North America alone produces around 450 million wooden pallets each year, quite an amount, and naturally the transportation industry and warehouses use up most of the pallets that are made and that exist in the World. There is however, something very exciting about using pallets, especially in and around the home and today we want to take a deeper look in to how these sturdy, symmetrical, and cheap little wooden structures can be put to use other than for transportation.
Pallets can be bought at places like Pallet West for as little as under $10 and this makes them very appealing to people wishing to get creative and see what they can do with a few wooden pallets. We’ve put together just a few ways in which pallets can be used.
Garden Decking
Having a decked area in the garden is all the rage, as such, prices for specialized decking wood has gone sky high and creating a decked area in the garden can be pricey. Step forward the pallet, a ready made design for decking that simply needs a little treatment to protect the wood and hey presto, you have a selection of identical wooden squares which you can place together in the shape of your choice and paint whichever color that you like.
Furniture
If you really have an eye for creativity and are good with your hands then you could create a whole range of pallet furniture. This could be anything from a simple table whereby you stack the pallets on top of each other and buy a glass pane to sit on the top, or alternatively you could get the saw out and even put a bench and chairs together for the garden with your pallets.
Wall Rack
Hanging pallets on the wall, both inside and outside the house can have multiple uses, in the garden you could use the slats as a plant stand and indoors you can use the pallet for things like a shoe rack or shelving. New pieces can easily be added to the pliable wood of a pallet and you can use them as a base to add more shelving should you wish. A painted pallet hanging on the wall can also look great as a decorative piece.
Bed
One of the simplest things to create using pallets is a bed, pallets are all the same shape and size and you can stack 3 or 4 on top of each other, place them in piles next to each other and then simply put a mattress on top for a cool and funky bed base. You can add or lower the bed any time that you like and you can almost perfectly place a queen sized mattress on top of 4 pallets in a square.
Basement Stairs
If you’re feeling adventurous then you can use pallets to create a set of stairs, perfect for trotting down into the basement. Using two pallets per stair, you just need to attach them together with metal hinges and set each stair around 30cm back from the one below it. The stairs will be sturdy and well connected and they work out great for small distances.