Making your own furniture is a great way to save money, but supplies can still be expensive. What if you could save money on both labor and supplies? These pallet furniture ideas will provide you with a way to do exactly this!
It will save you money and have a massive positive impact on the environment.
There are a ton of pallet furniture ideas out there that you can take inspiration from. People get seriously creative with this method of furniture making!
If you’re in the mood for a DIY pallet furniture project, we have some of the best ideas for you. We’ve brought together some amazing pallet furniture ideas, most with tutorials, some that you can actually buy.
First we will give you a quick run down on what you need to think about when making furniture from pallets and then we’ll get stuck into the ideas.
Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest to get loads more pallet furniture ideas and other home decor inspiration, such as Ikea hacks.
Making Pallet Furniture
There are two things you need to think about with pallets as a furniture-making material:
- The quality of the pallet.
- How to break the pallet up without snapping the wood.
When it comes to the quality of the pallet, you’re basically looking how clean the wood is, whether there is any rot and what markings it has on it.
Some pallets will have been treated with chemicals that you probably don’t want in your home so it’s important to know what you’re looking for. This post from DIY Projects is a great resource for checking markers and the state of the pallet.
One thing you should do with all pallet wood before starting a project is to give it a good clean with soapy water and a little bleach to get rid of any bacteria and mould. Leave it to dry, then get stuck in!
Breaking up the pallet can be either the best bit or most frustrating bit! You can get a Pallet Breaker relatively cheaply which really helps, but perhaps only justifiable if you’re doing a large project or lots of projects with pallets.
Alternatively a combination of gorilla bar, hammer and saw will do the job (bonus if you have a reciprocating saw!)
You will end up with lots of thin boards and a few thicker pieces of timber that will act as your more structural pieces. Some of the projects don’t even require you to take the boards apart which you may well be pleased to know!
Pallet Furniture Ideas
So without further ado, let’s have a look at these awesome pallet furniture ideas that will get your creative juices flowing!
Pallet Wood Bathroom Vanity
This gorgeous, yet simple pallet wood bathroom vanity by Denuo Furniture on Etsy is a great starter project for your pallet furniture hobby (did we mention that you’ll become addicted to this??)
They have made a tabletop with pallet boards and fixed some hairpin legs underneath.
The basket drawers are a great addition to hold toiletries and towels.
Pallet Wood Headboard
Another really simple idea that will make a big impact in your bedroom is this stunning pallet wood headboard from TheCuttingBoard on Instructables.
Headboards are making a big comeback, although not quite the plush, velvet 60s style of the past (actually, I think those ones are becoming popular again!). Wooden headboards are especially popular and this awesome project will give you a rustic wooden headboard on a fantastically small budget!
You don’t need to tell everyone it’s homemade (but we think you should show off your hard work!)
Pallet Wood Serving Tray
We’re building up in complexity with these projects, although they still remain ridiculously simple! Especially when you consider the supplies are mostly free and you can experiment and practice!
This amazing pallet wood serving tray from Studio 50 Living is a great little project and would look great as part of a drinks cabinet display, a breakfast-in-bed tray, an outdoor party serving tray, you name it!
The word of the day with these pallet projects is ‘rustic’ which basically means don’t worry about your DIY skills, it doesn’t have to be perfect! 😉
Pallet Coffee Cup Holder
Everyone needs a place to store there coffee and tea cups right? This nifty little pallet coffee cup holder by One Little Bird is the perfect solution for a rustic look or farmhouse kitchen.
Now you just need the perfect coffee mugs to compliment the holder don’t you?
Pallet Accent Wall
This stunning pallet accent wall by CoolGuy891 on Instructables really makes a statement in this room.
It’s really simple to do and would be great to cover a particularly bumpy wall that you don’t want to spend money getting plastered.
You could also add in some creativity by color washing the boards complimentary colors to give a beach wood effect.
Reclaimed Pallet Coffee Table
Right, let’s get a little more complex now. This incredible reclaimed pallet coffee table by LlumberjackLloyd on Etsy is a fantastically creative use of pallets to create something chic and industrial.
I love the way they have used the markings on display to give that added industrial look.
The structural use of the existing pallet construction on the sides is genius.
Of course, this is available to buy but we dare you to have a go at it yourself!
Pallet Outdoor Sectional Sofa
A larger project now, but actually not too complicated if you follow the tutorial. This exceptional outdoor sectional made from reclaimed pallets by Angela East is a great way to add functional seating to your outdoor space.
Pallets are ideal for creating outdoor furniture as they are designed to last in all weathers already and will save you a ton of money when you think about how expensive outdoor furniture is!
As they have done, you can always stain the seating to give it almost any style you like!
Pallet Swing Bed
I bet you didn’t even know you needed one of these until you saw it!
This crazily comfortable looking pallet swing bed from The Merry Thought is a really creative way to use your pallets. I can imagine whiling away those summer days reading or playing with the kids on this swing.
This is one of those project that doesn’t even need much work to the actual pallets, just joining two of them together!
DIY Pallet Wine Rack
So we covered the coffee mug holder earlier, what about my goddamn wine glasses!!
Well, we’ve got you covered with this gorgeously rustic pallet wine rack from The Kurtz Corner that holds both wine glasses and wine bottles.
You could tailor it to your own levels of wine consumption (we’d need a rack the length of the whole wall in our house!)
Pallet Wood Potting Bench
Moving back outdoors, this cute pallet wood potting bench from BHG is a great use of the material.
Even if you’re not an avid gardener I think there is a place for this in any garden!
When you see a project like this broken down into a simple process you can start to see how easy it could be to make almost anything with pallet wood!
Pallet Vanity With Shelves
This pallet vanity with shelves by Harpreet979 on Instructables is an elegant little project that does not even look all that rustic.
The work has been done to a good standard and this would work well in a hallway, mudroom or bathroom really well.
If you painted the wood you wouldn’t even know it was from pallets at all!
Pallet Wall Shelf
We’re taking you right back to simple again with this awesome pallet wall shelf idea from Studi27DesignCo on Etsy.
It’s so very simple, yet would look great in a farmhouse style scheme.
At the end of the day it’s all about the accessories and you can go crazy with the styling of these wall shelves.
Pallet Wood Light Box
You may need to get an electrician involved in this project if you’re adjusting anything on the light fitting, but the results are stunning. This pallet wood light box by Remodelaholic is perfect for a rustic farmhouse kitchen.
We love the choice of the industrial light fitting.
Again, you could finish the box in whatever paint, stain or varnish you like to match your style.
Reclined Pallet Wood Chair
This reclined pallet chair from AmateurHour on Instructables is one of our favorite pallet projects. It’s a very simple idea, but really well designed and would look great indoors or outdoors.
You could use the same principle to make a dining chair or bench.
DIY Outdoor Pallet Wood Bar
A fantastic way to use a pallet is to make an outdoor folding bar like this one by Homestead Lifestyle. You can make it wall hanging and either have it permanently attached (you know who you are!) or removable to store in a shed for when it’s needed.
We love the dark stained outer with the lighter stained inner. It’s a really stylish piece of outdoor pallet furniture and really useful if you want your guests to help themselves.
This would work really well as part of a wedding reception.
DIY Succulent Pallet Table
Succulents are very trendy at the moment and this awesome succulent pallet table for outdoors from Farout Fauna is a great way to plant them.
It takes very little effort to create this, in fact you could go to even lesser lengths to create something similar for your succulents.
The wood sets off the colors of the succulents perfectly.
Pallet Wood Desk
Who needs an expensive, stylish desk when you can create something cheaply that exactly fits your needs?
This pallet wood desk by Funky Junk Interiors is a great way to save money when setting up your home office.
At the end of the day it’s just a flat surface to put your laptop on!
DIY Tufted Pallet Ottoman
Of course, pallet furniture doesn’t actually have to look like pallets. Take this amazing tufted ottoman by Domestic Superhero that uses a pallet as the framework.
You don’t actually see any of the pallet, but it is an integral part of the ottoman and reduces the cost of making it really well.
Pallet Table with Hairpin Legs
Another minimal effort project, this stylish pallet coffee table by Homedit is a quick and easy way to create a statement piece of furniture.
They have simply used a whole pallet, inserted extra boards to make a table top and added short hairpin legs.
finish of with a nice stain or varnish and you’ve got an amazing coffee table!
Pallet Wood Large Planter
Large planters can be expensive (along with the tree or shrub you put into it!), so wouldn’t you jump at the chance to make one for next to nothing!?
This awesome pallet wood planter from Sladek on Instructables does just the job.
You could knock up several of these for very little cost and make a stunning potted garden display.
Pallet Wood Memo Board
This gorgeous pallet wood memo board from The How To Home is another really creative idea.
It’s always useful to have a family memo board or noticeboard on show to keep family life organised and this idea is a really stylish way to do it.
They’ve gone for quite a rustic, edgy look with different sized board, bu ultimately you can do whatever you like with it!
Pallet Wood Welcome Sign
Welcome signs, house names, quote displays are all a great way to personalize your home. This awesome pallet welcome sign from House By Hoff is such a simple idea but adds a unique, awesome element to the look of your home.
Of course, you could create anything you like in a similar way, just adding wording to a pallet board and hanging it up.
You can either get some stencils to make the lettering perfect or go freehand, it’s up to you!
Pallet Skateboard
We love creative uses of pallets to make something special. This pallet skateboard from Gregdubos on Instructables is a good example of this.
Who would have thought you could do this with pallets until someone clever shows you how!?
It may be a fair bit of work, but a great project any teen would be proud of.
Pallet Dining Table
A Pallet wood and Ikea hack combo! This stunning pallet dining table from Scraphacker is a brilliant way to create a good looking dining table on a tiny budget.
The pallet wood table top has been painted white and sits on white Ikea Lerberg trestle legs. Of course, you could paint it any color you like. A stained or varnished wood finish would also be nice.
It just shows you once again the possibilities of pallet furniture ideas!
Pallet Couch
Perhaps the most simple of all the ideas so far. This gorgeous pallet couch from Hunker is simply a few stacked pallets, some of which have been cut in half.
They have added cushions and throws to make it a little more comfortable, but you have to agree this is pretty darn good for the amount of effort required!
You can also stack the pallets away in a shed if you don’t want it out all the time.
Pallet Fireplace
This pallet fireplace from JPMarth on Instructables is a great little Christmas decoration if you don’t have a fireplace in your house.
You can use this to hang your stockings on at Christmas, light some candles in and generally increase the Christmas spirit!
Then put it away until next year!
Pallet Bench and Gabion Table
A spalsh of color is very much on trend right now and these awesome pallet benches and gabion table from A Piece of Rainbow make use of that fact really well.
If you don’t know, a gabion is a wire cage which gets filled with large stones and acts as a retaining wall building block in large projects. They have used one to create a unique table design here along with the well crafted table top and benches made from pallets.
This project really highlights the way you can make pallet wood look amazing with a bit of work.
Fold Up Pallet Desk
If you work from home and don’t have a lot of space to call your office, then this awesome fold up pallet desk by Thistlewood Farms may be the perfect solution.
They have really done minimal work to create this desk, with a full pallet being used as the main part of the desk and just a fold down surface hung off it. They have also added a shelf above the desk.
We love the dark stain finish on the wood which contrasts nicely with the accessories they have chosen.
Modern Pallet Wood Bench
This modern pallet wood bench from BruseAulrich on Instructables is one of our favorite designs here. It’s the perfect rustic bench for indoors or outdoors and is a project you could be really proud of.
The chevron layout of the boards on the bench surface is bang on trend and adds interest to the design.
Another great example of the amazing things you can do with pallets and some imagination!
Pallet Wood Table with Hairpin Legs
Another hairpin legs project (but they look so elegant and stylish against the roughness of the pallet wood!)
This pallet wood and hairpin legs dining table from A Beautiful Mess is really simple, just small pallet boards cut up and glued to a plywood board with hairpin legs attached underneath.
You don’t even need to worry about taking the pallet apart carefully with this idea, just cut off the boards to the right size.
Pallet Bluetooth Speaker Decoration
Speaking of being creative with pallets, this astonishing bluetooth speaker wall decoration from Kone Mei on Instructables is one of the most creative we’ve seen.
The artwork may look difficult but the tutorial breaks down the process really well by using templates. The great thing is you can use whatever artwork you like on it!
The speaker part may be alittle more technical, but nothing to complex.
We’ve only touched on the tip of the iceberg with pallet furniture ideas here. We’ve seen so many amazing projects that didn’t make it into this list, but it just means we’ve been able to choose the best pallet furniture ideas out there!
Hopefully, you’ve been inspired to not only create one of these pieces of furniture but also that pallet furniture is such a great way to create almost anything you want!
Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest to get loads more pallet furniture ideas and other home decor inspiration, such as Ikea hacks.
Enjoy your pallet wood project!