Wood pallets have become increasingly trend worthy on social media sites Pinterest and Instagram over recent years, and there’s good reason for the hype! Not only do pallets provide a durable material to use for home improvement projects, they are also easy to source from a local pallet provider and can often be picked up for free.
With the on-going repurposing movement gaining more momentum each year, pallet recycling is the way of the future when it comes to creating low-cost statement pieces for the home.
The first place to start is by finding some pallets, they are used to transport cargo and are obtainable in almost every area. Supermarkets get their food supplied to them by trucks, loaded up onto pallets, which means there will likely be a company providing total pallet management services in your region.
You can find those offering pallet services with a quick google search, so give them a call and see if they have any extra that you could have. Another option is to call small businesses such as hardware or furniture stores.
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Pallet Table
For this project you will want to keep an eye out for bigger pallets with wider planks and chunkier legs, dismantle the pallet and then give it a good clean with bleach and water (who knows what the pallet has been used for, right?). Next up, cut the wood to size (I used the measurements of a coffee table we already have) and then give it a rough sanding. Screw the legs and body together then lay the planks down flat on top to make the surface.
The painting is my favourite part, I like to use dark paint for the legs and then a combination of dark and light on the top to give a rustic look, we choose to get mis-tints from the paint store which is cheaper than buying new paint. Then comes the sanding, I gave ours a really good sanding to increase the distressed look, and once happy I used a coat of matte Polycrylic to protect it and that’s it! All done.
Pallet Wood Feature Wall
Making a feature wall out of pallets sounds a lot harder than it actually is! All you need to do is dismantle a pallet, cut the planks up into various lengths and paint them. I used four different colours, but you could just use one or even a stain depending on the look you’re going for. Once painted, start nailing them up and that’s that – easy!
Art or Welcome Sign
The options are truly endless when it comes to turning a pallet into a piece of art, they are easy to paint and are big enough to really stand out which would make a great Welcome sign for outside your front door. Depending on how rustic you want the piece to look, you could sand the wood first but this is completely optional as the distressed look is very trendy right now. Using the pallet as your canvas, you could stencil almost anything you wanted onto it. Some people have even painted American flags on their pallets!
Scrap Wood Christmas Tree
A great project for the kids to get amongst, all you need to do is take the pallet apart and then use different lengths and widths of wood to make a triangle shape. You can paint the planks green and even drape fairy lights over them, this would make an excellent outdoor decoration that will be strong enough to hold up to the weather.
Coat Rack
An easy and simple, yet effective project which would be a practical addition to any entry space or room that needs a bit of extra storage space. Just secure two planks of pallet wood together, screw on the hooks and attach it to a wall. You could paint the wood to give it a sleek look, or stain it dark for a distressed feel.
Rustic Wood Bathroom Tray
The ideal way to recharge in a bathtub is with a glass of wine and a book, or perhaps a cup of tea and Netflix on a tablet. What better thing to use to hold these goodies, than a piece of pallet wood carefully disguised as a rustic bathroom tray.
All you need to do is measure the exterior width of your tub, cut two pieces 1” wide from the board (these will be ‘stops’ to hold the board in place) then cut the board to the width of your tub and sand it smooth. Secure the stops with wood glue, drill a couple of holes on the end of each side to thread rope through as a handle, and stain the wood to your liking. Now fill the bath and sink back into bliss with your cuppa.