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How to Make Pallet Furniture

19 September 2023By ellie Reuseabox

How to Make Pallet Furniture

Making your own garden furniture out of wooden pallets has become very popular, and it’s easy to see why. Pallet furniture is sustainable, low cost, easy to assemble and has a certain stylish and rustic charm which adds to any garden.

Wooden pallets can be used to make all sorts of outdoor furniture, such as a bench, sofa, table, or even a drinks bar! See below our top tips for DIYing pallet furniture.

Pallet furniture - Tables and benches made out of pallets
Benches and matching tables made out of pallets. Customised by adding cushions and candles to give it a homely feel.

Step 1: Obtain your pallets

Wooden pallets are pretty easy to come by and you can often get them for free. Try checking with your local supermarket or hardware store, alternatively Facebook marketplace is a great way to source secondhand pallets. We recommend getting used pallets instead of buying them brand new, as giving something once used a second life is much better for the planet!

Step 2: Prep

The first thing you want to do when you get your pallets, is remove any nails or metal sticking out and then sand them down. Sanding is a really important step as this will make sure you don’t get any nasty splinters whilst assembling your furniture. Don’t forget to wear goggles and protective gloves!

Next, you may want to consider treating the wood with a wood preserver. This will ensure your wood is protected from the outdoor elements and prevent issues such as rot.

Stack of pallets

Step 3: Painting

If you want your pallet furniture to have a natural, rustic effect, feel free to skip this step. However, if you’d like the furniture to match other items in your garden you may want to think about painting the wood. Getting the correct paint is very important, make sure you look at paints labelled for furniture. After painting one side, leave it for a few hours before turning over and painting the other side, being sure to get into all the hard-to-reach crevasses.

Painting pallet furniture white

Step 4: Assembly

Hooray! You’re finally ready to get to building your chosen furniture. The great thing about building with pallets is that they already have a strong and sturdy structure to them, so assembly work is not a difficult job.

Tools and parts required:

  • Electric drill
  • Screws
  • Angle brackets
  • Straight brackets
  • Spirit level (if required)
A planter made out of pallets
A garden planter made out of pallets.

Figure out what you want to build and decide how you will fit the pallets together. For example, if you are building a bench, you will need two or three pallets stacked on top of each other for the base, and one pallet at the back for a back rest. If you are building a bar you will need two pallets stacked vertically next to each other and perhaps another at a 90-degree angle for support. Whatever you are making, figure out the best way to arrange your pallets into a shape you are happy with.

Next, you’ll need to secure them together. Using right angle brackets and straight brackets, secure your pallets together by putting screws into the holes. Make sure you use enough of these to keep it strong and sturdy.

Step 5: Added extras

Congratulations on building a sturdy piece of furniture! Why not go the extra mile and add some finishing touches?

Many retailers offer pallet furniture cushions, which fit perfectly on a homemade pallet sofa. Or if you have built a bar, you may want to get a strong plank of wood to secure to the top to have a countertop.

Drinks bar made out of pallets, including extras such as a scaffold plank for a countertop, bamboo fencing for a cover, and lights for decoration.
Drinks bar made out of pallets, including extras such as a scaffold plank for a countertop, bamboo fencing for a cover, and lights for decoration.

The great thing about building your own pallet furniture is you can customise your piece to match your garden or your personality.

Let us know what you’re building out of pallets in the comments!

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