An inexhaustible source of ideas for your summer cottage or houses are pallets. These are quite practical elements that can be used for completely different purposes. They make them various crafts, garden furniture, food storage structures and even buildings.
The fact is that pallets consist of good wood, which is the basis for all kinds of designs.
From this article you will learn what is special about using pallets, where to get them, how to prepare them, and what can be made from pallets.
What makes pallets special?
Pallets are certain wooden structures that are used to transport goods. They serve as packaging material to avoid damage to goods. The photo shows that this is a rigid stand made from knocked down boards.
You will be surprised, but one pallet weighs from 15 to 20 kg. As for the specific sizes, they are:
- regular pallet - 120×100×14.4 cm;
- Euro pallet - 120×80×14.4 cm.
The wooden elements chosen are durable and strong, as they are designed to withstand the weight of goods up to 1 or even 2 tons. That's why even used pallets can be fully reused. They will serve you for more than one year.
Note! Now furniture made from pallets occupies quite a high position in popularity among designer products. There are collections from eco-style designers that amaze with their ideas and beauty.
Where to get pallets
Before you start considering ideas for crafts made from them, you need to find out where to get these materials. They are used by transport companies as packaging material. Those pallets that have weakened from loads are no longer suitable for transportation, so they are disposed of. But how can you get them?
There are two ways:
- On thematic portals you can find advertisements for the sale of these products. Their price can be very different, ranging from 30 rubles to 150 for 1 piece.
- To connect with transport company directly. Many of them will gladly give you the use of the pallet for free, just so as not to have to deal with its disposal. Some may ask for a symbolic price. All you have to do is provide transportation.
Alternatively, create your own products. You only need to have boards that are 15 or 20 mm thick, as well as wooden beams with a cross section of 65 mm. All that remains is to cut the boards according to the dimensions of the future craft and assemble them according to the diagram.
How to prepare material before use
The good thing about the products is that you can use them however you want. You can dismantle them or fasten them, cover them with fabric, paint, decorate and improve them. If you want to use them as blanks, they should be conditioned.
First, remove all dirt and dust. They must be clean. Also, inspect the wood. If there are burrs and knots on it, then sand it. Use a skin or grinder. At the same time, sand only those places that will come into contact with a person.
Since structures can be used for different purposes, we recommend protecting them from moisture. It has a negative impact on an unprotected tree. It quickly begins to rot. For protection use special compounds or a primer for exterior use with a water-repellent effect. After these manipulations, you can use the pallets for your own purposes. But the question arises, what can be done with them? Let's look at a few use cases that you can do yourself.
Laundry basket
Often this is what is missing big family. Don’t immediately run to the store and buy unreliable plastic containers. Will last much longer wooden structure, distinguished by its strength. The photo shows exactly how this idea can be realized.
The design of the pallets itself is quite simple, and it can be assembled quite quickly. Your task is to create a box that has two compartments. Each of them will have a laundry bag installed. This way, you can sort laundry for washing, separating everyday clothes from bed linen and towels. A product made from pallets can be painted, giving it an interesting look.
Coffee table
Such pieces of furniture cost a lot of money. But with one or two trays in your arsenal, you can create a wonderful table for magazines and other accessories. The good news is that it won’t be difficult to make. Even women can handle this job. The table will be multifunctional, simple and beautiful.
You will need two or three pallets, glass, screws and wheels for transportation. Pallets in finished form are knocked together, glass is installed on top of them, and wheels are fixed at the bottom. You don't even need to disassemble the products. All that remains is to decorate it, paint it, varnish it, paste it over, etc.
Advice! From other pallets you can make chairs that will look harmonious with the table.
You can learn more about making it yourself from this video.
Pallet bench
It can be used both in your garden and directly in the house. There are many different options benches made from pallets that you can sell.
And thanks to this video, you will learn how to make it yourself.
Sofa
A very functional item that is simply indispensable for the home. You will need to tinker with the arrangement of the sofa, but if you take into account its cost, you will no longer buy them in the store.
It is no worse than the store-bought version, and in some respects even better.
You will learn how to make a sofa from pallets with your own hands from this video.
Outbuildings made from pallets
No, you're right. You can even build an entire building out of pallets, which is suitable for storing equipment, birds, food and other purposes. Take a look at the photo to see how you can make your own pallet shed.
Pallets will be used as structure walls, roofing and even flooring. The finished utility unit can be further decorated and protected by covering it with one of available materials. From this video you will learn how to make it beautifully and neatly.
Comfort in the home is very important for each of us, and many owners are willing to spend a lot of time and money to create a beautiful, comfortable interior. However, we already know that we can achieve the desired result without special costs using available means for this. It turns out that seemingly unassuming items like wooden pallets can serve you well good service: from them you can make almost any furniture for your home and garden with your own hands.
Garden furniture and loft-style furniture made from wooden pallets - reasons for popularity and manufacturing features
Interior designers have long picked up the idea of minimalism when decorating premises, and are quite successfully implementing it. Recently, the “loft” style has become very popular (loft from English - the top floor of a warehouse, workshop, industrial premises). You can easily recognize him by his rude manner brick walls left outside ventilation ducts, rusty floor beams. It’s as if a group of students, unable to find suitable housing, decided to settle in an abandoned warehouse and furnish it with the bare necessities. In this case, furniture can be found at a flea market, or even put together from improvised materials.
The loft style implies roughness, rawness of the room, and furniture made from pallets fits perfectly into it
Wooden pallets or pallets became such improvised means. It turned out that with the right approach they can become not only comfortable, but also original furniture. In addition, items made from this material have found themselves in such styles as country, minimalism, rustic, and Provence. In addition, wood is a very popular material in construction, finishing works, manufacturing of furniture and decorative elements.
Wooden pallets as starting material: selection rules, drawings
Wooden pallets, or pallets, are used as packaging material that simplifies the transportation of various goods. The weight of a pallet is usually 15–20 kg, and the dimensions vary depending on the purpose:
For the manufacture of pallets, wood is chosen that is strong and durable, because during operation the structure must withstand a load weighing up to 1000 kg. Most often, the most common types of wood in our latitudes are used: pine, linden, oak. So you can safely use used pallets to make furniture; they will withstand new loads perfectly.
Note! Unlike standard pallets, Euro pallets are marked in the form of stamps on end sides. When making furniture, these stamps can serve as additional decoration.
Marking stamps on the ends of Euro pallets will become an additional decoration for future furniture
Since the main purpose of pallets is to be packaging material for transporting goods, it is not difficult to obtain them. You can buy pallets (new or used) based on advertisements on the relevant portals. Or you can contact the manufacturer or enterprise that regularly uses pallets. Often, recycling disused packaging materials requires a lot of money and time, so the company will be happy to give you the pallets for free or for a nominal price.
With certain carpentry skills, you can make pallets yourself. For this you will need wooden beams with a cross section of 60–70 mm and boards 15–20 cm thick. Cut blanks from boards the right size according to the dimensions of the future structure and fasten them according to the standard pattern.
How to treat pallets before use
Wooden pallets are very convenient, because you can use them in any way: disassemble them, fasten them together, combine them with other materials, paint them or cover them with fabric. But in any case, primary processing and preparation of the material is required. After all, used pallets could be used for food products, building materials and much more.
Tools for working with pallets
So, the main working material - pallets - is already at your disposal. Before you start making furniture, stock up on the following tools and materials:
- metal corners;
- electric drill with drill;
- washers with bolts and screws;
- protective equipment (glasses and gloves);
- medium-grain sandpaper or sanding machine;
- primer;
- measuring instrument - tape measure or ruler;
- tassels.
If you do not have an electric drill at hand, you will have to work with a hammer, respectively replacing bolts and screws with nails. True, such work will take more of your time, and the result will not be as high quality.
For work you may need power tools with brackets, nails, bolts and screws, a tape measure, a screwdriver
If you want to give the product a more presentable look, use woodworking varnish or paint, choosing the color of your choice. In addition, for the manufacture of more complex structures, you may need fittings and additional elements from other materials: wheels, metal legs, fabrics, glass.
Furniture items most often made from pallets
It just seems that pallets are suitable for the simplest structures, on which you can only sit in the garden. In fact, with some effort and imagination, you can create a real work of design art, which, in addition to its functional purpose, can become a home decoration. By following a single stylistic direction, you can easily furnish your home with furniture made from pallets made by yourself.
We invite you to familiarize yourself in more detail with the options for interior items created from such a simple material.
Stands, tables, coffee tables
It is believed that tables made from pallets are the simplest to make, which is why they are popular among home craftsmen. Even without much experience in carpentry, you can easily and quickly build a small table from a couple of pallets.
There are many manufacturing and processing options. You can simply sand the finished product or coat it with varnish to give the wood a warm tint and protect it from exposure external environment. You can paint the table and even put designs on it in accordance with the interior style of the room. Designers recommend placing a sheet of glass on top as a tabletop: this will not only make the table original modern look, but will also greatly facilitate the care wooden surface products.
It’s easy to make a desk or dining table from three pallets, and you can put a sheet of glass on the tabletop
It won't cost you special labor even make a desk or dining table. To do this, it is enough to place several pallets perpendicular to the pallet used as a tabletop. You can equip drawers in the openings between the top and bottom pallet
Beds
Pallets are great for making bed frames. For example, it could be a base of pallets installed in one row, and you will get a simple universal stock in asian style, where all the furniture is low. Or you can secure pallets in 2-3 tiers or stack them on wooden coasters, how in classic version beds. In any case, you will not have to worry about ventilation of the finished product. But there is also a minus: it is better not to jump on such a bed; the frame boards may not withstand intense load.
The pallets will make an original bed and a headboard for it
In addition to the bed itself, pallets are great for constructing its headboard. If the interior of your bedroom is designed in the style of loft, country, minimalism, this option is a wonderful find. You can place the pallet as a headboard horizontally, vertically, and even build a narrow shelf for books and lamps.
Armchairs, sofas
Most often, pallets are used for manufacturing garden chairs and sofas, but with proper processing of the material and the addition additional elements This type of furniture will fit perfectly into your home environment. Most likely, you will need soft seats and backrests, but sofa cushions can easily fill their role.
Just two pallets - and you have an excellent comfortable chair at your disposal
The big advantage of making such chairs and sofas is that you can adjust the height and width of the product at will, as well as add or remove armrests if necessary.
A sofa made from pallets can be any height and width convenient for you
Having a sufficient number of construction pallets on hand, you can easily build an entire ensemble consisting of a sofa (even a corner one), a pair of armchairs and a coffee table. The main thing is to adhere to the same style and scheme for connecting pallets into a single structure.
Decor elements
This is where there is a lot of room for imagination, and that is in the manufacture of products involved in decorating the room. And pallets will come in handy in this matter. For example, you can make a panel from dies of the same size, onto which you will apply a drawing or attach small shelves for small items.
Very convenient shelf for various small items
The upper part of the pallet with boards placed close to each other will serve as a tray; just attach interesting shaped handles to it.
Attach handles to the top of the tray - and you will have an original tray
And if you have a pet, a cat or a dog, who likes to lie around, then he will certainly appreciate cozy place recreation. The process is even simpler than making a sofa or armchair: connect two pallets perpendicularly and lay a soft backing. You can make holes to install bowls of water and food.
Your pet will be happy with such a comfortable bed
Country and outdoor furniture
Against the background of nature, wooden furniture looks especially organic, even without special processing. If you have a barbecue area at your dacha, then pallets will help you make it more comfortable. Tables, chairs, benches, swings, seats and coasters for dishes, and even a fence with containers for flowers - all this can be made from ordinary pallets.
Furnish your summer cottage with comfortable and beautiful furniture made from pallets
Photo gallery: products made from wooden pallets
An easy-to-make sofa: pallet, wheels, soft pillows 
One pallet is enough for such a coffee table. 
Paint it in the desired color, apply an interesting design - and a new one coffee table fits harmoniously into the interior 
Just one pallet and your shoes have their own comfortable spot 
Comfortable, practical and inexpensive pallet swings 
From a couple of pallets you can make beautiful coasters for flowers 
On garden plot A bench is a must, and pallets are a great material for it! 
From pallets you can make a rack for storing books and all sorts of small items 
This comfortable set of table and chairs will look great both in the kitchen and on the outdoor patio. 
Very convenient bedside table on wheels for TV
Step-by-step instructions for making furniture from pallets with your own hands
If you have already decided what exactly you want to make, but have no idea how to do it, we offer you several furniture options, from simple objects until this exclusive. The master's work is feared, and you can easily cope with the work.
Note! In addition to pallets, in some cases you can use wooden boxes for storing vegetables, or even combine these materials in one product. Below we will present a couple of options.
Coffee table or bedside table on wheels
It's probably worth starting with the easiest to make, especially if you're new to carpentry and working with pallets for the first time. For a coffee table you will need 1-2 pallets, and in addition to them:
- drill;
- hammer;
- nail puller;
- screwdriver;
- screws;
- wood glue;
- wheels for the table;
- primer;
- brushes for primer and varnish;
- simple pencil.
Let's get to work.
- First of all, the pallet needs to be cleaned and sanded. Wipe it thoroughly from dirt and dust, then sand it using a drill with special nozzle for wood processing. The surface can be wiped down sandpaper.
Clean and sand the tray with a woodworking attachment
- Disassemble the pallet, carefully removing the nails using a hammer and nail puller. After this, stack the boards tightly together into the tabletop. Glue them together and, for reliability, nail them with two boards with inside.
Disassemble the pallet into boards and place them on the tabletop
- Wait for the glue to dry, then strengthen the tabletop from the inside with several more boards. This way you will have a place to store your magazines.
Add a few more boards on the bottom side
- Cover the countertop with a primer and, when dry, with a layer of varnish. Now try on the wheels. Attach them to the bottom of the tabletop, and use a pencil to mark the locations for the screws.
Try the wheels on the underside of the tabletop
- Arm yourself with a drill and drill holes for screws in the designated places. Secure the wheels.
Attach the wheels to the marked places
Simple but very cute Coffee table IR ready to use. As you can see, its production took very little time and effort.
Simple coffee table on wheels
Video tutorial on making a table from pallets
Pallet chair
Since we're done with the table, it doesn't hurt to make a chair to go with it. Let's deal with it right away, since the tools needed are the same as in the previous case.
- First you need to cut the pallet in two, and you need to do this along the board located in the middle. Cut the resulting halves in half. You will get a seat, a back and two armrests.
Cut the pallet into parts for the chair
- Sand all the details. Select the one that will become the back, make a cut on one side at a slight angle: the part needs to be installed at an angle.
Connect the backrest and seat at a slight angle
- After connecting the backrest and seat with screws, secure them between the two armrests designed to hold the chair. To make the product strong and reliable, fasten the parts with nails and screws.
Secure the back and seat between the armrests
- When you are finished connecting all the parts, coat the finished chair first with a primer, then with varnish. If you want to put such a product in a room, you can paint it in suitable color and decorate with pillows or soft seats.
Paint the chair and put soft pillows on it
Sofa with drawers
Let's move on to more complex structures. Pallets have space between the boards in which you can store things small size. But if you try, you can make a sofa with drawers. For it you need 6 pallets; Pre-disassemble three of them into separate boards. And you also need:
- plywood sheets;
- drill;
- Bulgarian;
- jigsaw;
- screws;
- four wheels;
- handles for drawers;
- primer;
- wood paint or varnish;
- brushes or roller;
- sandpaper;
- cushions and seats.
Before work, pallets must be cleaned and sanded.
- One of the whole pallets will serve as the base of the sofa, to which you need to immediately attach wheels. If possible, buy skates equipped with brakes at the store.
Attach wheels to one of the whole pallets
- The second pallet will become the backrest. Cut it to 47 cm in width and 91 cm in length.
For the back, cut the pallet on both sides so that it is smaller than the base
- Make armrests from the third pallet. Cut the pallet into two parts measuring 47 x 80 cm.
Another pallet, cut in half, will serve as armrests
- The back and seat of our sofa need to have solid surfaces, so we need to fill in the spaces between the pallet boards. To do this, you will need pallets, disassembled at the very beginning. For reliability, the joints can be coated with glue.
Fill the openings with boards from disassembled pallets
- Using screws or self-tapping screws, attach the backrest to the base.
- Attach the remaining 2 parts of the pallet - the armrests - to the sides of the sofa. Cover the sofa with a primer, top with varnish or paint, and leave until completely dry.
- In the meantime, start making two identical boxes from sheets of plywood. The height of each box corresponds to the height of the hole between the bottom and the top board of the pallet minus 5 mm, the width and length are 37.5 cm each. Cut 2 parts for the bottom and 8 parts for the sides, connect with screws or glue. Attach the handles with outside. It is advisable to nail a cross board at the bottom of the pallet, which will hold the inside of the boxes before inserting them.
Assemble all the parts of the sofa, make drawers, paint the product and let dry
Convenient and stylish sofa ready from pallets. All that remains is to lay out the pillows, and you can enjoy your holiday cuddling with your favorite cat.
Your pets will also love this sofa.
Video tutorial: making a sofa from pallets
TV table
We continue to arrange the apartment. Good modern technology and the surroundings need to match, so we will make a spectacular bedside table for the new plasma TV. And not simple, but functional: you can put discs or magazines in it, or put a DVD player in it.
Easy to make functional TV stand
You will need:
- 4 pallets;
- 6 wheels;
- dye;
- sandpaper.
The bedside table can be decorated by laying out decorative stones or attaching a Christmas tree garland around the perimeter.
- After cleaning and sanding the pallets, they need to be primed and, if desired, painted.
Prime and paint prepared pallets
- Now start assembling. To begin, cut the pallets in half, and sand each cut with sandpaper: the surface must be thoroughly sanded. Screw the wheels to the bottom of the base tray and paint again. Place the pallets on top of each other.
Assemble prepared pallets into a structure
- When the paint has dried, decorate the cabinet: attach decorative elements, lighting, and stones to it.
Decorate your almost finished cabinet decorative elements and backlight
- All that remains is to fasten the pallets to each other with screws or screws.
Fasten the pallets together with screws
As you can see, this cabinet is very roomy and comfortable. When necessary, you can easily move it to another place.
Simple pallet bed
In order not to waste a lot of time and effort, we suggest you make a simple version of the bed. For it you will need:
- three pallets of the same size, you can take 120 X 80 centimeters;
- self-tapping screws;
- nails;
- drill;
- screwdriver;
- sandpaper;
- wood primer;
- varnish or paint;
- hammer;
- tassels;
- roller
Try to choose good, strong, intact pallets so that you don't have to spend a lot of time cleaning them.
- Carefully process the prepared pallets with sandpaper or a drill with a special attachment. When finished, wipe everything with a damp cloth.
Sand the pallets with sandpaper
- Coat the pallets with primer using a roller - it's much faster than working with a brush. Wait until the surfaces are completely dry.
Apply paint in several layers
- After the paint has completely dried, proceed to connecting the structure. The fastening is done along the long side. Drill holes in the pallet boards and screw in the screws. On the reverse side, which will stand close to the wall, strengthen the frame with wooden boards.
- All that remains is to place the mattress, blanket and pillows on the finished frame.
Assemble the bed frame, secure and lay the mattress on it
Using this principle, you can make a frame for a double bed using 6-8 pallets. If you need a higher frame, stack the pallets in 2 or 3 rows.
Video tutorial: making a bed from pallets
Rack made of pallets or wooden boxes
The easiest way to make a rack from a pallet is to remove the crossbar from it and build in 2 or more boards at the same distance from each other, securing them with self-tapping screws. These boards will serve as shelves. Of course, the product needs to be sanded and varnished or painted.
A little modification to the pallet - and you have a rack with shelves ready
All that remains is to fix the rack on the wall. Using a building level, mark 2 horizontal points on the wall surface. The distance between them should be slightly less than the width of the rack, about 5 cm. Drill holes at the points with a drill, insert dowels into them. Screw in the screws so that their heads are not tightly screwed. On the top board of the pallet rack, mark the same points, drill holes, screw the hinges to them with self-tapping screws. Loops can be metal or rope.
You can add legs from an old table to the shelving unit to give it an antique feel.
Hang the rack on the wall. If you think it necessary, you can screw vintage legs from an old table to the bottom shelf: this will further strengthen the structure and give it a retro style feel.
You can also make a rack from wooden boxes used for storing vegetables. Here everything is even simpler: you will need 12 identical boxes in good condition. Sand them thoroughly and cover them with stain or dark varnish. However, you can use any wood paint to match the color of the interior. Fasten them together on all sides with nails or screws. The design is quite stable due to its wide surface and does not require additional fastening to the wall.
From several boxes fastened together, you get spacious rack for the pantry, dressing room or living room
This shelving unit is not only suitable for a pantry or basement, it will also look great in the living room.
Video: how to make shelves from pallets
Assembling a simple shoe rack
When entering a house from the street, it is customary to take off your shoes. But to keep it from getting underfoot, it needs to be placed somewhere. We offer you a very simple option for making a shoe stand.
First of all, you need to select a suitable pallet and sand it or sand it with a machine.
Sand the pallets with a sander
The most difficult thing in this activity is choosing paint. But this choice depends only on your desire and imagination. The main thing is that it is a special paint for woodworking. You can even combine several colors.
Choose paints, you can have several colors at once
Prime the tray and when dry, paint it in your chosen colors.
Prime and paint the pallet
That's all the work! Place the finished shoe rack in the corridor near the entrance and use it for its intended purpose - just place the shoes in the slots of the pallet.
Place the finished shoe rack near the entrance to the house.
There is another option for making shoe stands, and it is just as simple. You can use wooden vegetable boxes. Just sand them, paint them required colors and place it on the floor or hang it on hinges on the walls.
You can make shoe shelves by painting and arranging vegetable drawers in the desired order
Those who have already made furniture from wooden pallets claim that this is an excellent activity for the whole family, allowing them not only to spend time usefully, but also to have fun communicating and discover their talents. We hope that you will like this work, especially since you can not only make furniture according to our recommendations, but also add something of your own. If you already have experience in creating products for your home and garden from pallets, please share with us in the comments. Easy work for you and comfort for your home!
So, you have extra pallets at your dacha. Perhaps, several years ago, it was on these pallets that bricks were brought to you for the construction of your new house, and since then they have been wandering aimlessly from one corner of the yard to another, getting in your way and getting under your feet. Or perhaps you just bought a summer cottage and found several unnecessary pallets in the barn left by the previous owners. One way or another, you wondered, “What can be made from pallets?” Of course, you can just break them down into firewood, but we want to offer you a few extraordinary ideas, armed with which you can make beautiful and practical things from pallets for your garden that will delight you and surprise your guests.
Furniture made from pallets for the garden
Old pallets can be an excellent material for making original garden furniture. The main thing is to follow a few simple rules.
Firstly, it is important to carefully sand the external surfaces to protect yourself and your loved ones from splinters. Of course, it is better and faster to do this with a grinder, but if you don’t have one, this work can be done manually.
And secondly, you need to be careful when choosing Decoration Materials. Stains, varnishes and paints can give your new furniture a fantastic look, but not all of them are equally safe for humans. Carefully read the instructions for use on the package, and if in doubt, try to get qualified advice before purchasing.
You shouldn’t jump into something complicated right away, especially if you’re trying your hand at carpentry for the first time. To start, choose a simpler project. A small victory is better than a big disappointment. If you have never tried to do anything like this before, start with, for example, a table like this. It is simple, practical, and most importantly, it will definitely find a place in your dacha. You can take on more complex items once you feel confident in your abilities.
If you really have a lot of pallets, they can make a great deck deck. This type of flooring is much less expensive than traditional plank flooring and is easy to install.
Furniture made from pallets can find its place not only in the garden at the dacha. It will also fit perfectly into the interior of your living room, hallway, kitchen or bedroom, such as this TV stand.
An original shelf for things will decorate your workspace and help you find a place for every little thing.
And an unusual hanger will definitely attract the attention of your friends when they decide to visit you again.
A small coffee table made from a pallet will refresh the room and become a unique item in your interior, because you can’t buy one like this in a store.
In addition, the use of furniture from natural materials will bring you a lot of pleasure and positive emotions.
Another advantage of such furniture is its absolute environmental friendliness.
Flower beds and decor from pallets for the garden
You can also make from pallets a large number of various flower beds, flower pots, stands and other decorative garden elements.
Using paints, varnishes and your imagination, you can give each item its own unique character.
From a pallet you can make beautiful shelf for flower pots.
Or a device for storing garden tools.
If you have children, you can make a sandbox for them.
Or an entire playground.
Or maybe you have been dreaming of a swing for a long time?
Use your imagination and combine ideas. This way you can create something of your own, absolutely unique and reflecting your personality.
From old pallets you can make many interesting, convenient and beautiful things for the garden, with the help of which you can completely transform your site and add zest to the interior of your home. We hope our selection of unique items made from pallets will inspire you to explore own decisions. Don’t be afraid to experiment, the main thing here is a bold idea and a flight of imagination.
Treat yourself and surprise your friends original things, because looking at your new table or a sofa, they just won't believe that you made it yourself from old unwanted pallets that have been lying around in your garage for years.
You always want to have it at home original furniture. Especially if the budget is limited and there is no money to buy stylish expensive furniture from good shops. In this case, you can make furniture with your own hands, and today we will tell you how to make furniture from pallets with your own hands.
The article mainly talks about Euro pallets, the cost of which does not exceed several hundred rubles per piece. Of course, it is better not to buy used ones, and order new ones made from decent wood. Moreover, they will have to be painted and processed later. The use of pallets is not only very convenient, but, first of all, very environmentally friendly. At the same time, they look very impressive and original.
There is always a choice - whether to leave the wood untreated or sand it, whether to paint it or go with its natural shade. Building furniture from pallets takes us back to our childhood, when we built castles and houses from old pieces of wood. Any piece of furniture can be built this way, and the most popular are beds, coffee tables and even sofas from wooden pallets. Sometimes you can see wall shelves, armchairs and dining tables, and some manage to make eye-catching cabinets out of pallets.
As children, we built houses, now we can bring our creative impulses to life by building home furniture from pallets with our own hands.
Coffee table made from pallets
One more thing, very important advantage wooden pallets - their versatility. They fit perfectly into almost any interior. Light wood, lightweight construction - and now it’s ready new element decor or furniture, without any processing. Perfect for decorating interiors in industrial and urban style.
Stylish living room furniture made from pallets
Furniture made from euro pallets photo
The most popular color for furniture pallets is white. In order to complete the construction, you just need to connect the pallets and add several elements - a mattress, pillows and other little things that will be made from the frame, for example, into a full-fledged bed. You can apply designs to the surface of the pallet, you can make them multi-colored, you can group them into blocks of the same color. Paint for this can be bought at any store. The advantage of this furniture is that it quickly transforms into any other furniture element: for example, a coffee table in an instant turns into a shelf or even a chair. Furniture made from pallets easily coexists in the interior with furniture made from rattan or bamboo, which can be found in affordable prices at the market or in an antique store.
Retro furniture made from Euro pallets
If you use retro furniture in your interior, then adding furniture from pallets to it is as easy as shelling pears. One tray is enough to create a chic 50s style coffee table. Just add four metal pin legs and your table will definitely become the centerpiece of your living room.
You can also just put thick glass on the top tray, and the stylish coffee table is ready.
DIY children's furniture made from wooden pallets
Children's room - perfect place for creativity. A table, chest of drawers, bed, wall shelves - all this is done in a matter of minutes, and the child will be indescribably delighted. First of all, from the process itself. Furniture made from pallets looks light, does not burden the room, and allows you to save a lot of space.
Garden furniture made from pallets
Garden furniture made from such pieces is already a classic! Comfortable, stylish chairs, armchairs and tables made from wooden pallets are a wonderful creative addition to any garden. You can display them on your veranda and invite guests to impress them. You will be closer to nature in every sense! :)
Sink cabinet made of wooden pallets
We must not forget about bathroom furniture; there is also a lot you can do here. Wooden pallets for example this perfect material for the sink cabinet. They are also suitable for wall shelves and cabinets, sometimes you just need to divide the pallet into parts.
Bright chairs
DIY pallet cabinet ideas
Tea table
Balcony table
Fashionable kitchen shelves
Wonderful accessories made from pallet parts
DIY flower place
White outdoor furniture
Just add pillows
Pallets are used when arranging a store
Or a cafe
Pallets can be used in the bathroom and toilet
TV shelf made from Euro pallets
Furniture made from pallets diagram and drawings
You can come up with the design of such furniture yourself
Or just attach wheels and paint
Such furniture looks great even in an expensive interior.
And even as wallpaper
And many ideas on what else you can make from pallets with your own hands
From disassembled wooden pallets you can assemble the most various items furniture both from designer parts, using and ready-made panels, and boards and beams separated from them. If you decide to try your hand at making furniture for the first time, first try assembling a coffee table from pallets with your own hands - photos and drawings of such a table are easy to find on the Internet.
Preparation and operating principles
Tools and consumables
You will need:
- drill, drills and abrasive brush attachment for polishing wood (or sandpaper); hammer, nail puller, brushes and roller for paint, varnish, primer;
- screwdriver and screws;
- primer, varnish or paint (acrylic, polyurethane);
- accessories (corners, clamps, wheels for a table, handles for drawers, etc.
To make the screws fit into the wood easier, lubricate them with laundry soap or any other soap. If the pallet table will be placed outside, before assembling wooden parts must be treated with a moisture-proofing compound.
Preparing materials
For the manufacture of a table whose tabletop is not the same size as standard size pallet, disassemble the pallets using a hammer and nail puller. Before disassembling, they need to be cleaned of dust and dirt (washed or wiped with a damp cloth and dried) and lightly polished. This can be done with sandpaper or using a drill attachment.
Attention! All parts of the pallets need to be cleaned, and only those areas that will come into contact with the body should be sanded. Don't forget to wear a mask and safety glasses!
Remove the nails, being careful not to break the boards, and sort them by width and condition, especially if you used used pallets. It is enough to coat new pallets or their parts with a moisture-protective compound, while it would not hurt to treat used ones with an antiseptic primer. If products were transported on them (for example, vegetables or cereals in bags), organic particles trapped in the microcracks of the boards begin to decompose over time, and bad smell. Primer and varnish or paint are already covered finished goods when the glue holding the boards together dries.
Coffee table
Cleaned and painted or varnished (stained), the tray itself can serve as a low decorative coffee table. This piece of furniture will fit well into an “oriental” interior with sofa cushions on the floor and will appeal to people who like to drink coffee while sitting on a fluffy carpet. Well, if you want it to be the usual height, assemble it from two or three pallets stacked on top of each other.
To make a small table from pallets you need 2-3 pallets, one of which is disassembled into blanks. The boards from it are stuffed between the slats of the future table top to create a continuous sheet; The floor of the shelf and legs are used to make shields.
Finished large parts are ground and processed protective compounds and left to dry. After they have dried, the remaining primary processing roughness is rubbed with fine-grained sandpaper or sanded with a brush attachment for a drill.
Now you can assemble the structure:
- a shield assembled from boards is attached to the bottom of the pallet, which forms a shelf or niches for drawers. The shelves on top are left lattice or made solid.
- several layers of stain are applied to the table or primed and painted;
- at the corners of the bottom assembled table Bolt the four legs or furniture casters to the rollers.
In order for a coffee table made from pallets to stand level, mark in advance the places where the rollers will be: attach them to the tabletop and use a pencil to place marks in in the right places. Drill holes for screws using these marks.
Kitchen table
For the manufacture of dining table You will need four meters of timber with a cross-section of 2 x 2 cm and several pallets: square, 1 x 1 m in size (for the countertop), and standard - 1.2 x 1 m (for disassembling into parts).
From standard pallet you will get eight boards for the table legs, the width of each of them is about 7 cm, and the length is 66 cm. From the timber, cut four 7 x 68 cm sections for the table frame and eight spacers 32 cm long (along the long edge). Cut the ends of the spacers at a 45 degree angle.
Now you can start assembling. If you like the natural texture of wood, sand the parts and coat them with clear or colored varnish before assembly. Step-by-step instructions:
- Put together a frame of four boards.
- Place two boards at 90 degree angles and connect them with metal squares or glue and screws. These will be the corner legs.
- Attach the legs to the frame, additionally connect the frame and legs with supports.
- Secure the square pallet to the frame with the base facing up and place a sheet of thick glass on it. The glass for the tabletop can be transparent or colored; it is glued with transparent glue or a glass plate is drilled and fastened to the frame with large bolts.
The tabletop can also be made from boards from a disassembled pallet, stuffing them with a solid canvas on top of the frame. For niches inside the table, drawers are made from boards or plywood - in them you will store cutlery, napkins and kitchen items. The limiter for the drawers is the middle part of the base of the pallet, and the “extra” openings are filled with wooden cubes cut from thick timber.
Desk
The simplest computer or desk is made from four pallets, two of which, placed vertically, serve as its side walls, with shelves for small items. If you place the side pallets with their bases facing outwards rather than inwards, small flowerpots with flowers can be placed on the shelves. The floral design harmonizes perfectly with the wood and will enliven any room.
The upper pallet is left unchanged, but its surface is made solid by filling the gaps between the slats with boards or timber and thoroughly polished. Bottom part the pallet becomes a shelf or niche for drawers. Unlike the dining table, in the writing table they are placed only on the wide side, making a delimiter inside the niche: two rows of wooden cubes with edges of 20 centimeters each. The same cubes are used to fill the openings on the sides. If you are not going to place the table close to the wall, equip drawers on both sides of the table.
Work or office option for an office
Another variant desk in eco-style - with a tabletop made of pallets, placed on metal or wooden legs. It doesn’t look as bulky as the previous option, and it can be easily complemented with a restored bedside table by decorating both pieces of furniture in the same style and connecting the bedside table with the table with a wooden panel. Two “lightweight” tables made of pallets, separated by a bedside table, will become a common workplace for brothers and sisters living in the same room.
Advice! In addition to the desk, you can make a wide stool from a pallet and place it on it. Attach furniture casters to the legs, and without a cushion it will serve as a small mobile table.
Baby changing table
One of the main requirements for furniture for children is the strength and reliability of the structure, so pallets are the best suited for its manufacture. Assembling a changing table from pallets with your own hands is not much more difficult than a coffee table.
It requires four to five “wooden trays”, one of which will be disassembled. Like the desk, the legs of the changing table are two vertically placed pallets, and the top is a solid board. The only difference is that the sides are padded around the perimeter of the tabletop so that the baby does not accidentally roll off it.
The internal projections of the side panels of the table serve as the basis for two lattice shelves. This will contain spare packs of diapers, a change of clothes for the baby, bedding, etc. If you need drawers for small items, use one or two pallets assembled together and cover the structure from below with a sheet of plywood.
You can use glass to level the surface of Euro pallets
You can also make a spacious cabinet table for a nursery from pallets. In this case, the shelves are made of solid panels, and thick beams are vertically stacked in the middle so that they form a wall connecting the tabletop and the shelf. Boxes made of plywood or boards are inserted into the niches. When the baby grows up, he will start storing toys in them.
“Live” wood or painting?
Wood is a universal material that combines with all other natural materials. While preserving its natural texture, furniture made from pallets can be complemented with textile accessories, a glass tabletop; metal and forged parts; painting and wooden mosaic. However, we must remember that the type of wood processing depends not only on the artistic design, but also on the purpose of the piece of furniture:
- colorless varnish is necessary not only to highlight the structure of wood fibers, but also to protect the table from sauces, tea, and coffee spilled on it. Untreated wood absorbs liquids well, and over time the countertop will be difficult to clean.
- The table does not need to be painted or varnished. But if it is to be placed in the house, it must be impregnated with wood stain (in addition to its decorative function, it also has disinfecting properties), and the garden furniture must be treated against pests and moisture.
Euro pallets - free material
Protective compounds are applied with a brush, roller or sprayed onto the surface to be treated with a spray gun in two or three layers. If you want to paint the table oil paint, it must first be primed with a special putty or covered with drying oil.
Depending on the accessories and the method of decorating the wood, a table made from pallets will decorate a country-style kitchen, fit right in, or fit well into today’s fashionable loft. And having learned how to make a table from pallets with your own hands and having practiced, you can continue updating your interior with unusual and beautiful pieces of furniture.