DIY wood pallet projects : 35 rustic modern upcycling ideas to personalize your space

442 Pages·2014·46.87 MB·English

by  Karah Bunde

DIY
WOOD PALLET
PROJECTS
35 Rustic Modern Upcycling Ideas to Personalize Your Space
KARAH BUNDE
of thespacebetweenblog.net
Avon, Massachusetts
dedication
to Joel, Marley, and Mico. Our life is my favorite project.
contents
preface
introduction
PART 1
preparation and tools
CHAPTER 1
wood pallets 101
where do I find pallets?
how should I transport pallets?
what do those markings on the pallet mean?
how do I know if it’s a good pallet to use?
how do I clean the pallet?
how exactly do I get this pallet apart?
what other kinds of wood could I use if I don’t want to take a pallet apart?
do I have to be a pro at using power tools to do these projects?
what equipment will I need?
can you tell me more about the saws I’ll be using?
what power tools might I need?
what does the sandpaper grit number really tell me?
who’s ready to create something awesome?
PART 2
project tutorials
the beginning of every project
CHAPTER 2
getting crafty
rustic wood clock
variation—rope-edged clock
picture frames—3 ways
pallet slat picture holder
barnwood picture frame
variation—simple jewelry organizer
the perfect Instagram picture frame
variation—geometric wall art
cut-out silhouette
CHAPTER 3
around the house
hook board with repurposed handles
shoe organizer
pallet slat–backed bookcase
full-length mirror frame
rustic wooden crate
pet feeding station
CHAPTER 4
holidays and entertaining
easy peasy star
painted silhouette
rustic advent calendar
miniature tabletop tree
American flag
pallet slat tree
tray with mitered corners
CHAPTER 5
in the yard
eclectic directional sign
hanging bed
shutters
welcome mat
wine rack with stemware storage
planter box with mitered corners
cooler surround
CHAPTER 6
furniture
headboard
large dog bed
tabletop
Adirondack-like chair
bench with decorative angle cuts
herringbone coffee table
U-shaped side table
night stand with arrow detail
CHAPTER 7
the finishing touches
aging new wood
other embellishment ideas
the end
Copyright
preface
Hi, my name is Karah and I use items I find along the side of the road to make
beautiful things for my home.
Wait, did I just say that out loud?
For over fifteen years, my husband and I have been moving every few years
and we’re always on the hunt for ways to create a home that we love in a new
location. But going the traditional route of shopping for every last item can get
pricey. And we all know that some items you find at the thrift shop, even with a
coat of a fabulous color of paint and the most fantastic knobs you’ve ever laid
eyes on, aren’t ever going to be your style or do anything to help make your
space feel like home.
Instead of buying expensive items, or settling for options that just didn’t feel
quite right, we started making our own things and quickly found that getting
creative with pallet wood and designing functional and beautiful items that are a
true reflection of our style was the perfect fit for our space and our budget.
Before long, I started to chronicle our adventures on my blog, the space between
(http://thespacebetweenblog.net).
With only the limitations of your own imagination, you can surround yourself
with things that feel like home even when you’re in the space between. You
know that space—the one between where you’ve been and where you’re going.
Wherever that is at this very moment, there’s no reason not to make it a space
you love and that feels exactly like home.
On the blog you will find us in the midst of a full-house renovation of a 1950s
conch-style home in Key West, Florida. The blog journey started in Curaçao (a
southern Caribbean island 35 miles east of her more popular sister-island,
Aruba), where traditional shopping centers were nonexistent and our most
treasured home items were borne out of things I gathered from around the beach,
along the road, or out of large construction dumpsters. Now that we’re back in
the United States, albeit the Caribbean of the United States, and undertaking a
home renovation project that will leave no surface untouched, we find ourselves
balancing the desire for beautification with the reality of a budget.
My very first pallet project was a simple piece of inspiring word art quickly
followed by a pallet wood crate I made as a storage solution in our tiny kitchen
in Curaçao. These days, I’m more apt to try to figure out a way to make my own
version of any wooden project that I see for sale than I am to actually purchase
it. Some people daydream about sunny vacations on the beach, and while I’m
living by the beach, I’m the one daydreaming about pallet project possibilities.
Yep, I sure do know how to have a good time.
I’m sure you’ve seen wood pallets around. They are often found near
residential or commercial construction sites or on loading docks of your favorite
home improvement stores. They are considered trash to those companies, but
over the years, through trial and error, I have found ways to transform this
“trash” into pieces of furniture and craft or art ideas.
Be it a large or small project, when you let your creativity flow, you have the
potential to make an item that will always be one of a kind and unique to your
own personal style. And since our main material—wood pallets—doesn’t cost
anything, we’re talking about projects that are all nearly free. And nearly free is
a popular price point around here.
In this book, I’m excited to share with you a few of my favorite project ideas
along with tips and tricks for finding and working with pallets. Who knows,
maybe we’ll run into each other at the loading dock of our favorite lumberyard
one day.
Until then …