Wood pallets are widely available, and you can often get them for cheap or even free.
They have inspired a whole new wave of DIY projects around the home and garden, and people are turning simple wood pallets into incredible furniture, lawn and garden improvements, and even home décor.
Here are some of the best DIY wood pallet projects.
DIY Pallet Projects for the Kitchen
1. DIY Coffee Mug Holder from Wood Pallets
This rustic coffee mug holder is a fun and easy project to make from wood pallets, and can help keep your kitchen more organized.
To make this DIY coffee mug holder, simply cut wood pallet boards down to size, mounting them on two rails. Then attach hooks for your coffee mugs. You may want to decorate your coffee mug holder with paint, a stencil, or vinyl lettering.
2. DIY Pallet Dog Bowl Holder
Elevated dog bowl holders are increasingly popular among pet owners. Feeding your pets from an elevated bowl holder is better for their health, preventing neck pain and improving digestion. For people who love their pets and want a simple DIY pallet project, this is a great option.
You will need a dog bowl with a rim, so that it can easily be placed into and lifted from the holder. To make a DIY dog bowl holder from wood pallets, first break down the pallet into boards.
Then join two or three of the boards to make a single flat board, and use a saw to cut a hole in the board that will support your dog bowl.
Then use the pallet wood to add legs and a skirt to the top board, making the bowl holder as high as is comfortable for your pet.
Use a router to round over rough edges and sand the project smooth. It’s also a good idea to finish it with a nontoxic sealer to protect it from moisture and messes.
DIY Pallet Projects for the Garden
3. DIY Wood Pallet Vertical Garden
Vertical gardens are a great way to save space in a small garden, and turn a wall or fence into space for growing plants.
It’s also a great option for herbs, greens, strawberries, and other plants that you will frequently be trimming or harvesting from, since you don’t have to bend over to access the plants.
To make a DIY vertical garden from a wood pallet, you will need:
- A wood pallet
- Landscaping fabric
- Potting soil
- Plants
- A staple gun and staples to attach the landscape fabric
To build this DIY vertical garden:
- Lay out two or three layers of your landscaping fabric, and lay the wood pallet on top of it.
- Wrap the landscape fabric from the back to the front edges of the pallet and staple it at the edges, folding it over and attaching it securely.
- Wrap the back and sides of the wood pallet in landscaping fabric, leaving the front and top free. Overlap the corners securely so they stay in place.
- While the pallet is still lying flat on the ground, begin pouring potting soil into the pallet through the front slats, filling it completely.
- Plant your plants between the slats of the pallet, using more soil to pack them securely in place.
- Water the entire pallet and keep it well watered for 1-2 weeks.
- After a week or two, when the plants have rooted and are growing, you can tip the pallet upright and set it in place. Keep it watered to keep your plants healthy.
When watering your vertical garden, remember that water will run from the top to the bottom. Plants that are lower down will need less water than plants on the top.
4. DIY Easy Wood Pallet Compost Bin
Composting is a great way to use kitchen and garden scraps to nourish your soil and reduce household waste. This is also an incredibly easy, beginner-friendly wood pallet project that requires no wood working tools at all, so it only takes a few minutes.
To make a DIY compost bin from wood pallets, find a flat area in your yard or garden to locate the bin.
Stand four wood pallets up vertically, and attach them at the corners with zip ties to make them stand in a square. Leave one corner un-attached, so it can open and close like a door, giving you access to the inside of the bin.
The zip ties will work as a temporary hinge, or you can upgrade to more rugged hinges.
The open slats of the pallets will allow the air circulation that helps your waste compost more quickly, and the generous design will last for years.
DIY Pallet Furniture Projects
5. DIY Pallet Coat Rack with Chalkboard
This DIY coat rack is a great project for the entryway of the house. There is plenty of room for hanging coats, or add smaller hooks to hold bags, keys, umbrellas, and other items.
The chalkboard is a great place for quick messages, reminders, or just use it for art or personalized décor.
To make this DIY pallet coat rack, use the boards from a wood pallet to build a wall-hanging rack. Between the planks, add flat boards and paint them with chalkboard paint.
Then add coat hooks to the boards, and mount the rack in your entry way.
6. DIY Easy Wood Pallet Bed Frame
A wood pallet is a great way to build a bed frame in minutes, and give a room a rustic, bohemian style. It’s also so much more affordable than bedframes bought from a store.
To make a DIY bed frame from pallets, you will need at least two wood pallets (you may need more, depending on the size of your mattress.
Measure the wood pallets compared to the size of your mattress to determine how much you need to cut.
To cut the wood pallet for use as a bedframe, leave the interior supporting braces intact, and remove width from the open area between the braces.
When the wood pallets are the correct size, place them in the room, and then secure them together with wood screws.
DIY Pallet Home Decor Projects
7. DIY Wood Pallet Storage Chest
This chest is rustic and traditional, and is a great way to store all kinds of items in your home. It is sturdy enough to sit on, so it can do double-duty at the foot of a bed or in an entry way.
To make a storage chest from wood pallets, disassemble the pallet into boards. Use flat boards from the wood pallet to build a frame for the box, connecting all four corners.
Add shorter boards in between, connecting them at the corners, to complete the box. Join several planks to create the lid, and then attach the lid with hinges.
You may also want to add a spring lid support that will hold the chest lid open during use.
8. DIY Wood Pallet Accent Wall
Wood pallets are a fantastic way to create a beautiful accent wall anywhere in your home. First you will want to sand the pallet boards smooth, and cut them to different lengths to make an irregular pattern. Then paint the accent wall black.
The black paint will conceal gaps and irregularities in where the boards meet. Attach the boards to the black wall using liquid nails or construction adhesive.
Because the adhesive takes a while to cure and hold, the boards will need to be held in place with small nails, or with a brace, until it dries.
The boards will not be flat and square, so it’s a good idea to use a level or a grid to line them up, rather than pressing the boards against each other.
To help the wall look better, make sure to alternate more and less weathered boards, and try to keep the pattern random. You may want to stain or seal the boards after they are mounted, for durability.
9. DIY Wood Pallet Candle Holders
Wood pallets can be used to build warm, rustic, wall-mounted candle holders that will cheer up any room. To make this charming DIY, disassemble a wood pallet. Cut boards to three shorter lengths of 8-12 inches, depending on the size you prefer.
Make sure the boards are of equal thickness, and fit them together in a panel. You may choose to offset them in a stair-step design, or have the center board be higher or lower than the other two, to create an interesting pattern.
Attach them to each other using straight brackets; you may attach them in the back, for a seamless front, or attach them in the front for a more rustic look. Then take three pallet blocks and mount them in the front center of each board, screwing them into place from the rear.
Stain, polish, or finish your candle holder, and then hang it from the wall with a candle or LED tea light on each block.
Conclusion
Wood pallets are affordable, versatile, and incredibly useful for a huge range of home DIY projects. This is just the beginning of your DIY pallet project adventures.