Pallet projects are an absolute blast. If you are a pallet project DIY fundamentalist you will even try to reuse the nails as much as possible. I have always loved the idea of making useful items from free raw materials and also the idea of reusing materials that may have otherwise been taken to the landfill. I’ve found that much of the pallet wood I’ve scrapped together has had some sort of treatment done to it and have also come across some really nice pallet slats to work with. Below are a number of different pallet projects I’ve made over the years.
DIY Pallet Planter Box-Raised Beds for Gardening
I found myself with quite the collection of pallets just begging to be used for a project. I planned on a garden the year I made some raised beds. Once I knocked all of the nails out of the pallet boards I tried to reuse as many of the nails as I could. Some of them required a little bit of straightening. Be careful when cutting pallets on a table saw for the inherent risks that accompany using this saw but also because many times there are nails buried inside the wood that you don’t readily see from the outside. I’ve hit a few nails with the table saw and you know it when you hit one. This project was relatively simple, just created the bottom square then nailed some vertical side pieces in. After that I just went around and nailed all of the boards to the vertical side pieces. Once I had it flush with the top I cut some boards for the trim at 45 degree angles in the corners for a specific look. I decided not to paint them but as an idea you could paint them the same color as your house, shed, or barn. In this project I had some extra boards so I created a bottom for this but really there is no need if you don’t plan on moving them. They are super heavy when they are full of dirt anyway. Not only that but once you start watering whatever plants go in there the boards are going to start rotting. I had some triangular pieces left from one of the pallet disassemblies so they were a perfect fit for the bottom corners.
You can’t go wrong using pallets to make your planter boxes.
Tools used:
Table Saw: https://amzn.to/31W6epw
Cordless Drill: https://amzn.to/31WRgiO
Brad Nailer: https://amzn.to/30UA50b
Air Compressor: https://amzn.to/35ftvop
DIY How to Make a Pallet Cabinet From Free Pallets
DIY How to Make a Pallet Cabinet From Free Pallets-Wall Mounted Great For Gardening Shed or Cabin. The first thing I did was obtain some free pallets that were mostly in fairly good shape so I could pull some decent stats from them. I broke down the pallets with a pry bar and claw hammer as well as removed the nails. I try to reuse all the nails that I can as many of them are still good. If you have some extra time on your hands and want to expend the energy you can straighten the nails as well and use them again. Once I got my slats removed and nails removed I made the frame which was basically a box. The size doesn’t matter, it’s just how big you want to make it and how long the pieces you have to work with are. Once the frame or box was made it was time to make the doors. This was simply done by cutting some slats to equal length to match or be slightly larger than the box frame then screwing a couple slats horizontally or perpendicular to the direction of the slats on the top and the bottom. I cut some trim pieces for the outside of the doors. Now it’s time to add the hinges. I just picked up a couple hinges from the hardware store. If you have some old hinges laying around the junk pile, use those. I had some “L” brackets hanging on the wall just begging to be used so I installed those for strength in the each corner of the box frame. I nailed some pallet slats to the back of the cabinet for strength and completeness.
I had a couple wooden dowels laying around so I installed those for the handles on each door of the cabinet. Now it needed a latch in order to place a lock on making it a somewhat secure cabinet leaving the option of placing a small padlock on if you want. It kind of adds to the cool factor if you are going to keep any cool items in there you don’t want just anyone to be able to access easily. Otherwise you can just place a clip or a bent nail in there to hold the latch shut. It wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t put a shelf or two in there so I didn’t just that after cutting another pallet slat to length. I was going for the rough cut look on this fun little cabinet but you could really set this thing off and sand it all down and stain it. I used a brad nailer for much of this and will provide amazon link if you want to pick one up.
Brad Nailer: https://amzn.to/38fTFIj
DIY Homemade Pallet Firewood Storage Bins
In this DIY Homemade Pallet Firewood Wood Storage Bin-Repurposed Pallet Wood video I demonstrate how to simply construct a useful and practical all weather log seasoning rack. Since I used so many pallet slats for other projects I had many of the big pallet cross member pieces left over. Typically I would slice them up into burnable pieces and use them for getting my fire started as they are great for this. In this case I needed racks in which to store all of my firewood so these were just what I needed. So I started sorting them out and getting 4 that were nearly identical to start out with and then of course pulling the nails out of pounding them in. In some cases I had to knock them off to the side and pound them flush. The reason to start out with 4 that are identical is so the sides will be close to equal height. For the bottom all you’ll need is two that are nearly identical. The top is less important as long as you have pieces that are long enough as you can trim the top or even use slats if you have long enough ones. As far as the nails go, whenever I pulled them I tried to staighten them if needed and save them for future use. In this case I was able to reuse them for building these things. After sorting the pieces I laid them out on the ground in a “U” shape making two identical parts right next to each other. The bottom portion of the “U” gets nailed together to the side pieces. Once the two identical parts are constructed I stacked them on top of one another. I then used some pallet slats as securing pieces to hold the two modules together. After standing the pieces upright I completed the square by nailing the top portion on. This adds strength to the side pieces when storing firewood and also adds to the visual appeal. These are nice to make because they are free and also you can make as many as you want and stack them next to each other in a nice organized fashion without the fear of your firewood falling over. It also makes it easier to secure a tarp to it if you need to keep it dry.
DIY Pallet Key Chain Holder
This is a demonstration on a DIY Pallet Key Chain Holder From Repurposed Reclaimed Pine Pallet Slats Torch Burned for Effect. Got the pallets out of a pile that had a “free” sign on them. I do like to always ask the business owners before I make off with any pallets as some of them do have to pay for them. This pallet project was a simple yet fun one as well as practical. I needed a key rack for the wall so we could get a system down of putting the keys in the same place every time we come in the house rather than having to look for them all over before we leave. In building this I used by table saw to make my cuts, and my cordless drill for the holes and the fastener installation. I purchased some hooks from Lowe’s just for this. I also used my brad nailer to secure much of it as well. I used pop can tabs for the backside for hangers. My daughter was teasing my while I was filming the final result here.
IKEA “KNAGGLIG” Assembly Tutorial
Although this one wasn’t made from scratch from free pallets, you could totally make one. I purchased these from IKEA, however, I am going to use this as a model to make more but this time out of free pallets. Simple and easy design. Join me during this IKEA “KNAGGLIG” Assembly Tutorial-Simple IKEA Crate Box Assembly video.
DIY Tin Can and Pallet Slat Arts & Crafts Candlelight Decoration
I received a “new” Ryobi drill press from a friend of mine and was dying to test it out. I had some cans, paint, and a slat of pallet wood laying around just waiting to be repurposed so this was the result. The drill press worked great and was fun to use.
Here’s a link to one on amazon: https://amzn.to/2EOMbji
DIY Shotgun Shell Coat Rack
In this Do it yourself 12 gauge shotgun shell mounted coat rack made from old torn down boat house wood and spent shotgun shell I show you step by step on how to make this cool arts and crafts project. This is a great addition to your home, cabin, or shop. You don’t necessarily have to use old wood even though it does add to the cool factor. Just get a piece of cedar or any piece of wood and template out your holes to drill with the spent shotgun rounds. When I did this I measure to find the centerline of the pieces I used so all of the holes lined up right. If you want to offset them as I did in a couple of the racks, just measure out two horizontal lines evenly spaced. Once I figured out where I wanted to drill the holes I did just that. I used an auger bit because that was the size that I had in my toolbox that matched just a gnats ass over the shotgun shell diameter so it would fit in there nice and snug. For visual effect I used a heat gun and gave it a burnt look. I inserted the shells into the holes and used a brad nailer to secure them to the piece of wood. You could also use some epoxy. Now it’s ready to mount to the wall. You could also do this with pallet wood which would look pretty cool as well as keep it cheap.
DIY Pallet Playhouse
Pallet Projects are quite a bit of fun. This is one that started with an idea then grew into a full scale pallet project. I obtained all of the materials for little to no cost at all. I used cement pavers for the base and leveled them out so the pallets would sit level. The base is made out of four full size wooden pallets. I then used 2 X 4’s around the perimeter to start framing it all in. I got lucky with the 2 X4’s as all of them are reclaimed from a building that was being torn down. I got them for free and just had to pull all the old nails out of them. The obtaining of these free boards is truly what sparked the project. That as well as having a bunch of pallets that were begging to be reused towards pallet projects. Once I got the walls all framed in I built three identical trusses. I didn’t have any plans to construction on this. I notched out the trusses, spaced them out equally, then nailed them down. This playhouse started as a playhouse but as the kids grew older and grew out of wanting a playhouse it turned into a chicken coop. It was used as a chicken coop for a number of years. Once the chickens were gone I cleaned out all the mess and it turned into a garden tool storage shed. Also a place I kept all my fuels for lawn equipment and chainsaws etc.
DIY Pallet Swing
In this video, DIY Pallet Project: Super Easy Pallet Swing Built Simply with Minimal Tools, I take you step by step through my process of simple construction in my back yard. The first step is to carefully and gingerly remove the wood slats from the middle (or just beyond) of the pallet. Keep them, you’ll need them later. Make a cut through the pallet at just beyond the half way point. One section will be the back of your swing/chair, and the other will be the seat. Then make cuts where you want your vertex to be. This is the angle or joint portion of your seat and how it will sit. See how good your are at making them all the same, especially with a hand saw. The goal is for them to have a nice tight, flush fit. Set the back portion of the seat up so you can screw it onto the flat or sitting portion. I predrilled the holes before sinking long woodscrews into them. I even had some galvanized brackets that were laying around I used for reinforcing the joint. After you have it assembled and locked into place place (nail) your wood slats back on so there is no longer a big gap where at your cut location. For the next portion I used some of the chains from the old swings that were no longer being used. I attached them to each side of the pallet swing and hung it up. This swing passed the weight test and held up for years until I took it down to replace it with new kids’ swings. Fun pallet project and recommend you give it a shot.
DIY Wall Mounted Pallet Paint Holder
With some simple hand tools and a free old pallet you can make an up cycled DIY Pallet Project-Simple Wall Mounted Pallet Paint Shelf Organizer in no time flat. When choosing pallets, if I have the option, I try to pick ones that have all of the slats in good shape and also I like to pick the ones that are a little heartier. It’s not always an option and often times I’ve had to just settle with what I can get. It is never a waste though because if a pallet just went to hell when I was taking it apart, I’d just use it for firewood to generate heat. If I didn’t use it in the fireplace I could use it for outdoor burning in the firepit. Pallet wood burns quick and lights up nicely prepping a good coal bed to toss some longer burning logs on. So, in making this wall mounted pallet shelf I easily cut my pallet roughly in half, using the middle cross member as my cut line so it was nice and straight. I wanted it a little smaller so I sectioned it off once again basically making a smaller rectangle out of the bigger one. This left me with a section of pallet containing four cross members. I then took my hammer and pryer and carefully removed every other wooden slat. I used one of those wooden slats as bottom piece for this shelf. I even removed as many nails as I could and straightened the salvageable ones for reuse. No use in tossing out a perfectly good nail. I then took my cordless drill and a few drywall screws and mounted this sucker to the outside of my shed. After I mounted it I cut some bottom pieces for the leftover scraps for the bottom portion of the upper shelf on this fixture. This worked out perfectly for my storage needs. Tools used: Handsaw: https://amzn.to/2BBD4Ag (Optional)Skillsaw: https://amzn.to/2P9VJLJ Crowbar: https://amzn.to/2MCjeuZ Cordless Drill: https://amzn.to/2P9VTCP Hammer: https://amzn.to/2N6XE0H
DIY Pallet Shoe Rack Organizer
This video provides Step by step instructions on how I made a DIY Pallet Shoe Rack that lasted for years for FREE! After hand selecting which pallet I wanted to use I gathered up the necessary few tools I thought I would need. I didn’t want the shoe rack to be too high so I but the pallet right in half with my hand saw. I also needed it to be limited to a certain width based on where I wanted to install it so I cut 1/3 of it off, widthwise with a skilsaw. Although I switched to a power tool here, you could do it all with a handsaw. I then took my crowbar and hammer and removed the lower board. This gives me a top row for shoes and then a bottom row as well. I blew it all down with my air compressor to remove the saw dust.I then secured it to the wall with a couple of screws. Quick, easy, and free shoe rack organizer. You can paint it or have one of you kids paint it too for for an added custom touch. Hand Saw: https://amzn.to/2nnuzWd Crow Bar: https://amzn.to/2LSvlns Cordless Drill: https://amzn.to/2pSseU7 Skilsaw: https://amzn.to/35aaV0R Air Compressor: https://amzn.to/2OrJU34 Air Compressor Hose: https://amzn.to/2McblLm Air Nozzle: https://amzn.to/35eBS3l https://the-avant-garden.blogspot.com https://diytechnician.tumblr.com http://www.diy-technician.com #pallets, #projects, #DIY, #wood, #woodworking, #DIYTechnician, #shoerack, #organizer
DIY How to Make a Vertical Pallet Garden
How to make a Vertical Pallet Garden-Simply Done Pallet gardening Project-Instructional “how to” style video with detailed step by step procedural instructions for making a vertical pallet garden for almost free. An old trampoline mat was used at the backing for this but you can use landscaping plastic sheeting, felt, garbage bags, or whatever else you can think of just to sort of hold the soil in from the back. I tried to use all recycled materials that I had laying around as part of the fun. After cutting to size I nailed the trampoline mat with some roofing nails I had left over. I had quite a few roofing nails that needed to be put to good use so I was liberal with their use on the backside of my newly constructed free vertical pallet garden. In this example I planted some strawberries that I had already started. They took off great and made for a nice crop. This project worked really well and is recommended if you have space restrictions you are concerned about. This would also work really well for flowers or an herb garden.
DIY Buck Horn Mount From Oak Pallet Wood
I had to do this nice buck some justice by mounting his horns in this Instructional “how to” style video with detailed step by step procedural instructions for mounting buck horns out of pallet wood and a metal bedrail frame. The pallet I found happened to be a nice oak one. This project posed a few challenges and one of those was that the horns were in two pieces rather than one and there wasn’t a heck of a lot of material to nail to the wooden back pieces. So to start I pulled the nails out of the oak pallet I had found and cut the cross members into three equally sized pieces for the mounting boards. It love the density of oak wood. It’s so heavy too and really nice to work with. After getting the proper size I grabbed the scrap bed rail I had laying in the metal scrap pile and cut it to match the wood pieces. I took a power wire brush to the cute pieces and removed the paint followed by a coat of clear coat to the bed rails. I coated the wood with some clear varnish as well. Now I had to cut the horns to the proper angle in order to properly mount them to the wood. This took a few tries match it up so it looked both even and natural. I drilled a hole up through the horns then a hole I backboard as well once I got the horns in proper position. Then I hit it with a few brad nails and some epoxy. For the back I used an old pop can tab. Then I hung it up. Fun project made with all up cycled or reused materials.
DIY Chicken Egg Laying Station
From my scrap pile of extra pallets I need to make a DIY Chicken Egg Laying Bin Station built from Re-purposed Pallet Wood. My chickens are now laying eggs to they need they’re own area in which to be comfortable, relax, and do some laying. I broke down a few pallets and I removed all of the nails with my pry bar and hammer. I was able to reuse a few of the nails. It’s always fun to use the brad nailer so I secured everything with it. Once the nails were removed I lined up the now new raw materials (pallet slats) and then nailed down a couple end pieces to secure them all together and then one across the middle. This piece will act as the bottom. I did the same thing for the back piece. Just made an “L” shape with the wood then also nailed some side on it and then a front piece as well. The chickens were a little standoffish at first but once I put some bedding in there they took to it really nicely and played some eggs.
How to make a Pallet Wood Trash Can Rubbish Bin
How to make a Pallet Wood Trash Can-Instructional “how to” style tutorial video with detailed step by step procedural instructions for creating an upcycled pallet wood trash can for next to nothing. Order some pallets here: https://amzn.to/2HVqCAP The first thing you do is locate a good source of pallets. You can actually order them online! Once you have a few pallets, you’ll need to disassemble all of them and pull the nails out. I like to use a hammer and pry tool but they make a tool just for this that prevents you from having to bend over too far to pull these apart. It’s called a pallet buster and here’s the link to it: https://amzn.to/32Uokbo. Next is to pull all the nails out of the slats. Now you’ll want to determine your bottom dimension or footprint. This will be based on the size of trashcan you want to use. This is easier than trying to find a trashcan that will fit into your pallet rubbish bin. Now make your bottom square out of the slats based on this dimension. These are nailed together with a brad nailer. The use of one of these makes it nice so you can hold your pieces together with one hand and nail it with the other. Once you’ve built your bottom square, now put the bottom slats on so you are essentially making a tray. This will hold the load inside. Upon completion of that it’s time to make your top square just the same as you built your bottom one. Now the easy part. Cut and nail in your sides connecting the top and bottom squares together. You may need to make some long cuts so all of your slats fit as they are of different widths which is part of what makes these unique as well as the different tones of wood. It’s kind of amazing to think about where each of these pieces of wood originally came from and where they have been during their life as a pallet. Now it’s time to construct the line. You can make your lid hinged or just have it set on top of your bin. The lid was given a slightly oversized dimension to fit the style I was going for. The handle used in the video came off an old U-haul truck that was scrapped. My kind auto mechanic neighbor supplied me with this. You can now stain your bin or just leave it as is. Pallet project book here: https://amzn.to/2WHwssP
DIY Shop Table From Re-purposed Pallet Wood
In this DIY Pallet Project: Shop Table From Pallets “How to” video, I take you step by step through my process on using old pallet wood to create a shop table. For the Table top, the first step was to get all my slats separated, get the nails pulled out, and clean them all up. I cut them all to the same length and placed them on two longer aluminum clamps. Pipe clamps work well here too. Once I get them square, flat, and straight, then I took two perpendicular lengths of wood and drilled and screwed them up through the bottom to hold it all in place. I then drilled and screwed 4 equal legs on. I then cut a couple of blocks for extra reinforcement, drilled, and screwed those on as well in between the legs and the cross members on the underside of the pallet table surface. I custom made the metal angle iron brackets as well. I had some old metal bed rails laying around so I sectioned them up and drilled holes in them to facilitate screws and used them for reinforcing brackets. I used some repurposed lag bolts to secure these. I sanded the top surface of the table so it was nice and smooth and flat. I decided that I needed a shelf down below for extra storage so I hit up my pallet pile again. I pulled off some more slats carefully so as not to crack or break the boards in the process. I got the nails all pulled out and cut to length on the table saw. I used some of these for the trim around the top of the table so it had a nice finish. I then created the second shelf down below using more pieces from the pallet pile and nailed them together with a brad nailer. Tools used: Table Saw: https://amzn.to/31W6epw Cordless Drill: https://amzn.to/31WRgiO Brad Nailer: https://amzn.to/30UA50b Air Compressor: https://amzn.to/35ftvop
DIYTechnician 