Pallet Repurposing: Creative Design Solutions

By  |  0 Comments

Pallet Repurposing: Creative Design Solutions

As humanity spreads across the planet, erecting endless skyscrapers and lofty buildings along the way, we are also building a mountain of trash that will soon achieve the mass of a small moon. This is why you should join the army of green thinkers and become a firm believer in the concept of repurposing. The material and furniture you repurpose can be used in inventive new ways that can look surprisingly appealing. When it comes to pallet repurposing, read on to learn about some creative design solutions that will absolutely convince you this is a good idea.

Why are pallets such a good canvass for repurposing?

Wooden pallets are ubiquitous across the planet. As default platforms and utilities for transporting a wide variety of goods, you will be able to acquire pallets of different shapes and sizes. You can probably easily get them for free if you don’t have any on hand at the moment. Since they are so numerous, made of wood and have a distinct and robust structure, they are an amazing “blank canvass” for repurposing. This way, you can get a brand new item, a piece of furniture or housing element without adding to the negative ecological impact on your immediate environment.

How do you know you have the right pallets?

Since pallets are so easy to find and their use entails supporting a lot of weight under various weather conditions, this means that you have to inspect them closely first. It might be easy to find such units behind supermarkets, by dumpsters, outside factories and near the docks, but it doesn’t mean they are all ripe for a repurposing project. Those that are really suitable should have been properly stored on quality pallet racking structures. If the wood is somehow damaged, you should steer clear of that pallet. Furthermore, look for the “MB” stamp on it. If the pallet is branded with these letters, there is a possibility it was chemically treated, which means you should definitely avoid it.

Pallet Repurposing: Creative Design Solutions

Can you make modular furniture?

Once you get those pallets home, if you have nails, a hammer and saw, there is basically no limit to what you can do but your imagination. Pallets are especially useful building blocks for modular furniture. It is rather simple to create seating or a coffee table from pallets – you just need to stack one pallet on the other and connect them firmly.

Of course, it also requires a solid repaint job, and if you are very crafty with this, you’ll end up with outdoor furniture you will never be ashamed to whip out when your house party gets crowded. The coffee table just needs a wooden surface large enough to cover the top pallet and as far as chairs are concerned, you can cut off the legs of the third pallet and nail it on one side of the two stacked pallets to create a rest for the back. Just slap a few pillows on top and you have comfortable chairs. It’s kind of like Lego, isn’t it?

Can you create a deck?

Of course, you don’t have to create outdoor furniture. If you collect enough sturdy pallets, you can get ambitious and create a deck. The biggest advantage of this project is the fact that you can finish it incredibly quickly and get amazing results. Typically, building a backyard deck requires a big investment and it’s a complicated building project that almost certainly has to involve professionals. If this doesn’t convince you to consider building a deck out of wooden pallets, hardly anything will.

Pallet Repurposing: Creative Design Solutions

Can you make shelves?

Using wooden pallets to create nifty shelving units is one of the easiest repurposing DIY tasks you can try. It is by far the best “introductory” project for this endeavour. All you need to do is saw-off one end of the shelving unit and turn it on the side. Nail a few thin wooden planks on the bottom and lacquer the entire unit. Since stained wood is all the rage right now, you don’t even have to repaint it. Of course, this is the basic version, but once you get the hang of it, you can go crazy with your pallets. You can just hang it on the wall and use it for storing books, magazines, CDs, etc.

Considering the primary function of these wooden pallets is in the realm of shipping and transport, it is absolutely incredible in how many ways you can repurpose them. Since they are so ubiquitous in the transportation business, it is practically guaranteed some of them will end up in your backyard eventually. This is when you can test your DIY skills and prowess to use them in versatile ways suggested above.

LillianC

If one thing is true about Lillian Connors, her mind is utterly curious. As a seasoned lifestyle blogger, she constantly explores fresh trends and spreads the word about them.

[userpro template=postsbyuser user=author postsbyuser_num=4]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.