10 Clever Ways to Reinvent Wooden Pallets
The humble pallet is now hot property! Get inspired with these great DIY ideas for your home and garden
Jude Loxley
2 December 2014
Houzz Contributor, Head Creator of Lox and Smith and Costume Supervisor. I'm currently based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney and try to lead as creative a life as possible. Writing for Houzz is a great way to think about the interior design and decoration ideas that have always interested me and make them accessible for everyone. To open up discussion and get ideas flowing! When I'm not buried in a world of interiors magazines or pinterest, I'm supervising costume departments, locally and overseas, working with talented designers to get their gorgeous creations onstage. I love my job!
Houzz Contributor, Head Creator of Lox and Smith and Costume Supervisor. I'm currently... More
It’s a true story. One of my dearest friends is currently reigniting my inspiration for the humble wooden pallet. Her ability to take them, strip them, re-cut and stack them is blowing my mind. Her prized furniture pieces are one of a kind, sophisticated yet rustic, and best of all … free!
The options are endless and limited only by your imagination. From tables to seating, shelving to panelling, you too can create functional and affordable designer items to use within the home or outdoors. It’s a great weekend project for summer and by far the most economical way to create furniture from nothing. My top tip for finding perfect pallets is to call up your local hardware store. Anywhere that receives pallet stock on a daily basis will more than likely have excess and be more than happy to give them away to a good home. Oh, and make sure to take the ute!
The options are endless and limited only by your imagination. From tables to seating, shelving to panelling, you too can create functional and affordable designer items to use within the home or outdoors. It’s a great weekend project for summer and by far the most economical way to create furniture from nothing. My top tip for finding perfect pallets is to call up your local hardware store. Anywhere that receives pallet stock on a daily basis will more than likely have excess and be more than happy to give them away to a good home. Oh, and make sure to take the ute!
1. Create a table unit for your living room
Stacking two to four pallets on top of each other makes for the perfect coffee table height for your living room. It also creates a wonderful place to store books and DVDs within the sides of the unit.
For a lighter weight option, try using apple crates to achieve the same affect, or simply use one pallet and prop it up by securing four milk crates, one on each corner. You might find removing some of the underneath panels will help you conceal the crates a little more. I recommend trying to use black milk crates – it makes it a little more uniform and helps conceal them under the unit.
View more living rooms for design inspiration
Stacking two to four pallets on top of each other makes for the perfect coffee table height for your living room. It also creates a wonderful place to store books and DVDs within the sides of the unit.
For a lighter weight option, try using apple crates to achieve the same affect, or simply use one pallet and prop it up by securing four milk crates, one on each corner. You might find removing some of the underneath panels will help you conceal the crates a little more. I recommend trying to use black milk crates – it makes it a little more uniform and helps conceal them under the unit.
View more living rooms for design inspiration
Another innovative option is to secure castors on the base of one or two stacked pallets. It’s easy to move around the home and definitely adds more of an industrial aesthetic to the piece.
For added style, you can always opt to seal the table top of the pallet and give it a bright coat of paint.
See more of this office meeting space
For added style, you can always opt to seal the table top of the pallet and give it a bright coat of paint.
See more of this office meeting space
2. Build a three-piece outdoor setting
For those who are a little more handy and keen to get stuck into an industrious project, why not aim to create a setting to use in the courtyard or on the balcony?
Using a pallet as the table base, halve another pallet to create your two bench chairs. Remove the palings from a spare pallet to fill in the spaces on the table and seats, and you can locate recycled wood for the table legs. This way they complement the aged look of the pallet wood.
TIP: Sand the pallets smooth to prevent splinters!
Browse a wide selection of outdoor furniture
For those who are a little more handy and keen to get stuck into an industrious project, why not aim to create a setting to use in the courtyard or on the balcony?
Using a pallet as the table base, halve another pallet to create your two bench chairs. Remove the palings from a spare pallet to fill in the spaces on the table and seats, and you can locate recycled wood for the table legs. This way they complement the aged look of the pallet wood.
TIP: Sand the pallets smooth to prevent splinters!
Browse a wide selection of outdoor furniture
3. Create a feature pallet wall facade
This is a rustic take on the wood panelling trend taking off at the moment. Recycled and distressed pallet wood provides a rich, rustic quality.
I highly recommend hiring or investing in a ‘thicknesser’ for this kind of job. It will ensure each paling from your collected pallets is the exact same thickness so they will all lie flat across the wall.
To add dimension to the wall, however, there is no reason why you couldn’t keep the palings as they are, and randomly lay them across the wall. You could even get handy and create mini shelf-like sections within your wall. Just double/triple up the palings in certain areas to your desired thickness.
This is a rustic take on the wood panelling trend taking off at the moment. Recycled and distressed pallet wood provides a rich, rustic quality.
I highly recommend hiring or investing in a ‘thicknesser’ for this kind of job. It will ensure each paling from your collected pallets is the exact same thickness so they will all lie flat across the wall.
To add dimension to the wall, however, there is no reason why you couldn’t keep the palings as they are, and randomly lay them across the wall. You could even get handy and create mini shelf-like sections within your wall. Just double/triple up the palings in certain areas to your desired thickness.
4. Cladding the kitchen bench
By fixing the palings from your pallets vertically, you can reinvent the timber panelling effect for your kitchen benches. It’s streamlined, contemporary and can add quite a textural element to your kitchen space.
Try collecting pallets of similar colour to achieve a clean and streamlined look that’s warm and heartening. Timber pallets have not been used in this kitchen, but could be to create a similar look.
By fixing the palings from your pallets vertically, you can reinvent the timber panelling effect for your kitchen benches. It’s streamlined, contemporary and can add quite a textural element to your kitchen space.
Try collecting pallets of similar colour to achieve a clean and streamlined look that’s warm and heartening. Timber pallets have not been used in this kitchen, but could be to create a similar look.
If rustic and industrial is more your style, choosing heavy duty and broken down pallets will help you create a similar covering like this one.
Team it with tractor seat bar stools and simple pendant lighting, and you have a room filled with character and charm for a fraction of the price of timber panelling!
Team it with tractor seat bar stools and simple pendant lighting, and you have a room filled with character and charm for a fraction of the price of timber panelling!
5. Reinvent the base of your bed
Depending on how far you’d like your bed base to extend past the mattress, collect at least four to six pallets per level of the base.
You can keep the pallets raw and untreated to create a provincial feel to the room, or you could inject colour into the space by painting all your pallets before you stack them.
To protect your mattress from the pallets, try laying a felt-like fabric underneath, in between the base and the mattress. This will also help with gripping the mattress to the base so it doesn’t shift around too much.
Depending on how far you’d like your bed base to extend past the mattress, collect at least four to six pallets per level of the base.
You can keep the pallets raw and untreated to create a provincial feel to the room, or you could inject colour into the space by painting all your pallets before you stack them.
To protect your mattress from the pallets, try laying a felt-like fabric underneath, in between the base and the mattress. This will also help with gripping the mattress to the base so it doesn’t shift around too much.
6. Create a romantic swing seat for the backyard
Nothing says country charm like a swing seat, especially one you’ve made from reclaimed pallet wood.
A good size is about half a standard pallet – you can use the other half to fill in the gaps of the seat. Make sure it’s sanded well and sealed to prevent the outside elements damaging the wood.
Have fun with colour and decorate with beautiful cushions and a throw when it’s chilly out.
Learn more: At Home With … Amanda O’Sullivan From RedAgape Blog
Nothing says country charm like a swing seat, especially one you’ve made from reclaimed pallet wood.
A good size is about half a standard pallet – you can use the other half to fill in the gaps of the seat. Make sure it’s sanded well and sealed to prevent the outside elements damaging the wood.
Have fun with colour and decorate with beautiful cushions and a throw when it’s chilly out.
Learn more: At Home With … Amanda O’Sullivan From RedAgape Blog
If you don’t have anywhere to hang your swinging chair, that’s ok. You can still adapt pallets to create freestanding outdoor bench seats.
Use two to four stacked high for the base and, depending on how long you want to make the base, you can incorporate a pallet backing for the seats as well.
Get foam seats cut to your desired size, and have a go at covering them yourself, or look to hire the services of an upholsterer or cushion maker for a professional finish.
TIP: If you lay the pallets horizontally for the backs of the bench seat, and block the first row underneath, you can turn the top into a mini-garden for your herbs or gorgeous flowering plants.
Use two to four stacked high for the base and, depending on how long you want to make the base, you can incorporate a pallet backing for the seats as well.
Get foam seats cut to your desired size, and have a go at covering them yourself, or look to hire the services of an upholsterer or cushion maker for a professional finish.
TIP: If you lay the pallets horizontally for the backs of the bench seat, and block the first row underneath, you can turn the top into a mini-garden for your herbs or gorgeous flowering plants.
7. Instant wine storage
This is a brilliant, cost-effective and easy way to store your wine. Simply stack the pallets, one on top of each other, and secure them together well. The wine fits perfectly in the natural spaces of the pallets without any fuss.
To take this idea a little further, you could consider painting sections with blackboard paint so you can easily chalk and label the wine’s particulars. Perfect for letting those know which bottles can be enjoyed now, and which should be reserved for later!
Explore thousands of beautiful wine cellars
This is a brilliant, cost-effective and easy way to store your wine. Simply stack the pallets, one on top of each other, and secure them together well. The wine fits perfectly in the natural spaces of the pallets without any fuss.
To take this idea a little further, you could consider painting sections with blackboard paint so you can easily chalk and label the wine’s particulars. Perfect for letting those know which bottles can be enjoyed now, and which should be reserved for later!
Explore thousands of beautiful wine cellars
8. A Rustic take on wall shelving
By splitting the pallets in halves or quarters, you can look to create a system of shelving to hold trinkets and objects. You may need to get creative about how you’d like to finish off the ends of the shelves, and potentially having a spare pallet up your sleeve (in case you have to fill any paling gaps) would be a good idea.
Not just for the home, this would be a wonderful and inexpensive technique to use in the garage or shed as well.
By splitting the pallets in halves or quarters, you can look to create a system of shelving to hold trinkets and objects. You may need to get creative about how you’d like to finish off the ends of the shelves, and potentially having a spare pallet up your sleeve (in case you have to fill any paling gaps) would be a good idea.
Not just for the home, this would be a wonderful and inexpensive technique to use in the garage or shed as well.
9. The perfect place to store your shoes
Why not get creative and build yourself a little shoe rack that can be kept outside for boots and work shoes? The pallets provide a wonderful base to keep shoes enclosed inside, while the heels hang off the palings.
Browse shoe storage products
Why not get creative and build yourself a little shoe rack that can be kept outside for boots and work shoes? The pallets provide a wonderful base to keep shoes enclosed inside, while the heels hang off the palings.
Browse shoe storage products
10. Hang your memories on a small pallet frame
By simply using a face of the pallet as a feature panel, you can design a place to easily clip those important pieces of paper!
Keep it near the kitchen for notes and daily reminders, or hang a few down the hallway to hold all your precious family photos for display.
TIP: Try dry-brushing an ivory coloured paint over the pallet frame to really accentuate the rustic homemade charm.
YOUR SAY
How have you repurposed a wooden pallet? Share your images and ideas in the comments section.
By simply using a face of the pallet as a feature panel, you can design a place to easily clip those important pieces of paper!
Keep it near the kitchen for notes and daily reminders, or hang a few down the hallway to hold all your precious family photos for display.
TIP: Try dry-brushing an ivory coloured paint over the pallet frame to really accentuate the rustic homemade charm.
YOUR SAY
How have you repurposed a wooden pallet? Share your images and ideas in the comments section.
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Before: Raw form is still beautiful looking
After - After applying some discounted paint! This pallet container is good for balconies and courtyards.
Looks fantastic! love it.
Thank you Lovedecorateletters