4 Ways to Repurpose Wood Pallets

If you work in the landscaping industry, you’ve probably come across many empty and unused wood pallets. Sometimes they get repurposed, and sometimes they sit there for years taking up storage space. With wood prices so high, why not put them to good use? If you’re looking for a fun side project and have extra pallets laying around, check out the ideas below!

Where can you find wood pallets? 

Wood Pallets can be found in a number of places. If you don’t have any readily available at your workplace, you might have to do a bit of searching. However, they’re never too far away. Every big store or company will have extras, and sometimes all you need to do is ask to get one for free. They might even thank you for taking it off their hands! Ask around to see what you can find, and before you know it someone will have one they’re trying to get rid of. 

Idea #1 Salvage the wood

The first way to reuse a wood pallet is simply to salvage the wood and use it for anything you want. Chances are your pallet has some damage, rust, and splinters. With the right tools, these are easy fixes. Carefully remove any nails to separate the pieces of wood. If the nails are rusty they can still be salvaged, but just be careful not to cut yourself! 

Try to keep the pieces whole without cutting them. This will allow you to have a wider range of use for them in the future. You can always cut the pieces shorter, but putting them back together is much more difficult. You can use a sander to get rid of splinters and imperfections. If there’s a hole or a damaged area, use wood filler to fill the gaps. These will be great to use for any future project!

Idea #2 Vertical Herb Garden

Creating a vertical garden is almost too simple. You don’t need any special tools for this one! All you need to do is find a place that gets a good amount of sunlight. Prop the wood pallet up vertically by leaning it against a wall. You might want to consider mounting it for better support. 

Next, all you need to do is find small pots that can fit between the spaces of the wood. These can be any pots that you like! Angle them in so they stay put, and fill them with soil and your favorite plants. This is a great way to grow herbs to use for cooking!

Idea #3 Floating Shelves

Floating shelves have become extremely popular in interior design. They can be a great way to display decorations. Creating a shelf out of a wood pallet will add a rustic feel to any room. Not only that, but the project is pretty simple. All you need to do is salvage the wood (as explained in idea #1). You can even stain the wood your favorite color or leave it in its natural state.

Find a picture of a floating shelf that you like, and cut the pieces accordingly. All you need to do is get the correct hardware for installing it, and you’ll have yourself a new floating shelf! One pallet will probably allow you to make around 4 shelves. 

Idea #4 Dog bed

Creating a dog bed may be the easiest idea yet. You’ll want to make sure the wood is sanded down and that there are no nails or sharp edges that could harm your pet. Take off one of the sides of the pallet to create an entrance for your dog. You can get creative with this and add some decorations to it, or you can keep it simple!

Next, fill it with soft materials that your dog will like to sleep on. You can cut a foam pad the correct size, or purchase a dog mattress that will fit the pallet. Given how sturdy pallets are, the bed will last a long time and your dog will love having a new place to sleep.