Have you ever wondered if you could put some of that hardware store cast-off pallets to some good use? Maybe the ecologically minded side of you wanted to do your part to lessen the burden on our landfills by reclaiming that unused wood. Here are some great pallet wood projects for re-purposing old, unused pallets.
A quick and easy project to build from a wood pallet is a console table. Start by cleaning the wood of any debris. If you have an older pallet that has been more weather-worn, it’ll probably be worthwhile to sand the pallet to remove any rough edges and splinters.
Then paint it in the color of your choice. One very popular option is to use chalk paint, which is available in a variety of colors. Seal it by applying cream wax after the paint has dried.
Purchase a wood plank to use as a shelf, and cut it to fit on the top edge of the pallet when stood on the end. Sand it, and finish it with a maple stain finish. Attach it to the pallet with screws, with the back side flush with the side of the pallet that will be mounted to the wall. It should overhang the sides and front.
Next, attach the assembled console table to the wall with screws. This table looks great in any room but will be particularly useful for use in the entryway to your home. You can decorate it in much the same way as you would a fireplace mantle. Flowers and books make a great choice.
Another great project that is easy to make is a wine bottle rack with included storage for your wine glasses. Use a reciprocating saw to remove all the frame boards except the end ones. Cut straight through the screws, leaving them in place to preserve the authentic feel of the pallet.
Rough up the boards that you removed on one side with a hammer, but be careful not to break them. Do the same with the frame boards that you left attached. This will give the finished product more character after the stains are applied.
You’ll need two stains, one light and one dark. Using a paintbrush, apply the dark stain to the marks that you made on the wood with your hammer to make them stand out more. Apply the light stain over the rest of the pallet wood.
Cut the pallet frame down the center parallel to the two frame boards that you left attached to make two identical wine racks. Attach one of the removed boards with screws to form a shelf on the bottom. Reattach the removed boards to the back using spacers to leave room for your wine bottles. Secure the wine rack with screws. Cut eight 1 1/4″wide slits spaced 2 1/2″ apart in your bottom board so that the wine glass stems can be slid into them for storage underneath of the bottles.
These are two great ways to re-purpose wood pallets. Use your imagination to come up with more pallet wood projects. You’ll probably surprise yourself with how many great ideas that you can come up with.
