24 DIY Pallet Projects

There are lots of clever, crafty ways to put old pallets to good use. These pallet ideas are sure to inspire you. Get the tutorials you need to creatively repurpose pallets around the home and in your garden.

By: Emily Fazio

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How to Prep Wood Pallets for DIY Projects

Pallet wood is a popular choice for crafters and builders because it’s free, but using it can come with some disadvantages. It’s usually impossible to know how a pallet was used. Pallets can be treated with chemicals or retain mold and bacteria based on how they were stored. If you’re planning on trying a new pallet project that will be used indoors, be highly selective with your materials. Scrubbing the wood with bleach or soapy water can help clean the surface, and a pressure washer will help with a deeper clean.

Taking a pallet apart is one of the most time-consuming challenges of any pallet project. If a crowbar or the claw end of a hammer won’t do, use a reciprocating saw to cut through the nails. Pallets are rough wood, and a palm sander can eliminate many splinters. Crafters looking to recycle a pallet with precision may also use a planer to create smooth, even planks.

LEARN MORE: How to Treat Pallet Wood for Indoor Use

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Build a Children’s Playhouse

If you have children, this pallet idea is sure to pique your interest. A pallet floor and surrounding walls are used to frame a small playhouse for kids. The structure itself is taken to the next level with the addition of small windows and a roofline draped with white canvas. Customize it to match your personality by hanging curtains made of outdoor fabric, setting potted succulents along the windows or hanging wind chimes from the roof. The possibilities for customizing a pallet playhouse are endless, and the cuteness? Overwhelming.

SEE THE FULL TUTORIAL: DIY the Pallet Playhouse of Your Kiddo's Dreams

Create Colorful Planters

Looking for pallet ideas for the garden or patio? Plain wooden pallets can easily be upcycled to create a custom planter box. Stain the wood if you’d like or use a variety of paints to customize it to coordinate with other outdoor decor. Built with heavy-duty casters, these colorful planter boxes easily relocate for convenience and will last for years to come.

MAKE THESE PLANTER BOXES: Upcycle Old Pallets Into Colorful Planter Boxes

Build a Contemporary Doghouse

Designer Brian Patrick Flynn repurposed a pallet as the base of this modern doghouse. Pressure-treated boards stained dark brown and a rooftop garden set this outdoor structure apart from the rest. Made more durable with deck screws, weatherproofing sealant, exterior-grade silicone and scrap sheet metal, not only will the structure keep the dog comfortable during the day, but it’ll also hold up to the elements.

BUILD YOUR OWN DOGHOUSE: Create Designer Digs for Your Dog Using an Upcycled Pallet

Build a Lemonade Stand

Wooden pallets or crates can be easily upcycled to create a cute lemonade stand. Turn your pallet on its side and add feet to give it more stability. Attach a 1x2 board vertically on either side so you have a place to hang a sign. Leave the pallet natural or paint it lemonade yellow for the full effect. And then, go sell that lemonade, kids.

BUILD A LEMONADE STAND FROM CRATES: How to Build a Perfectly Portable Lemonade Stand

Make a Wooden Jack-O’-Lantern

Take your fall decor to the next level by reusing pallets to create everlasting jack-o’-lanterns. Disassemble a wooden pallet and reuse the strips of wood to create a five-sided box. Follow the template to create a face or freehand your own design. A jigsaw makes it easy to cut the expression on the pumpkin while orange stain adds the finishing touch. This pumpkin won’t rot at the end of the season and can be easily stacked and stored for future years.

MAKE YOUR OWN PALLET PUMPKINS: Turn a Wood Pallet Into a Halloween Jack-O'-Lantern

From: Sam Henderson

Build a Durable Wine Rack

Take advantage of how well a pallet is constructed and craft your own wine rack that can support the weight of many wine bottles (and your most delicate glassware). Exposed curves make this DIY pallet storage system feel decorative while the carefully measured spaces for stemware add function. Install it in your outdoor kitchen, use it at a party or wedding or keep it installed on your back porch for easy entertaining. Cheers!

CREATE THIS PALLET WINE RACK: How to Make a Wine Rack From a Wood Pallet

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Build a Cushioned Ottoman

This heat-treated pallet is safe to use indoors and serves as the perfect base for a padded ottoman. Wooden candlesticks were upcycled and attached to raise the pallet from the floor. High-density foam wrapped in decorative fabric transforms this ordinary object into a new piece of usable furniture in the home. If you're looking for creative uses for HT pallets, look no further!

BUILD A CUSHIONED OTTOMAN: How to Turn a Pallet Into the Ottoman of Your Dreams

How to Make a Cornhole Game From Pallets

A pair of pallets can easily be upcycled into a fun set of cornhole boards. A reciprocal saw and pry bar make it easy to disassemble the pallets so they can be reused to build new frames. Use a palm sander to help make the boards smooth before painting so the bean bags can easily glide and slide toward the hole without getting caught on rough patches. Ready for summer? This pallet project is sure to delight all season long.

MAKE YOUR OWN CORNHOLE BOARDS: How to Upcycle an Old Pallet Into a Cornhole Game

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Build an Easy, Outdoor Dog Bed

Build a bed frame to surround your dog’s outdoor cushion while simultaneously accessorizing your rustic outdoor deck. Dismantled pallets are reassembled in this DIY project to create a sturdy base for the dog bed. The boards beneath the cushion also create drainage to help prolong the life of the outdoor dog bed.

BUILD A DOG BED FRAME: Upcycle Wood Pallets Into a Cozy Outdoor Dog Bed

Build Decorative, Raised Garden Beds

This decorative raised planter bed also gives you a creative way to upcycle old, wooden window shutters. The base of the planter box is made using repurposed pallet wood and placed on wheels so it’s easy to roll the raised bed to the sunniest spot in your yard.

MAKE YOUR OWN RAISED PLANTERS FROM PALLETS: How to Build a Raised Garden Bed From Pallets

Craft a Sophisticated Bistro-Style Menu Board

If you love outdoor entertaining, consider using your next pallet for a creative chalkboard-style menu board. Thoroughly prepped with sandpaper and tack cloth, a thick layer of chalkboard paint upgrades this ordinary wood pallet into a venue-transforming feature where you can list your four-course spread, write a creative memo to friends or use it to celebrate a special event. The chalk you use to scribe your messages can be washed clean with a damp rag, making this pallet perfect for use over and over again.

MAKE IT FOR YOUR NEXT DINNER NIGHT: Upcycle an Old Pallet Into a Bistro-Style Menu Board

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Craft a Rustic Sled

Deck the halls with upcycled DIY pallet accessories. This creative sled was made using pieces of deconstructed shipping pallets. Aluminum was also installed along the edges of the bottom boards to emulate the look of a classic sled. Stain the wood natural colors or paint it bright red for full seasonal effect. Use it year after year with joy!

MAKE YOUR OWN ICONIC SLED: Turn a Wooden Pallet Into a Decorative Sled

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Create Rustic Shed Storage

This easy DIY garden tool storage was made from repurposed pallets cut to size and installed upright to house landscaping tools and gardening equipment. It’s a great example of how you can construct the storage unit to fit exactly where you need it in your garage or shed.

MAKE YOUR OWN STORAGE SYSTEM USING AN OLD PALLET: How to Upcycle an Old Pallet Into Garage Storage

Make a Statement With a Colorful, Outdoor Coffee Table

Make a statement with a bright accent in your entertaining area. Casters are installed on stacked pallets to create a coffee table-height piece of furniture for the front porch of this home. Yellow paint transforms the ordinary pallet wood and helps seal the wood so that it’s protected from the weather.

BUILD YOUR OWN COLORFUL COFFEE TABLE: 3 Budget-Friendly DIYs Perfect for Your Porch

From: HGTV Magazine

Build an Industrial Coffee Table

Leave your guests wondering where you bought that amazing coffee table by upcycling old pallets and adding stain and varnish for high-quality shine. Like with many pallet projects, prep work goes a long way. By filling gaps and adding boards to both the top and bottom of the pallet, the designer also made space for storage. Industrial pipe legs were attached to give the finished design a unique industrial appeal.

MAKE IT AT HOME: How to Make a Wallet-Friendly Pallet Coffee Table

Build Stylish Outdoor Seating

Pallets are resourcefully upcycled to create a low, comfortable seating area. With a raised pallet base and additional pallets used to create the arm rests and back support, this outdoor furniture can easily enhance your entertaining space. (P.S. That coffee table on casters is also made of a pallet! The aquamarine blue paint helps to seal it from the elements and makes it more functional outdoors.)

GET THE INSPIRATION YOU NEED: How to Make Stylish Outdoor Pallet Seating

Purple Pallet Garden

This painted pallet gets a vibrant second life as a vertical garden filled with colorful blooms. Whether you fill it with planted herbs, flowers or cascading plants, this creative upcycle is a great way to garden in small spaces.

MORE INSPIRATION: Go Vertical to Make the Most of Your Veggie Garden Space

Create a Pallet Compost Bin

Composting breaks down organic materials into a rich fertilizer that can benefit any garden. Using pallets for walls of your own compost bin makes it easy to construct a durable container with great air flow.

MAKE YOUR OWN: Build a Pallet Compost Bin

Plant a Pallet Herb Garden

Pallets, by design, make great rows for edible gardens. HGTV fan ZimmermanZoo filled rows with a variety of herbs. Whether laid flat in the garden as a raised bed or balanced on its end as a vertical herb garden, a pallet is naturally a great way to grow rows of vegetables and herbs.

MORE INSPIRATION: How to Make a Garden Fence From Upcycled Pallets

Hang a Recycled Pallet Garden Tool Rack

A recycled pallet was used to create a hanging tool rack. The durable design can accommodate eight long-handled tools and at least 10 hand tools with plenty of space left over for small pots, potting soil, gloves and other gardening items.

GET THE FULL TUTORAL: Turn a Wooden Pallet Into a Garden-Tool Rack

Install a Pallet Pathway

HGTV fan Lara got creative and used deconstructed pallets to create a walkway through her garden. Stained and leveled on the surface, the natural wood pathway will be a durable feature for years to come.

TIPS FOR YOUR OWN GARDEN PATH: Perfecting Your Path

Build an Earth-Friendly Playhouse

LEED AP architect Andy Creath and his firm, Green Roofs Colorado, collaborated on this earth-friendly playhouse as part of a Boulder-based fundraiser for Growing Gardens, which benefits the city’s community garden education center. The recycled-pallet structure has a sliding chalkboard door, botanical boxes and even a little porch.

Make Handmade Wedding Signs

Pallet wood proves useful for many DIY projects and is a perfect choice for outdoor signage. Help wedding guests navigate throughout a venue with simple directional signs.

MORE RUSTIC WEDDING IDEAS: A Colorado Farm Wedding

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