Pallets, or pallets, are made of wood and are used to transport heavy loads. Recently, they have become very popular as a material for creating furniture. Why? A pallet is a ready-made wooden structure that can be used as furniture on its own, and if you add a few more pieces and a little effort, you will get an original piece of furniture.
Photo: Instagram izpoddonov
To make furniture from pallets, you need to sand the surface, adjust the structure to the desired size (a saw or hacksaw will come in handy here) and fasten the parts with a screwdriver (individual elements can be fixed with ordinary nails). The finished item must be coated with paint (varnish if desired). If the furniture will be used outdoors, it is worth pre-treating the surface with a protective composition for wood so that the material does not rot or deteriorate.
Where can I find pallets? There are two options. The first is to purchase used ones (there are many similar offers on the Internet). The second is to order new ones from a transport company or manufacturer. The costs will be minimal, at least they will definitely not exceed the average cost of a sofa.
And now - to the main thing. Below are the garden furniture options you can make from pallets.
- Furniture
Garden furniture for a summer residence: how to choose and properly care for it
Why is pallet furniture so popular?
Raising the topic of making furniture with your own hands from scrap materials, first of all it is worth noting the cost-effectiveness of the idea. Many newspapers place a lot of “pallet for sale” advertisements, and their cost rarely exceeds 30 rubles per unit.
Sometimes a potential buyer is lucky and can get the pallets completely free of charge, and the seller himself will be only too happy to get rid of them.
Why? In most cases, a pallet is considered excess waste that is left over from the delivery of a product.
If buying new pallets is a matter of principle, then you can order completely new ones from the warehouse, at a price of about 200 rubles per piece. Taking into account the quality of the wood and its purpose in the future, garden furniture will cost pennies.
Accessories for landscaping
Using pallets you can make wonderful vertical flower beds. It is enough to hammer the slats on the bottom side with slats. Soil is filled inside the recesses or ready-made pots with plants are installed.
The flowerbed can be placed against the wall or support legs can be made in advance. It can be made even simpler: flowerpots with flowers are simply secured to the slats of a standard pallet.
Stylistic decision
The lion's share of pallet furniture ideas is made in the loft style. As a rule, these are simple projects made in a more familiar manner and for everyday needs.
True, if the finished product is painted, it will fit perfectly into the interior design in the Provence style. And Japanese minimalism will be a very good solution.
Kitchen set
For a summer residence, it is not necessary to buy an expensive modular unit for the kitchen. It is enough to “conjure” the pallets. This requires skill and time. The boxes are connected and made into blocks of certain sizes. Sections can be closed with doors.
It is possible to furnish a house or cottage without sufficient financial resources. To do this you need to show imagination and make an effort. Working with pallets is easy and pleasant. Receiving decent results from your work is doubly joyful.
The difference between a construction pallet and a Euro pallet
The standard size of a construction pallet is 1000 by 1200 mm, and a Euro pallet is 800 by 1200.
It is during the manufacture of a European pallet that the wood is disinfected, which is an additional protective barrier for humans and animals. This treatment acts as a bactericidal agent.
Stylish nightstand
Pallets are cut into equal parts. The components are combined to achieve a cube shape. The product will be an excellent bedside table.
If you cut off the walls on 1 or 2 sides, you will get an original table. Inside the hollow space you can additionally arrange shelves.
Stages of processing euro pallets
You can find many photos of furniture made from pallets, which clearly show that the material has been pre-treated. This process involves several steps, which we will describe below:
- Step 1. Cleaning from debris and dirt.
- Step 2. Sand by hand or with a special tool. Both boards and frame bars (if they will be used in future furniture) should be subjected to this action.
- Step 3: Primer. Allows you to enhance the protective properties of the material.
- Step 4. Paint the furniture (frame) that has already been prepared for this time.
- Step 5. Varnishing.
Colorless varnish will be needed even if the wood has not been painted.
Wood preparation
Typically, certified pallets are made from lumber that has been selected and processed (mechanical and chemical). But during use, wood can become contaminated. In addition, the factory treatment with antiseptics will be “weakened” as a result of damage and mechanical stress on the pallet. Non-certified pallets, especially disposable ones, can be made from lumber without treatment with antiseptics.
Therefore, before making furniture, a preparatory stage is necessary, which looks like this:
- Inspect the pallets. Remove broken or severely deformed planks and replace them with intact ones. The same applies to boards that have areas infected with fungus. According to GOST 33757-2016, blunt wane on two edges is allowed, but it must be without bark.
- Clean the tray from dirt.
- Before sanding the boards, inspect the attachment points. The heads of the nails should be recessed into the wood to a depth of 1-1.5 mm. If this is not the case, then they are killed by a killer.
- The boards are sanded along the front and edges of the pallet.
- Treat with a primer and antiseptic.
The most popular ideas from wooden pallets
Let's face it, we can safely say that with a rich flight of imagination and enthusiasm, it is possible to create almost anything from wooden pallets.
In any case, as regards the furniture set specifically. The following variants of creative thinking, so to speak, have become especially popular among the people.
- Table: computer, dining, coffee table;
- Armchairs and sofas, their sets;
- Cabinets, racks, shelves for various purposes;
- Furniture for a cottage/garden/apartment and much more.
Here everything depends solely on imagination. Perhaps you can come up with something new and useful.
Needless to say, the design of furniture made from pallets can be distinguished by its originality, taste and presentation of the most ordinary household items with the help of skillful hands and imagination.
The availability of the plank leaves a chance for everyone who wants to create comfort in their home without spending fabulous amounts of money on it.
The World Wide Web pleases with the number of life hacks that allow you to evaluate your capabilities at the initial stage and avoid a lot of mistakes that could happen. Here you can look at the finished product right away and find a creation diagram for it.
Quite convenient, especially for those who like to create with their own hands or prefer only natural and high-quality materials.
Tables
The basis for a country table can be either one or two pallets placed on top of each other. The table will be low, like a coffee table, and will be ideal for arranging a relaxation area in the country. It can also be equipped with wheels - then the piece of furniture will be convenient to move around the terrace and even the area. If you want to have a picnic on the grass, such a table on wheels will also come in handy.
Photo: Instagram loft_pallet
Photo: Instagram mebel_iz_poddonov_vladikavkaz
Photo: Instagram palletsofa
Photo: Instagram woodart66
There is another option - to make a full-fledged high table. In this case, one pallet plays the role of a tabletop and is laid parallel to the ground, the others act as legs and are fixed perpendicularly.
Photo: Instagram woodart66
The table can be painted in bright colors, and a glass sheet can be placed on top as a tabletop.
Organizers
Crafts from pallets for gardening in flower beds are not limited to. If you have a sufficient number of pallets, you can assemble a kind of organizer that will accommodate various small items, in the form of plant seeds, fertilizers, small tools and other things. In fact, in order to assemble the organizer, you do not have to redo the design of the pallets.
They already have technological through holes for cargo carrier forks. They are large enough to accommodate a box with anything inside.
Note!
Quilling crafts: features of the working technique, step-by-step instructions and clear diagrams for beginners + ideas for creative crafts (150 photos)Crafts made from corrugated paper: 100 photos of creative solutions for crafts + step-by-step diagrams and instructions for making your own
Crafts from foamiran: ideas for creating crafts and interesting patterns for making flowers
4-5 pallets will be enough to assemble a sufficiently large “garden cabinet”. You just need to place them on top of each other, not forgetting to fasten them to each other. The location of the drawer holes can vary depending on the position of the pallet, which is very convenient.
The side of the pallet can be used to place hooks on which to hang garden essentials. Such placement will be very effective in saving space and will allow you to gain quick access, significantly saving time.
How to make a sofa
- You will need three euro pallets for the job.
- The lying place is made from two pallets, and the third is used to make the backrest.
- Cushions are made from multi-colored fabric according to the size of the couch.
- Using the same scheme, you can make a corner sofa, which will take 6 pallets, and the armrests are made from one pallet, disassembled into boards.
Recommendations
Make all calculations and drawings carefully to avoid mistakes at the manufacturing stage. To eliminate further possible injuries during operation, it is necessary to take care of surface treatment during the construction phase. Processing includes thorough grinding, getting rid of burrs and possible splinters.
In order to give the product a more beautiful, aesthetic appearance, you need to use paint and additional materials. If desired, the surface of the structure itself can be painted with a pattern, decorative elements can be added, etc.
The combination of solutions will allow you to achieve the desired result, which will please the eyes for a long time, blending perfectly with the interior. Special attention is paid to the fact that such products are completely environmentally friendly, which allows them to be disposed of at any time without difficulty or risk.
How to make a chair
- You need 4 pallets to work.
- Two of them are used to make the seat. They are placed one on top of the other and connected.
- The remaining two pallets are used for the backrest and armrests. They need to be cut in the shape of the letter P, where the top crossbar is a board with a larger width.
- After which these elements are attached to each other.
- The seat and back are fastened together.
- All irregularities are smoothed out with sandpaper and opened with varnish or painted.
- Pillows are sewn to size or purchased ready-made in a store. There should be one on the seat and one on the back.
- You can attach furniture casters for chairs to the bottom.
Note!
DIY coffee table - manufacturing guide with a full description of the steps, choice of materials (120 photo ideas)
Do-it-yourself laundry basket (130 photo ideas): step-by-step master class for making it yourself, choice of materials, design options
Do-it-yourself illuminated mirror - step-by-step master class on how to make it yourself, photos of types of lighting
Bedroom
In the bedroom, on a bed made of pallets, you will have creative dreams. We promise! A large double bed will require eight pallets and a comfortable mattress. Easy, simple and fast.
By disassembling the pallets into their components, you can construct an original bed from the resulting boards. Use transportation boxes to store things and bedding.
The pallet can be placed instead of the head of the bed. And this will kill two more birds with one stone - a shelf on top and a place for attaching lamps.
