I'm having a very difficult time with the crate part. Is there a trick to getting the "walls" of the crate to stay up? Do they have to dry/harden for a certain period of time? I'm on my second "crate" and I'm running out of time! HELP PLEASE!!

I made mine 2 days ahead and lay them out flat to dry. If you don't have time, let them sit in the oven with the oven light on; the heat from the light is just enough to help the pieces dry faster.

There's a tutorial posted on my blog on making the Wine Bottle in a Crate:
http://sugarsweetcakesandtreats.blogspot.com/2010/04/wine-bottle-in-crate-cake.html