11 Pallet Garden Furniture Ideas
The humble wooden pallet is typically known for its use in delivery services and transporting large cargo. But for many of us, we are realising the pallet is useful for making garden furniture. Below are our 11 pallet garden furniture ideas which we recommend introducing into your outdoor space.
1. Corner sofa
As designs go, for a corner sofa it doesn't get much more basic. But basic doesn't mean boring, and a corner sofa made from pallets is pretty cool. Stack pallets up to get the desired height, and then create an upright backrest with the remaining. You will be able to create a good size sofa with 9 pallets, and pretty much zero cutting involved. Treat them with sand and varnish, or paint to fit in with your garden.
Dress the sofa up with lots of cushions and throws to create a cosy space.
2. Coffee table
Following on from the simple design of the corner sofa, next up is another very straight forward piece of pallet garden furniture - the coffee table. Use one or two pallets either on top of each other or with added legs, depending on the height you want. As with all pallet garden furniture, the flexibility is there to cut to size and paint in any colour you like. With a coffee table, you could also throw a table cloth over it to disguise the pallet, and dress with dining accessories and glassware, ready for a day in the sun.
3. Shelving
Shelving is always going to be useful in a garden and if you can design and build it yourself, even better. Wooden pallets are great materials to cut up and use for shelves. Maybe you want simple battens on the wall, or perhaps you need a bigger structure like ladder shelving. If you feel confident using tools for cutting and drilling the wood, we highly recommend you give it a go.
Before you start making your shelves, take a moment to think about what you want to use them for, and how best they will work in your garden. Maybe you want to fill with plant pots or herbs. Alternatively, you may want to use for storing gardening tools by adding additional hooks.
4. Day bed
What more do you need when in the garden on a hot Summers day, then having a bed in the garden. Build yourself a day bed with pallets for the perfect lounging area. Using pallets actually makes the bed modular, meaning you can change the size and height if desired. The flexibility means you can create a seating area that suits you and your guests. Because the pallets have a bit of weight behind them, once you have put them in place, they will stay there. Of course, if you want a more permanent piece of garden furniture, we recommend screwing the pallets together.
5. Planters
Bring some interest into your garden with some raised flower beds. Use the pallet battens to create free-standing boxes to put your best blooms in. Vary the heights and sizes for a fun feast for the eyes. If you are feeling very handy with the tools, then you could also add some storage into the bottom of the planter boxes. Hang a door or have a removable panel to store garden tools, soil etc. Place these around your patio, seating area, or against fences further back in your garden. Paint then all the same colour for a uniform look.
Read on for more pallet garden furniture ideas.
6. Vertical panter
How about using a pallet to make a useful and attractive vertical planter. Using just one pallet turned on its end, you have an instant planter, ready to fill with herbs & plants. Create a wall of planters by stacking pallets up and attaching to a wall. Alternatively use the wood from a pallet to design and build your own vertical planter. You may want to incorporate storage or introduce different height for different size plants.
7. Garden bar
What better use for a wooden pallet, then to make yourself your own garden bar. By cutting your pallets to a suitable size, create a box structure with a lid. This then becomes an instant bar area where you can stand and make drinks. Leave one of the sides open for use as storage, or even hook up a mini-fridge!
Paint up your garden bar any fun colour you like, and dress it up with lights and signage.
8. Log Shelter
If you are lucky enough to have a wood-burner or open fire in your home, how about making yourself a log shelter out of pallets. As with a lot of the items we have mentioned, this shelter will be based on a box structure. Use pallets to built up the box on 5 of the sides, leaving the front open. Use offcuts of wood to make feet to lift it off the ground slightly, and you are good to go.
This is a lovely idea to keep all your logs stored outside nice and neatly.
9. Screen
If you are looking for some privacy in your garden, or just want to separate different areas, then maybe you want to build yourself a screen. Pallets are perfect for this as they have the gaps to let light through and also easy to build up to create height.
If you are feeling confident incorporate a planter in the bottom or a seat. These screens can be free-standing in the garden or used to cover up a wall or fence you don't like so much. If you have a screen near your seating area, dress it up with festoon lights and hanging planters.
10. Swing
As we are well aware, swings are not just for kids and there is something really soothing about relaxing on a swing outdoors. A great alternative to a hammock, a pallet swing can be adapted to seat two people in comfort.
The first thing to check is that you have a strong enough tree to take the weight. Once you are happy then it is a matter of constructing one or two pallets together and adding rope or chain to hang it from. Treating it with varnish will allow you to keep it outside all year round. And then when you are ready to use, throw some cushions on and enjoy!
11. Compost bin
In a time where we all need to be more resourceful and eco-friendly, we should all have a compost bin. It's very straight forward, and a great use for recycled pallets.
Depending on the size you need you may have to cut down your pallets first. If you want to use the pallets as they are, we recommend lining them with mesh to cover the gaps. Alternatively, you can dismantle a pallet and use the batons to build your compost bin from scratch.
For similar posts click on the below links.
Wooden Pallet Garden Furniture Ideas