time-worn character better than flooding every joint.
Method 2: make a more regular craft-wood frame
Use the alternate construction when you have basswood or similar craft wood and want a defined platform with upright corners. Ramberg’s documented version in Sadie Seasongoods is still sized to one bottle, but its geometry is easier to repeat than a loose shim arrangement.
- Measure the bottle circumference. Use the widest body section to establish the inside dimension of two square rings. Dry-fit the pieces around the jug before gluing either ring.
- Assemble two square rings. Cut matching pieces, sand the edges, and glue four sides into each ring. Keep the rings square while the adhesive sets; a skewed ring will twist the finished crate.
- Build the platform base. Attach three slats to one ring to create a raised platform. Leave enough open area for the bottle to sit securely without trapping moisture or forcing the glass against a sharp edge.
- Add four corner risers. Glue one square dowel at each corner of the base ring. Check that all four uprights are parallel and that the bottle can slide into the frame without scraping.
- Attach the upper ring. Fit the second ring over the risers and glue it in place. Sand any sharp edges and test the bottle again before staining.
- Stain the wood. Apply wood stain after sanding and assembly. If you want a colored-glass effect, the tutorial reports using two or three light coats of stained-glass spray paint on the bottle as an optional treatment. Treat that as a decorative variation, not a guarantee for every glass surface or paint formula.
Choose the construction that matches your goal
| Decision point | Shim-built frame | Craft-wood frame |
|---|---|---|
| Best when | You want a quick, rustic arrangement that follows an irregular bottle. | You want square rings, a defined platform and four visible corner posts. |
| Main materials | Contractor shims, hot glue and stain or diluted brown paint. | Craft wood, two square rings, three base slats, four square dowels, glue and stain. |
| Fit strategy | Build and adjust directly around the jug; cross shims can change the outline. | Use the bottle circumference to size both rings, then verify the fit before final glue. |
| Bottle color | The documented method focuses on the wood frame; no bottle-color step is specified. | Two or three light coats of stained-glass spray paint are offered as an optional treatment. |
| Cost, durability and difficulty | Not quantified in the source. | Not compared with the shim method in the source. |
There is no published test ranking one approach as stronger, cheaper or easier. Let the bottle’s shape, the materials already on hand and the visual style you want make the decision.
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Finishing choices for a convincing aged look
Stain
Stain emphasizes the grain and darkens the frame without hiding the separate shim or slat pieces. Test a small offcut first, because the same color can appear different on a thin shim, a sanded edge and a glue-covered joint. Wipe away excess so the crate does not look uniformly coated.
Watered-down brown paint
A diluted brown craft-paint wash is the other finish named in the original tutorial. Apply a light coat, let it dry, and add another only where the wood still looks too pale. This approach is useful when you want a matte, painted farmhouse tone rather than a strongly grained finish.
Optional bottle tint
The craft-wood tutorial adds stained-glass spray paint to the glass in two or three light coats. Keep the spray on the exterior, follow the paint maker’s ventilation and curing directions, and allow the bottle to cure fully before putting it into the crate. Because the tutorial does not establish compatibility with every bottle or coating, test discreetly if the glass has labels, printing or an existing finish.
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Troubleshoot fit, joints and appearance
- The bottle will not slide in: Find the tightest shim, ring or upright, then trim or reposition the wood. Never force the glass into a frame that was glued too small.
- The bottle rocks: Recheck the base contact points and add a small, hidden brace or level the offending wood edge. The crate should sit flat on its own before the bottle is returned.
- Joints look bulky: Use less glue on the next joint and wipe squeeze-out while it is warm but not hot. Sand only after the adhesive has cooled and set.
- The stain looks patchy: Uneven sanding and glue residue can block absorption. Sand exposed wood before finishing, and test the color on scrap from the same material.
- The frame feels too loose: Add cross shims in the shim version or verify that all four risers contact both rings in the craft-wood version. A decorative crate should guide the bottle, not clamp it.
- The bottle has an unpleasant odor: Wash and dry it before assembly. Do not seal a damp bottle inside the crate, where trapped moisture can affect the wood finish.
Place and care for the finished display
Use the completed piece on a stable bookshelf, tabletop, mantel or other surface that can support the combined glass and wood. Lift the crate from its base rather than relying on a glued side slat as a handle. Keep it away from edges where a bump could send the bottle onto the floor, and inspect the glass periodically for new chips or cracks.
Because the frame is custom-sized, moving to a different bottle may require a new crate. Do not assume a similar-looking jug will fit: the widest circumference, shoulder profile and base diameter can all differ.
If you intend to refill the bottle
Decorative reuse and beverage refill are separate decisions. Demijohn – The Liquid Deli’s current FAQ says the company refills only bottles originally purchased from Demijohn and advises cleaning them with hot soapy water: see its bottle-care guidance. Its mail-order instructions say to wash the bottle and cork, leave the bottle uncorked, and pack bottles so glass cannot touch during shipment: read the current service instructions.
That mail-order page currently states a saving of £3 to £4 per bottle when refilling through its own service instead of buying new bottles. The figure is seller-reported, specific to that service and accessed October 13, 2026; it is not a general cost or environmental estimate. Remove the bottle from the decorative crate before washing, staining, spraying or shipping it, and follow the refill provider’s rules for eligibility and sanitation.
What the historical price example means
Refresh Restyle cited a larger crated demijohn listed at $299 by Painted Fox Treasures in its 2015 tutorial. That is a dated example used to show why a smaller homemade display appealed to the author; it is not a current retail price, a market average or a guaranteed saving today. The project sources provide no current materials total, labor time or measured durability result, so calculate your own cost from the wood, adhesive and finish available in your region.
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Quick Recap
Final checks before you call it finished
- The jug is clean, dry, intact and centered without being forced.
- Every glued joint has set, and no hot-glue strand or sharp wood edge can scratch the glass.
- The crate stands level on the surface where it will be displayed.
- The stain or paint is fully dry before the bottle goes back inside.
- You have decided whether the bottle is decorative only or subject to a separate refill provider’s cleaning and return requirements.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
