DIY Furniture Made of Pallets. How to Make Pallet Furniture?
Spending a pleasant time in your garden or on the patio highly depends on the right furniture. But a new, good quality garden furniture set might be quite costly. There is, however, a better way - not only cheap but also very original. Pallet furniture is an interesting and increasingly popular solution. Making them is not very difficult and what's more important - it's not expensive. Do you want to know how to make something unique? Check it out! We have prepared all you need to know about it.
DIY pallet furniture – why are they so popular?
An increasing number of people decide to make their own pallet furniture. What makes this solution so attractive is mostly its low price. The price of similar, store-bought furniture offered by manufacturers is usually quite high. But all you need to make interesting and unique pallet furniture is a little bit of creativity and a few pallets.
According to the latest trends, DIY furniture is a stylish element of interior decoration. Recycling and upcycling is an important part of life for an increasing number of people. Pallet furniture is a realisation of both of those trends. There are many advantages of creating objects made of pallets. Most importantly, they are extremely cheap.
{:.distinction.distinction-information} If you already own pallets that were used for materials storage, the cost of creating pallet furniture covers only several minor products. You can also buy some pallets for a low price in industrial areas, supermarkets or wholesalers.
Why should you make pallet furniture?
Although pallets usually are not made of high-quality wood, they are very sturdy and resistant to damage. Therefore, pallet wood projects are strong and such furniture serves for a long time. The material is lightweight and eco-friendly. If designed well, pallet furniture can be elegant and quite stylish. A pallet table or pallet bench is a perfect complimentary element to Scandinavian or minimalistic style.
Pallet furniture for your garden - which pallets are the best?
Wooden pallets used in transport are often left after building materials used for construction. If you bought them with materials for construction, they basically cost you nothing. You could also try to get some pallets in supermarkets, small shops or industrial areas. They aren’t very expensive. A good idea is to browse through auction websites, where one can buy pallets even cheaper than in a shop.
Looking for pallet ideas and DIY furniture projects, consider the size of those elements. There are different types of pallets, each having various sizes. The most common types are:
- EUR-pallet - the most popular type. Their dimensions are 1200x800x144 mm. A single Euro-pallet weighs 25 kilograms.
- ISO pallet - it’s a single-layer pallet. Its dimensions are 120x100x14,4 cm.
- ½ pallet - its dimensions are 800×600×144 mm. It is good for building small furniture pieces.
Because of their universal dimensions and exceptional sturdiness, Euro-pallets are the most popular choice for pallet furniture. They are made of impregnated and thermally processed wood. You can, however use any kind of wooden pallet for DIY pallet projects.
Make sure that pallets you choose are not damaged and prepare the correctly. If you pick pallets from various sources, remember to choose elements of the same type.
How to make pallet furniture?
Before starting your pallet wood project you should equip yourself with right tools and products. Apart from the pallets, you will also need:
- grinder tool with 80-100 grit sanding paper for the first sanding and grit 200 for smoothing the surface,
- screw gun with screws,
- wood adhesive for filling the holes in wood,
- wood preserver,
- wood paint (if you want the furniture to have a certain colour),
- painting tools - brushes and rollers,
- additional elements - wheels, glass tabletops, cushions, blankets, mattresses.
Pallet furniture - step by step
Before starting making pallet furniture, you need a proper design. Measure the place where the furniture is supposed to be placed. The size of your pallet furniture should match the size of a pallet accordingly, to avoid cutting.
It is good if the size of the final piece is a multiple of a pallet’s length. This way, if you want to increase the length, you just add another piece to one side. A standard height of the furniture is usually a height of two pallets. To get a higher piece, just add another layer of pallets.
Having prepared a detailed project which includes the number of pallets you are going to need, you need to prepare the pallets:
- Any damage should be repaired. Remove rotten elements and fill holes and dents with a wood adhesive.
- Use the grinder tool to smoothen the rough surface and remove any splinters. Grind the pallet thoroughly so that there are no sharp or rough elements. Fill any gaps with the mentioned adhesive. Remove or hammer any nails sticking out of the wood.
- Clean the pallets from dust and apply the wood preserver to the surface. After it dries, you can cover the pallets with a varnish or paint.
If the elements have dried, you can start linking them into one piece. To do this, use screws, angles and flat bars. Match the pieces in the least visible places, such as the bottom and sides of a pallet. You can add wheels to the tables so that they can be easily moved. You can also add decorative elements such as cushions and mattresses.
Pallet furniture ideas
There are many DIY pallet projects that you can use for furnishing your garden. The most commonly made objects are pallet tables. They are very easy to make - all you need is placing one pallet on another and joining them with several screws. A good idea is adding a glass table top. Find other pallet furniture ideas below:
- Lounge chair - such project usually requires 2 pallets. You can customise the length of the seat and the angle of the back.
- Armchair - 3 pallets will suffice in most cases. For this type of pallet wood projects it is a good idea to use smaller size pallets.
- Swing - just build a seat out of pallets and attach it to an appropriate construction, for instance between two trees.
- Flower bed - you can make either a flower stand or a vertical garden. To make the latter, cover the invisible side of the pallet and its bottom with garden foil. Fill the spaces with soil and plant some flowers inside. When their roots grow large enough, you can position the pallet vertically.
Those are only a few ideas for pallet furniture to use in your garden. You can find more inspirations on the Internet. There are many tutorials available with a step-by-step instruction.
Pallet bench - DIY furniture
A simple pallet bench is very easy to make. All you need is three pallets. Their size is not important - use the one that fits your own preferences. Cut one of the pallets in two along the boards. One piece will be the backrest and the boards from the other are going to be used for securing it in place.
After grounding the surface and protecting it with preserver place one whole pallet on the other. Attach three boards to the backseat part. Cut the boards, so they are equal in length. Then just attach the back to the seat. The pallet bench is more comfortable if you put a mattress of an appropriate length on the seat.
Garden pallet furniture is a good solution for cheap and eco-friendly furnishing. It can be used in a garden, on a patio and a balcony. What’s more, you can even make a whole pallet bed. Making pallet furniture is relatively easy, therefore, it is worth to try to make them. Pallet furniture is a good idea for furnishing a stylish garden.
Check how else you can design your balcony. Create a space where you will be able to relax.
A convenient alternative - store-bought pallet furniture
If you have no time for DIY projects and you still want to have beautiful pallet furniture in your garden - we have a solution for you. Just purchase already made pallet furniture. They are offered not only by DIY makers, but also by commercial manufacturers. This way, you can easily choose tested designer equipment to amaze anyone who visits your garden.
📍 Where to get pallets?
You can try getting some pallets for free or for cheap in supermarkets, small shops and industrial areas. You can also browse the Internet where pallets are sold for a low price.
📍 How to make pallet patio furniture?
The easiest furniture to make for a patio is a small table. All you need is two pallets (or more if you want your table higher). Stack the pallets and join them with screws. To make the piece more functional, you can add wheels and a glass top.
📍 How to price pallet furniture?
Pricing a DIY furniture depends on various factors, such as the cost of materials you used, the time you spent on making a piece and the price on the market. When pricing your pallet furniture, you should consider all of those aspects.
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