Pallets are a great source of wood. First of all, they are usually free for the taking. Ask around at your local stores if they have pallets to give away. Sometimes you’ll see piles of pallets out behind businesses – this is a good place to start when asking around for free pallets! Secondly, pallets often end up being thrown out so you’re saving them from being used once and heading to the dump. Finally, pallets are usually made of high quality wood. After all, they do have to support the weight of all they are carrying.
How much work does it take to turn pallets into furniture? That depends on the final look of your furniture. Pallet wood also offers a range of options for use. They can be used as-is or cleaned up to create finished wood. For the simplest usability, keep the pallet in its current shape, add additional slats to fill in any gaps in the surface, screw on a set of hairpin legs and, voila! You have a finished table!
You can take it a step further and deconstruct the pallets to make something more customized. Taking the pallet apart will give you raw stock to work with. Once taken apart, this wood can be kept as it is if you’re looking for a rough and rustic look for your finished product. If you want something more refined – no problem. Plane and sand for a finished wood product ready for a high-end piece of furniture. Then all you need is a set of hairpin legs to make yourself a beautiful piece of furniture! Pick out the hairpin legs that you want to go with your project. Screw them to the underside and you’ve got yourself an upcycled DIY table!
