6 Great Ways to Upcycled Your Old Pallets

It's not uncommon for people to have old pallets lying around. Maybe your new fridge or dishwasher was delivered on one or maybe your workplace is getting rid of a bunch and upgrading to plastic pallets.

Wherever your pallets came from, there are plenty of better uses for them than putting them out with the hard rubbish and going into a landfill. Not only that, but pallet furniture has become pretty trendy recently. It's easy to find examples that look great in bars and cafes all over Australia and online.

Here are six ways that you can upcycle old pallets into something useful for your home.

1. Coffee table

Making a coffee table out of an old pallet is really straightforward, so it's probably a good starting point for people who are new to DIY projects. All you really need to do is put some legs on it, and you've got yourself a coffee table. Throw in a sanding and some varnish at it will look great too. You can make it more elaborate than that if you want to, of course, but not everyone should be allowed near power tools.

2. Outdoor furniture

Pallets are great for outdoor furniture since they're so robust; they'll have no problem standing up to the elements. Whether you need a table, chairs, or anything else you can think of, wooden pallets make an ideal building material. This kind of furniture will be a bit more tricky than the coffee table, but there is no shortage of online guides that you can use.

3. Kitchen stools

Kitchen bar stools are a good option for indoor pallet furniture since they're usually wooden and pretty simple anyway. Reclaimed timber also has heaps of personality, so your stools will have a great rustic look that goes perfectly with a rustic home-cooked meal.

4. Garden planter

Growing your own herbs and vegetables is great for saving money and improving your home cooking. So if you're short on garden space, building a pallet planter that will fit on the patio or even an apartment balcony is a great way of making this possible. You can build to fit any space, even if it's only a small one for growing herbs.

5. Hall table

Building a hall table is a great way to upcycle an old pallet since it's a piece of furniture that you might not already have (and they're great). You can use your new hall table as the place you always leave your keys when you get home so you stop losing them, and if you put a vase on it that gives you an excuse to always have flowers in the house.

6. Bookshelves

You can never have too many bookshelves. Whether you use them for books, DVDs, vinyl records, or just displaying ornaments, they're always useful. And if you make shelving out of pallets, you could put it outside as well, and use it for small potted plants or candles.

There are endless ways that you can reuse or upcycle your old pallets, so get creative and see what you can build.