Sand the entire crate with a hand-sander or sandpaper.
Paint one end of the crate with two or three coats of Cotton Ball. Allow to dry completely between coats.
Apply a vinyl stencil of choice for "create" lettering.
Apply a generous coat of Americana Matte Decou-Page over the top of the vinyl stencil. (After the Decou-Page dries, it will seal the edges and prevent any paint bleeding underneath.)
Paint the entire crate in Pink Tropics. Allow to dry completely between coats.
Carefully remove the lettering using a craft hook.
Sand the edges of the crate, giving a distressed look.
To add to the distressed look, apply a coat of Walnut Gel Stain. Use an old rag and rub it into the wood.
Mark the holes for the handles using a pencil. Drill holes using the appropriate size bit. Screw in the handles.
Using the clean end of a pencil, add dots of Black Tie, Waterfront, Cotton Ball, and Inch Worm to the bottom of the crate slats. (See photo for color placement.)