Pallets are an inexhaustible source of ideas for arranging a suburban area. From them you can build comfortable furniture, functional systems for storing things and create original decorative elements. The main advantage of the pallet is that the material for their manufacture is raw wood, which serves as an excellent basis for creating exterior elements that can give comfort to your possessions. We will consider in more detail how to adapt these transport structures and how to make furniture from pallets with your own hands.
Features of the use of pallets
Pallets are wooden structures that play the role of packaging material, the use of which allows to simplify the transportation of various goods.
The pallets are in the form of rigid supports assembled from knocked down wooden boards placed at a short distance from each other
The weight of an empty pallet is on average 15-20 kg. The overall dimensions of the structure, depending on its purpose, may be:
- 120x100x12 cm (standard pallet);
- 120x80x12 cm (europallet).
The wood used for the manufacture of structures is selected strong and durable. This is done in such a way that they can withstand loads up to 1000 kg. Therefore, even already used pallets are able to find a second life, having served as functional elements in the arrangement of the site for more than one season.
Today, furniture from pallets among the design products in the ranking of popularity occupies a leading position. Some designers produce entire collections in eco-style, embodying the most incredible ideas in them using ordinary building pallets. Based on the ideas you like, you can implement them in your own way.
Where to get pallets?
Wooden pallets, although they are quite durable structures, are still considered by many manufacturers and transport companies as packaging material.
The pallets, weakened from the load, cannot be reused for transporting heavy loads, so they are simply disposed of after use
You can get spent packaging material using one of the proposed methods:
- Buy used pallets. Ads of this kind can easily be found on thematic portals. The price of products ranges from 30-150 rubles apiece.
- Directly contact manufacturers or transport companies. Most of them are ready to give the waste packaging for free, if only they do not throw it away.
If desired, the pallet can be assembled independently. It is enough to stock up with boards with a thickness of 15-20 mm and wooden bars with a cross section of 60-70 mm. Having determined for himself the dimensions of the future design, it is only necessary to cut the boards into blanks of the required dimensions, and then fasten the elements according to the standard scheme.
Material preparation
Wooden pallets are convenient in that they can be used in a variety of ways. It is convenient to break and fasten them, tighten with fabric and paint, combine with other materials and supplement with rollers.
To use pallets for the manufacture of blanks, it is necessary to prepare the material. To do this, their first step should be to remove dust and contaminants.
To extend the life of wooden structures and eliminate roughness and burrs that can cause a lot of inconvenience during the operation of furniture, surface grinding will help
The work is most conveniently performed by treating the wooden surface with a grinder. For safety reasons, it is best to clean in a well-ventilated area by wearing a face shield.
It is possible to polish not the entire structure, but only that part of it that will directly “contact” with the body. Also, if it is necessary to create blanks of non-standard dimensions, pallets should be disassembled first. To simplify the work, peeled boards are best sorted by state and width.
And also, planning to place future furniture in the open air, it is worth making sure that she is not afraid of high humidity. To do this, it is desirable to cover the surface with a layer of primer intended for outdoor use, which has a water-repellent effect.
Without additional processing under the influence of atmospheric phenomena, light wood will acquire a grayish tint, and the lower boards in contact with the ground will rot at all, without serving even more than one or two seasons.
Pallet furniture manufacturing options
Pallets, like ready-made designer elements, are an excellent basis for the manufacture of functional interior items. There is nothing complicated in making furniture from pallets. It is enough to recall how in childhood you collected lockers and cribs from miniature matchboxes. These same skills need only be applied when working with designs of slightly larger sizes.
Garden chairs and benches
To create a convenient and practical bench, we need:
- 2-3 pallets of standard sizes;
- wooden bars with a section of 50-60 mm;
- metal corners;
- electric drill with a drill;
- bolted washers and screws;
- protective equipment (glasses and gloves).
To give a more presentable appearance to the finished product, also prepare a varnish or any paint intended for woodwork.
So, let's get to work. A standard pallet is assembled from seven boards. To make the seat and back of the bench, we take a pre-cleaned pallet and saw it into two parts.
We cut the structure in half so that four crossbars remain together, acting as a seat, and three become the back of a future bench
To connect the back and seat, as well as the manufacture of the armrests of the bench, you can use the boards, disassembling another pallet, or use the bars available in the household.
Aligning the edges of both parts at right angles, we fasten them with screws or screws, tightening the workpieces tightly
You can increase the reliability and strength of the backrest with the seat by using the double fastening method.
To give structural rigidity on both sides of the connected parts, we attach 1-2 narrow rails, placing them parallel to each other
The length of the sidewalls depends on how high they will be located. From the remaining boards are thicker or wooden bars, we cut 4 workpieces for arranging the legs.
Masters recommend making the legs for the bench wide, but not too high, so you can increase the stability of the structure and make rest on it more comfortable
The legs are attached to the bottom of the pallet on both sides, using metal corners to enhance fixation.
Having assembled the main structure, it remains to supplement it at the request with some elements, for example, cut decorative elements on the back and decorate the sides with armrests. The finished bench is covered with colorless varnish or paint of the selected shade - it all depends on your preferences and the overall exterior design.
By the same principle, you can make corner benches, equip cozy corners in the garden, or even build separate chairs
Do-it-yourself furniture from pallets will be indispensable for a suburban area. Acting as a worthy replacement for old worn furniture, it easily fits into different interior styles.
A convenient bench made of pallets, made of wood of a natural light shade, will look great in the garden against a background of lush greenery and colorful flowers
We cut the structure in half so that four crossbars remain together, acting as a seat, and three become the back of a future bench
Hanging beds and sofas
Spacious beds and hanging sofas are not much more difficult to make. They will become a successful complement to the interior of the terrace or porch.
Sitting on such a comfortable sofa it’s a pleasure to enjoy the picturesque landscape and the enchanting sounds of nature
The bed in a simple embodiment consists of two standard pallets, the sides of which are carefully bonded to each other.
If you plan to build a more comfortable place to relax, equipped with a comfortable mattress, you will have to tinker longer. To place the mattress, you will need to build a special box, which can be assembled from the boards of one of the remaining unused pallets.
To make a box in pallets, we cut out the middle support, and fix the cut-out part between the sides, forming the sides
The result should be a design whose size corresponds to the perimeter of the bottom of the bed. The height of the angular uprights depends on the thickness of the mattress. We install the finished box on two pallets pre-interconnected and fix it with self-tapping screws.
From the wider bars or the remaining boards, you can build a headboard. The gaps between the ribs of the pallet can be conveniently used as boxes for storing pastel accessories.
The finished structure can only be covered with two or three layers of paint, or covered with a dense variegated fabric or leatherette
If you plan to move the berth, changing the "scenery" of the blooming garden, equip the structure with wheels. But keep in mind that for this purpose it is worth using only powerful wheels that can withstand the mass of not only the structure itself, but also the weight of the person lying on it.
When arranging a summer cinema in the fresh air, a multi-story bed that can accommodate a large family or a whole company will be very helpful.
To make rest on such a bed more comfortable, complement the design with soft mattresses and voluminous pillows
The easiest way to protect the underside of mattresses from dust is by lining the surface of the pallets with breathable covering material such as agrofibre.
Suspension sofas are built on the same principle, equipping heavy structures with strong ropes or chains.
Watch a video on how to make a sofa out of pallets:
Dressers, tables and racks
A successful addition to the chairs and benches will be a garden wooden table made from those improvised materials.
The set, designed in the same style, is able to ennoble the garden plot, acting as an elegant decoration of the suburban exterior
Wood blends well with other materials. Therefore, furniture from wooden pallets can be safely supplemented with textile accessories, glass elements, stone decorations and plant compositions.
To make a small table, only 2-3 pallets are required.
In general, the technology of manufacturing a table of pallets is not much different from that used to create the above chairs and garden benches
To create a design decorated with a continuous canvas, we fill boards from the second workpiece into the voids between the rails of the first pallet. We carefully grind the finished canvas, cover it with a stain and leave the workpiece to dry completely. To get rid of roughness, gently wipe the surface with fine-grained emery paper or grind it again.
We proceed to the assembly of the structure. In the corners of the bottom of the table by means of a bolted connection we fix 4 legs. To equip the shelves under the working table we fasten the shield assembled from pallets disassembled onto the boards. In the assembled construction, all unpainted places are covered with two layers of stain. We fasten the rollers to the legs of the table.
It looks interesting tables, the working surface of which is complemented by mounted containers for planting spicy crops
The styling of outdoor garden tables depends on your imagination.
The garden table can be decorated with a large playing deck or a huge British flag.
It’s easy to adapt old pallets even for arranging multifunctional shelves, thanks to which you can place small containers with flowers or necessary things for plant care in the open air. A folding shelf can also find its application in the arrangement of a suburban area.
When folded, the hinged shelf takes up a minimum of space, and when unfolded, it acts as a convenient stand for placing items needed in the household
Some craftsmen, developing the idea of creating functional furniture from old pallets, went even further.
Original sideboards, cute chests of drawers and spacious cabinets - this is not a complete list of those pieces of furniture that can be created from wooden packaging
If you wish, you can even assemble a real “house for gnomes” from pallets, which will become an elegant decoration of a terrace or a playground in the garden. The two-story house is assembled from vertically mounted pallets.
The use of white color in the design makes the design visually light and weightless, and green touches allow you to harmoniously fit it into the surrounding landscape
The opinion that furniture from pallets can be created only for yourself is a mistake. Some craftsmen put up their products for sale, turning their favorite hobby into a profitable project. A vivid example of this is the popular dog feeders.
Convenient feeders on stable legs have a presentable appearance, due to which they can fit perfectly into the interior of the house and the surrounding landscape design
The secret of the popularity of furniture made of wooden pallets made by yourself is easily explained by its original design. It is cheap, but no less practical. In addition, people who create or purchase ready-made furniture from pallets are driven by safety concerns. After all, pallets are made from wood not treated with any chemical agents. And therefore these products assembled from a pallet can rightfully be attributed to the number of the most environmentally friendly pieces of furniture in the world.
In conclusion, we offer some ideas for inspiration. Do not be afraid to experiment, making your life brighter. Enjoy your work!
