We love pallets! They are a low-cost option for DIY projects and they can turn into all kinds of cool objects and furniture for your home!
With regard to the ideas of gardenyou can add from small pieces to create structures to grow all your little plants. Not only that, but the beauty of making things out of wooden pallets is that they don’t have to be perfect – in fact, they’re better left a little «rough».
Discover some inspirations below and let’s get our hands dirty:
1. Build a bird house
A great project for kids to get involved with, pallet wood is the ideal material to create some simple birdhouse design ideas, which can be attached to trees or walls.
One pallet should be enough to make several houses – experiment with different shapes and sizes, which will attract different birds.
Utilizing small boxes with lids and an entry hole, you can take your brushes and decorate the exterior using exterior wood paint to create bright colors, stripes or stains, keeping the interior bird friendly and paint free.
2. Create a garden bar
You don’t need a lot of space to enjoy drinks in the garden – this clever outdoor bar idea hangs on the wall and folds away when not in use.
To make it, glue and screw together four pieces of pallet wood to form a box, then add a shelf in the middle and a board along the bottom edge to keep your bottles and glasses safe.
For the door, place four pieces of wood the same length as the box side by side, then secure them with two smaller pieces placed horizontally to hold everything together. Add two hinges to the base of the box and the door, making sure they line up nicely.
Paint everything in the chosen color and fix it on the wall. Finally, to ensure the bar door remains open at a 90-degree angle when in use, screw hooks and eyes to the outside of the bar and add lengths of chain – from craft stores – between them.
3. Make a chair
Wooden garden furniture can be expensive, but building a chair from pallets is free — and you can customize it to your space and garden decor, says upcycler and DIY expert Charis Williams, aka Salvage Sister , which holds workshops to teach ideas about pallets for gardens and homes.
“You can change the length and height, add cup holders, footrests, and even include a planter behind the headrest. And, of course, you can get creative with paint.
Charis explains that pallets are made up of “carriers” (the thick structure of the pallet) and “slats” (the thinner material that runs through them).
Start by cutting a pallet in two in half and removing a slat from the end of each half so that the supports are exposed.
Cut a 20-degree angle into the brackets on one half so it will be at that angle when you attach it to the other half with screws and wood glue, making the backrest reclining.
Use more brackets to make the four legs, and finish by adding extra armrests and slats to the seat and back before painting your chosen color.
4. Make a vase stand
“This potting rack will look great in the middle of your outdoor table,” says Hester van Overbeek. ‘Created from just a board and three glass bottles from the wastebasket, it’s a very quick project to make.’
All you need is four pieces of sanded pallet wood glued or screwed together, with holes drilled with a paddle drill for the bottle openings.
“You can use old bottles, used liquor bottles, or three vases. If you have a long table, why not use more bottles and stretch it the full length!’ Then simply fill with flowers for a beautiful, rustic centerpiece.
5. Give your dog a place to sit
“A pallet cut in half makes the perfect base for a dog bed,” Hester explains, and this outdoor one can stand permanently on the patio during the summer.
Grab an existing dog bed or mattress to use as a size guide, then saw your pallet in half, using one half for the base and the other to form the back panel, screwing in metal corner brackets for support.
You can then paint your bed a bright, cheery color, adding patterns or even your dog’s name.
“My little dog Kermit loves his new throne, which I painted a stunning bright blue,” says Hester.
6. Create a sawless sofa
Learning how to build a pallet bench doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might think. As this quick project shows, sometimes the best garden pallet ideas are often the simplest ones.
In just a few hours, you can turn three pallets into a workbench for two – no sawing!
Start by sanding the rough areas, then use a mini roller to paint the pallets on both sides with exterior paint.
Once dry, create the base of your countertop by stacking one or more pallets at the right height, securing them with screws and an electric drill. Add another pallet supported upright to create the back of the workbench, reattaching with a drill and screws.
Finish by adding comfy seat cushions to your new outdoor seat – DIY stores sell cushions made specifically for use with pallets – then add color with scatter cushions, potted plants and fairy lights.
7. Create a coffee table
One of the easiest things to make from a single pallet, this low coffee table would work equally well indoors and outdoors. Simply smooth your pallet with sandpaper, cleaning off any dust, before painting it in your chosen color.
Then turn the pallet upside down and screw four-wheel casters, available at DIY stores, into each of the corners.
Flip it over, dress it up with a vase of flowers and some coasters, and you’re good to go for outdoor fun.
8. Add a planter
This is one of the easiest garden pallet ideas, making it a great choice for DIY beginners.
Just flip a pallet over and add planks from another pallet to the bottom of the legs, creating little pockets that you can line with polythene or garbage bags. Fill them with compost and add a selection of small plants.
It’s ideal for introducing some herb garden ideas into a small space, as you can lean the furniture against a fence or fill it with plants on the right and mount it on a wall.
Once you get the hang of this basic design, you can experiment with some larger pallet garden wall ideas by taking a pallet apart and using the planks to create more complicated and wider containers for larger plants or even vegetables.
9. Upgrade your lighting
Leverage sunlight with an elegant wood surround. Start by building the lamp frame.
Create a box with two shorter boards and two longer boards (the ones used here are 16 and 20 inches), gluing and screwing them together so that all the boards line up at the bottom.
Remove the peak from a solar peak light so you are left with just the bulb holder with the solar panel on top.
Use this as a template to drill a hole in a square piece of board, to which you can glue the lamp holder using glue or external silicone sealant.
Finally, attach this upper part to the structure with screws or more glue and finish with a layer of external varnish.
Once you’ve made a few lamps, place them along a garden path, around a seating area, or use them to light special features like flower beds or trees.
10. Create garden walls
Fun to hang on a garden wall or fence, give as gifts, or as a garden decor idea for outdoor parties, wooden pallet sign letters can be made in almost any size and style.
Start by making a plywood or MDF template to serve as a backrest. Then cut the pallet boards to fit before using wood glue and panel pegs to secure them to the backboard, securing them in place as they dry. You can add borders if you like.
‘The amount of wood you use depends on how big you want your letters to be. For example, a 16-inch letter can easily be made from pallet slats,” says upcycler Charis Williams. ‘Some letters are more difficult than others, for example S and M can be difficult as they have a lot of curves. Something like an L or P is much easier for a novice.
Now it’s time to paint and decorate your letter. “If you want to leave it bare, try Briwax over sanded wood to bring out the beautiful grains,” suggests Charis. ‘You can even burn your wooden letter with a plumber’s torch – just be careful not to burn it!’
11. Make a garden truck
“A traditional wooden cart is the perfect container to transport around the garden when you are picking home grown flowers, fruits and vegetables,” says Hester van Overbeek.
You’ll only need three planks of pallet wood in total; first cutting one side to shape it, then using that as a template to cut the other so that both are the same.
Then, using strong wood glue and some nails, add planks along the base and sides, making a handle with two more planks and a piece of wood dowel.
You can then paint your trug or stain it for a more natural look. It would even work as a mini garden planter, for shallow rooted plants like succulents.
12. Create a picnic table
To recreate this outdoor dining space à terre, just take two pallets, sand them and degrease the wood. When the pallets are clean and dry, paint over the wood stain in the direction of the natural grain for a smooth finish.
Let the paint dry and simply stack the pallets, scatter some outdoor pillows and your new outdoor dining idea is ready to go. And without a screw or hammer in sight, it’s the perfect pallet idea.
13. Build a swing
This idea might seem like a real challenge, but it’s surprisingly easy to create! Depending on the size of chair you want, line up two or three pallets in a row and insert pieces of wood on each side of the pallets and in between. Secure the wood to the pallets with screws and cut the overhang.
Now your pallets are attached to each other, drill a hole in the four corners of the chair and run a strong rope through the hole and under the chair as well.
Secure your seat…