Easy DIY Wood Pallet Projects for Beginners

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From décor to everyday function these easy diy pallet projects for beginners are a great way to get started upcycling! Find some inspiration and new ideas with this list of pallet projects and begin your DIY journey today.

outside of wooden shed painted red and white
inside of a shed with a riding mower and tools

Have you ever seen old pallets on the curb and thought what a waste it is just sitting there? It is! And you can do something about it. You can repurpose pallets into amazing indoor and outdoor projects that can save you a lot of money. 

You can use the whole pallet for things like a pallet compost bin or pallet fence or remove the slats of the pallet and use the pallet boards for things like a welcome sign or garden beds. 

If you’re new to DIY, know that all the projects below are geared towards beginners. In the list, you’ll find ways to upcycle pallets into furniture, home decor and outdoor pallet projects. All of these pallet wood projects all have with easy-to-follow instructions.

Where to find free pallets

You can find pallets in the simplest of places: grocery stores, pet supply stores, garden centers and hardware stores, and often times you’ll have a variety to choose from. Just ask someone working there, if they have any free wood pallets they need to get rid of.

Also, don’t overlook using old wood pallets, since they’re already weathered, they can give an immediate “vintage” look to these projects.

Try to choose a pallet without any stains or water marks on it (as you don’t know what has been spilled). Likewise, keep a blanket and gloves in your car to protect you from sharp edges. Afterward, the possibilities are endless as to what you can do with it.

Pallet Safety 101

If you’re brand new to the world of upcycling, especially when it comes to pallet wood, there are a few learning curves to get started.

For starters, not all pallets aren’t created equal, and selecting the right ones is essential for successful projects. Look for pallets marked with “HT,” indicating they have been heat-treated rather than treated with methyl bromide. Heat-treated pallets are safer to work with as they do not contain toxic chemicals. Additionally, inspect the condition of the pallets—avoid those with stains, excessive damage, or signs of infestation. It is possible to safely use pallet wood indoors. Here are some tips on determining if the pallet wood is safe, how to transport it, and tricks on working with pallet wood.

Some projects will use the entire pallet and you won’t need to take it apart. But for other projects, you’ll need to deconstruct the pallets so you can use just the pallet slats. Learn how to disassemble pallet wood safely and without the use of power tools. Not only is this a great read and step-by-step guide but there’s also a video so you know exactly what you’re doing.

After that, it’s time to get started on some fun pallet projects!

Easy Pallet Projects

The pallet projects below are unique ideas to get you started with woodworking. All of them are beginner-friendly, use basic tools, and result in gorgeous DIY creations for your living space.

Thanks for sharing with your friends!

18 thoughts on “Easy DIY Wood Pallet Projects for Beginners”

    • We’ve been salsa making machines this past week. I asked my family what they wanted more, homemade salsa or homemade spaghetti sauce? Salsa won! So I’m hoping I can make enough for the year.

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  1. I love how your storeroom turned out! We have a small one that is used for seasonal items but it would be nice to have a proper “garden” storeroom for tools and lawn equipment.

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  2. Your shed looks very nice.

    Currently we are making a chicken coop mostly out of pallets. We used some treated lumber that we had from a tree house that blew down in a storm last summer to use for the framework. So far all that we have had to buy is 5 2x4s though it looks like we might have to buy nails soon. I am hoping to blog about the project soon as we are almost done.

    I have some more pallet projects in mind that I would like to do but taking the pallets apart does take a fair amount of work so progress is slow.

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    • I’d love to see the chicken coop. Come back and post a link here if you do a blog post. That way more people can see it.

      I hear you about taking pallets apart. Fortunately, we have 3 teenage sons and a preteen son to help. But Jim over at Old World Garden Farms uses a sawzall and cuts right through the nails. http://oldworldgardenfarms.com/pallet-projects/
      We haven’t tried this yet, but it seems much easier.

      Reply
  3. The shed looks awesome and wonderful you used reclaimed wood. Good job! I’ve only used pallets for a compost pile, but love checking out what everyone else is doing with them for some good ideas for the future. Thanks!

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    • That’s what we started using them for. But really there’s just so much you can do with them. I saw a post of someone who had removed some of the slats and painted them bright colors and uses them in her garden for her vining vegetables. It was really cool. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit.

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  4. The shed looks great, and I love the Esther Hauler too! I’ve been looking into different things you can make with pallets, have made anything yet, goota keep collecting till I have enough 🙂

    Hopping by for the first time, going to take a look around.

    Holly

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    • Sarah, those look great. And, I’m pretty positive it was your barn post that inspired us to build one with pallets, although ours looks a little different. I’m going to add that to my post.

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  5. We had this amazing pallet come with a purchase that we actually now use as our back deck! That is how well made it was. Saved us a lot of time and money.

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